Mountain CreekFlora Tall Forest

Part of the Alpine National Park, Mountain Creek is a great spot located 10.5 km along Mountain Creek Road from the Kiewa Valley Highway. At the bottom of the mountain is the Mountain Creek Picnic and Camping Area, standing there you will be at the base of Mount Bogong, the tallest peak in the Victorian Alps. Sometimes called the “Brooding Giant”, Mount Bogong stands as the northern sentinel of the nearby Bogong High Plains, separated from them by a deep valley.

There are a number of walks and 4WD tracks that take you through some beautiful environments, including tall forests and fern gullies.

Tall forests of the Alpine National Park, Victoria
Towering forests of Alpine Ash, Peppermint and Blue Gum

The track at the base of the mountain is surrounded by towering forests of Alpine Ash, Peppermint and Blue Gum.

Driving through the tall forests of the Alpine National Park, Victoria
Driving through the tall forests of the Alpine National Park, Victoria

Our vehicle was dwarfed by the towering trees of the surrounding forest.

Driving through the tall forests of the Alpine National Park, Victoria
Driving through the tall forests of the Alpine National Park, Victoria

The forest includes a number of different species of eucalypts that include Eucalyptus cypellocarpa, Eucalyptus delegagtensis, Eucalyptus pauciflora and Eucalyptus regnans.

Whilst the lower slopes of the mountains are surrounded by tall forests, ferns thrive in the gullies. Further up the mountain these are replaced by Snow Gum woodlands, that in turn give way to alpine grasslands and heathlands at an altitude of about 1,600 metres. At this altitude the snow stays longer and the average temperature is low – less than 10ºC.

Tall forests of the Alpine National Park, Victoria
Tall forests of the Alpine National Park, Victoria

The water journeys from Mountain Creek to the Kiewa River and eventually into the Murray River. Tree Ferns thrive in the gullies, especially where they followed the flow of Mountain Creek.

Dicksonia antarctica ferns follow the Mountain Creek, Alpine National Park, Victoria
Dicksonia antarctica ferns follow the Mountain Creek, Alpine National Park, Victoria

Victorian Alpine Region > Beechworth | Benalla | Chiltern | Corryong | Eildon | Falls Creek | Glenrowan | Harrietville | King Valley & Milawa | Kinglake | Lake Mountain | Mansfield | Mount Beauty | Mount Buffalo | Mount Buller | Mount Stirling | Mountain Creek | Rutherglen | Tallangatta | Yackandandah | Yea
Great Alpine Road > Alpine National Park | Bairnsdale | Bright | Dinner Plain | Harrietville | Lakes Entrance | Mount Hotham | Myrtleford | Omeo | Oxley | Porepunkah | Wangaratta ◦ Other regions: Victoria’s High Country | NSW Snowy Mountain Region

Other towns, villages and localities in the Great Alpine Road include: Bruthen • Ensay • Eurobin Falls • Everton • Ovens • Swifts Creek • Tarrawingee

Footnote & References

  1. Alpine National Park, Parks Victoria, https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/alpine-national-park
  2. Flora of Victoria, VICFLORA, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/
  3. Vegetation in the Australian Alps, Australian Alps National Parks, https://theaustralianalps.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/vegetation.pdf

Mountain CreekFlora Tall Forest

VictoriaAlpine National Park Bright Dinner Plain Falls Creek Glenrowan Great Alpine Road Great Ocean Road Kyabram Mount Beauty Mount Buffalo Mount Hotham Mountain Creek Phillip Island Sullivans Lookout Victorian Alpine Region Victoria’s High Country Wilsons Promontory National Park