New community nature experience trail in Woowookarung Regional Park

A trail connecting Ballarat and Mt Clear’s best lookouts via a multi use nature trail through Ballarat’s nearest forest. The trail will promote cycling, walking, running, and nature immersion while supporting the physical wellbeing and positive mental health outcomes for 30000 plus residents who live adjacent to the recently established Woowookarung Regional Park. Beginning at the ‘Ballarat Lookout’ the trail will follow the natural hills and valleys through heathy forest, grasstrees and wildflowers in season as well as historic water races, mines, prospecting sites and geological wonders.

The proposed trail is identified in the draft Woowookarung Regional Park management plan as a major feature, and loosely termed the ’10 000 Step trail’ which already looks to house the new "dementia nature forest sensory trail" currently in initial planning stages.
The community already accesses the area via unformed haphazard connections, boggy in winter, unsafe or too narrow in other sections and subject to widespread erosion and phytophthora infection.
The proposed natural trail with appropriate creek and road crossings will assist more local residents and visitors to use Woowookarung’s trails and enjoy a high quality natural forest experience.