Trail running at Dinner Plain

Soak up the pristine alpine environment and challenge yourself to experience a trail run at an altitude above 1550m. The trail runs of Dinner Plain are for the beginner to the enthusiast with runs varying between 5km to 11km.

The trails run in and out of Dinner Plain village and are a combination of easy fast flat well utilised multi-purpose trails to technical trails featuring, inclines, descents and singletrack sections.

Get running and take in some of the most magnificent views of the Victorian High Country across Mt Hotham and Mt Feathertop, stunning and certainly cooler in the early hours of the day and at sunset.

Accommodation

To book accommodation at Dinner Plain visit visitdinnerplain.com.

Green Run Blue Run

Green Run

"A beginner run, great for a warm up or cool down, but also worth the effort for its own sake with beautiful Carmichael Falls the jewel in an easy running crown."

DISTANCE: 5 km

TRAIL TYPE: Loop

COMBINED ASCENT/DESCENT: 180 metres +/-

RUN RATING: 10/45

START: Dinner Plain Hut

FINISH: Dinner Plain Hut

ESTABLISHED TRAIL NAMES: Fitzy’s Cirque, Collectors Cirque, Carmichael Falls Walk, Collectors Cirque

GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: Carmichael Falls

TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS: Beautiful Waterfall via fun singletrack

MAPS AVAILABLE: Mt Hotham and DP Tracks and Trails Map (representative)

THE RUN

Starting by the Trail Map Board at DP Hut (Information Sign / Public Use Hut), head out clockwise along the northern half of Fitzy’s Cirque (keeping the Playground equipment to your right). You will pass a turn off to your left that crosses the Great Alpine Road and then swing around to the right, still following Fitzy’s Cirque. Continue along this trail, keeping straight ahead at the signed plinth before descending a wide trail keeping the majority of the village and a snow season beginner’s slope on your right.

Cross the road at a 45-degree angle, keeping the beginner’s slope to your right and rejoin the Collectors Cirque trail (dirt, well graded, slightly less than a car width, marked with white arrows). Follow this trail for approximately 800m before the Dinner Plain track joins on the left. At this junction, turn left and run for approximately 100m before turning right onto Carmichael Falls Walk.
Descend 130m over the next 1km, over loose footing and keeping a small stream on your right.
At the lookout, take in the waterfall views before returning along the same trail. At the Junction of Dinner Plain Track and Collectors Cirque (where you turned left earlier), run straight ahead onto Collectors Cirque and follow this north toward the Great Alpine Road. Turn right just before the road and, keeping the road to your left, head back to the DP Hut / Start Point.

DOWNLOAD KML OF THIS RUN

Blue Run

"A fast, flat circuit with a good mix of groomed multi-use trail and fast single track. This run also squeezes in two stunning western perspective vista points, making it a great sunset run."

DISTANCE: 9.5 km

TRAIL TYPE: Loop with an out and back section

COMBINED ASCENT/DESCENT: 240 metres +/-

RUN RATING: 19/45

START: Dinner Plain Hut

FINISH: Dinner Plain Hut

ESTABLISHED TRAIL NAMES: Fitzy’s Cirque, Collectors Cirque, Hotham-DP Trail, Dead Timber Hill Walk, Room With a View Track

GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: JB Plain Hut, Dead Timber Hill.

TRAIL HIGHLIGHTSGreat views north off Dead Timber Hill and Room With a View, including to Mt Hotham and Mt Feathertop, spectacular at sunset.

MAPS AVAILABLE: Mt Hotham and DP Tracks and Trails Map (representative)

THE RUN

Starting by the Trail Map board at DP Hut (Information Sign / Public Use Hut), run out along the Southern half of Fitzy’s Cirque (past the playground equipment) and turn right at the signed intersection to follow Collectors Cirque. You will descend a wide trail keeping the majority of the village and a snow season beginner’s slope on your right.

Cross the road at a 45-degree angle, keeping the beginner’s slope to your right and rejoin the Collectors Cirque trail (dirt, well graded, slightly less than a car width, marked with white arrows). Follow this trail for approximately 1.3km before turning left onto the Hotham-Dinner Plain trail toward JB Plain Hut. This is a very well signposted intersection and is only 50m or so south of the Great Alpine Road.

Follow this trail for 1.5km before turning right, crossing the Great Alpine Road and joining the Dead Timber Hill Walk. Follow this trail up to a lookout that offers great views north and west. Then continue along the fast, sweeping singletrack back toward a small dam, approximately 1.6km from the lookout

From the dam, follow the signs (shifting to orange arrows) north along the Room With a View track. About 1km in, the trail will branch to the left, descend to the lookout and then return to this intersection via another loop track. Return via the same track, keeping straight ahead once you reach the dam before crossing the road, turning right at Fitzy’s Cirque and returning to the start point.

This is one of the longer Blue runs, but will suit runners transitioning to trails. It has a nice easy first half to warm up on before hitting some fun but technically easy single track. There is a little bit of elevation gain and loss, but most of this is the final stretch on the Room With a View section. Enjoy well-made trails and some gorgeous views.