Overnight Hike to Mount Feathertop via Bungalow Spur

Holy Dooley, this hike to the summit of Mount Feathertop, Victoria’s second highest peak, is a beauty! Think gorgeous flora, birds galore, insane views, a cute lil hut and more. Its a treat! At a little over 20km return this hike is totally doable as a one-dayer, that being said I’d highly suggest camping up top – the views are insane! 

AllTrails Links to Hikes

There are multiple routes you can take to the summit, the two most straight forward (in my humble opinion) are Bungalow Spur (this route) or Razorback Ridge (one of my favourite, if not my favourite, hikes in Australia). 

The route via Bungalow Spur starts in Harrietville and heads straight up to Federation Hut (where you’ll drop your gear camp out) and then onwards to Feathertop.. this route has about 1400m in elevation gain, and it’s all on the way up. So all that vertical gain is over roughly 11km – this bad boy is not undulating it’s a climb the whole way up. That being said, it’s not scary steep, it’s just a constant slope.

The route via Razorback ridge on the other hand is about the same distance (22km return) however it only has 900ish metres in vertical gain and that’s spread out over the way out and the way back… meaning roughly 450m each way over 11ish kilometres. 

P.s. both of these routes can be found on AllTrails, I’m an affiliate so if ya wanna grab yourself an AllTrails membership so that you can save this hike offline (and get 30% off) then click here my friends! If you’ve already got a membership, or don’t want one, fair game, read on.

Before You Hike!

As always when heading out on an overnight hike, especially in alpine country, make sure you’re prepared with gear for all weather conditions along with any bits and pieces you may need for safety!

• Pack the extra layer. It may be 30 degrees at the bottom when you start and 5 degrees at the top when you get there.. don’t risk it.
• Take a snake bandage! We saw lots of slippy bois. They’re usually trying to bail from you but it’s always good to be prepped just incase!
• Know where your water sources are! And how much you’ll need!
• Don’t forget to let someone know your plans! And write your name in the hike register at the trailhead, it can’t hurt right!
• And lastly, grab yourself a PLB! And have it attached somewhere on your pack that you can reach if shit hits the fan. 

Okay enough mum and dadding you. Back to the hike.

Mount Feathertop via Bungalow Spur 

The route via Bungalow Spur starts in Harrietville Town on Feathertop Track road. There is a Carpark to leave your car for the day about 400m from the trailhead on the corner of Feathertop Track and Dredgehole Lane. It’s large and very clearly marked as of January 2025. 

The hike climbs steadily from the trailhead to Federation hut over 9km. Along the way there are a couple of “view points” but to be totally honest, they’re sort of overgrown and all the views are at the top anyway, so have a breather and carry on. They’re nice to get an idea of how far into your hike you are though:

• Picture point is around 2km in
• Tobias gap is around 4km in 

The first reliable water source is 7.5km in, it’s about 100m off the trail to the right on your way up, it’s super clearly signposted from both directions. There is also a water tank at the hut but unless there has been recent rain this can be empty, so always good to know where other options are. 

From the water source it’s only another 1 kilometre to Federation Hut – woo! Here you can take a breather before you head on up to Feathertop. There is a drop loo here alongside the hut, and for those sleeping overnight this is where the campground is. There are loads of tent sites available amongst the snow gums, it’s pretty bloody gorgeous! 

The track from Federation Hut up to Feathertop is super clearly marked, and it’s around 3km return to the hut. We saw signage up there that said it was more but I think it was incorrect! Or maybe I am. Regardless, it’s a pretty cruisy climb up and somewhere between 1.5 – 2km each way with about 300m of elevation. 

The campground has absolutely stunning views looking back towards razorback Ridge and Hotham Heights, it’s a pretty special spot to eat a packet of noodles, and equally as delightful to sip on an instant coffee the next morning.

The return trip down Bungalow Spur is right back the way you came, but with different views because you’re descending!

Overview of Our Hike 

We set off on our hike from Harrietville around 3pm which felt like a nice time of the day due to the crazy summer heat. The hike up to the top of Feathertop and back down to the campground took us 3.5 hours.

We had chosen to drop our bags at the hut before heading up to the summit, it felt delightful doing the last part of the climb without our packs on. 

We camped overnight, watched an insane sunset and then headed back down the next morning. The hike back down took around 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Camping out near the summit of Victoria’s second highest peak was an absolute delight!

For other epic hikes around Aus check out a few of my other hiking adventures!

Epic Hikes around Australia:

• Jagungal Circuit (Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales)
• Kangaroo Valley Loop (Kangarro Valley, New South Wales)
• Larapinta Trail (Tjoritja / West MacDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory)
• Overland Track (Cradle Mountain NP, Tasmania)
• The Thorsborne Trail (Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland)
• Whites River Hut (Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales)

If you want more of the good stuff you can follow along on my adventures over on the old instagram @looktheworldintheeye