Mount Buffalo National Park

Mount Buffalo is a granite massif that rises abruptly from the Ovens Valley to a plateau at around 1,300 metres, topped by tors, boulder fields and the summit of the Horn at 1,723 metres. It was declared a national park in 1898, among Australia's earliest, and the Mount Buffalo Chalet, built by the state in 1910 as a mountain guesthouse, still stands above the gorge, closed to guests for years but a landmark. The Gorge is a granite chasm with lookouts and, for climbers, some of the longest multi-pitch routes in Victoria. Lake Catani offers summer swimming and camping, Eurobin Falls drops off the northern face, and snow gums and alpine wildflowers cover the plateau.

What you actually see

• The Gorge - the granite chasm with lookouts and long climbing routes.
• The Chalet - the 1910 government mountain guesthouse above the gorge.
• The Horn - the summit with views over northeast Victoria.
• Lake Catani - the plateau lake with swimming and camping in summer.

When to go

November to April for walking, swimming and climbing; the plateau holds snow in winter and the road can require chains. Wildflowers peak in December and January. The chalet is not open for accommodation and its future has been debated for years.

Honest expectations

The access road is steep and winding, unsuitable for large caravans. Lake Catani campground closes over winter. Weather on the plateau is much colder than in Bright below. The chalet can only be viewed from outside.

Nearby

Bright lies southeast; the Great Alpine Road passes below the mountain.