Child friendly rating: 5 stars

Distance: 2.6km

Signposted time: 1 hour

Bookings Required? No

Suitable in Winter? Generally, but can be freezing and can have snow

Camping Available? Yes

4wd required? Recommended

Parking:

There is a marked parking area off Staircase Road.

The road climbs up to 1,200m elevation so in winter time can be snowy and icy. It also means the carpark is basically in the alpine zone and can have much colder weather than down in town even on a hot day.

There is a really muddy section of the road, so after heavy rain you will need a 4WD. 2WD is fine if it's not muddy or icy.

The Track:

It's a downhill walk on a mostly wide track down to Lake Chalice Hut. There are a few thinner sections of track, but you can generally walk with enough space to hold a todders hand - and this is great because the track can be steep for toddlers. There are sections where the track is made of looser rock which can be slippery for all ages.

There are a few streams to cross, but most kids should be able to keep feet dry rock hoping over these.

You drop down from the carpark at 1,200 to the hut at just below 800m elevation over 2.6km, so it is a very consistent drop down to the hut - but at least on the uphill you will have eaten the food out of your packs and they'll be lighter!

There's no overgrown plants, and the track is obvious the whole way.

With a 5 & 9 year old walking and a 1 year old being carried it took us 48 minutes to the hut, and 1 hour 10 minutes back out.

Hut:

The hut is an older style 8-bunk hut that has been renovated be more spacious. It is tidy and sits not far from the riverbed.

The lake is nearby, and there is a good 2.5 hour loop track around it if the walk in is too short for you, or you just want the kids to burn some extra energy after popping the heavy tramping packs down.

Recommendations:

This would be a great first overnight hike for all ages, toddlers will just need a hand to hold while walking, and will likely need to be carried for sections dependent on age. A keen 2.5 year old holding a parents hand will likely be able to walk the whole way (Back uphill might be another story though!)