Power’s Lookout Track

The Power’s Lookout Track starts innocently enough—a gravel road through Victorian mountain ash that wouldn’t challenge a Camry. Then the road tilts skyward like a ski jump, and you realize why Parks Victoria recommends high-clearance 4WDs for this 18-kilometer climb to 6,368 feet. Built as a fire tower access road in the 1940s, this track punches straight up the spine of Victoria’s Alpine National Park, gaining 3,280 feet of elevation through switchbacks carved into granite and schist that’ll have your transmission hunting for gears.

The middle section separates pretenders from contenders. Rock steps the size of washing machines demand momentum and line choice, while off-camber sections drop away into tree ferns that’ve been growing since before Europeans arrived. Your spotter will earn their keep here—one wrong wheel placement sends you sliding sideways toward gullies that swallow 4WDs whole. Water crossings appear without warning, fed by alpine springs that run year-round but swell to axle-deep torrents during spring snowmelt. December through May offers the best window, when snow clears the upper elevations but before winter storms turn the track into a muddy nightmare that closes access entirely.

The historic fire tower at Power’s Lookout crowns this technical climb, a steel sentinel that’s watched over Victoria’s High Country since bushfire crews needed eyes in the sky. On clear days, the view stretches across the Kiewa Valley to Mount Buffalo, with the Australian Alps rolling away like crumpled paper. Cell service dies completely above 4,000 feet, so download your maps in Mount Beauty—the nearest town for fuel and supplies, 45 minutes from the trailhead. A stock 4WD with decent ground clearance will make it, but low-range and recovery points aren’t suggestions up here.

This isn’t a scenic drive—it’s a full-day commitment that’ll test your rig and your nerve. You’ll drop back into Mount Beauty with scratched paint, mud in places you didn’t know existed, and the satisfaction of earning one of Victoria’s best alpine views the hard way. The Power’s Lookout Track rewards drivers who understand that the best overlanding destinations aren’t reached by accident.