Mt Wills is a lesser known peak that delivers incredible “bang for your buck”. At 1750m, it sits on par with the elevation of most of Falls Creek and Mt Buller, and offers true alpine scenery and 360-degree views towards Australia’s highest peaks ..even if it is a little far from civilisation.
Overview
This out-and-back 6km return hike to the Mt Wills summit involves a fairly steady 360m of elevation gain. While the distance is relatively short, the altitude means you truly feel the alpine vibes (and chills) at the top. You’ll see snow gums and giant granite boulders typical of many of Australia’s highest alpine peaks.
Access
Trailhead: Tallangatta Ski Club
Suggested Meeting Point: Eskdale IGA or Eskdale Cafe
Travel time: By car: 50 minutes from Mitta Mitta, or approximately 2 hours from Wodonga. The road is long, windy, and subject to snow. Snow chains are highly recommended whenever temperatures at the base of the mountain are sitting around 10°C or lower or snow is possible at places like Falls Creek.
Mt Wills Trail Information
Hike time: 3 hours return
Season: Autumn (April)
Difficulty: Fitness (Grade 1: Easy)* Technical (Grade 1: Easy)
Safety Notes: At 1750m, this peak is subject to snow and freezing winds for large parts of the year. During our April visit, it was 5°C at the start and -1°C at the summit. You should be fully prepared for hiking in winter conditions. Given the remote location, you should also consider carrying a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) or satellite communicator if you are hiking on your own. *This walk was done without snow on the ground.
Download or view the Mt Wills GPX file
App or map? While many rely on navigation apps I always recommend printing a copy of your hike maps using OpenTopo or similar and keeping it in a waterproof case. You should also consider an emergency GPS beacon
Post Hike Report
We recently became members of the elusive Tallangatta Ski Club, from where this hike starts. Waking up on a cold but sunny Sunday with nothing to do, we decided on a spur of the moment to do a hike to Mt Wills. We could see it was going to be cold but thankfully there was a 0% chance of precipitation. Snow had fallen on nearby peaks like Falls Creek the night before.
After stopping at the Eskdale Cafe for dim sims and the local IGA grocer for water, we started towards the Tallangatta Ski Club. It’s a long and windy road subject to snow, so chains are a must for safety.
We arrived at the ski club at 12.00pm and set off walking before 12.30pm. Passing the locked gate, the trail is overgrown at the start and follows a Parks Vic access route – apparently once accessible by ski club members but now locked to all. The trail quickly switches back, clears up, and starts looking more alpine. The tall gum trees give way for twisted snow gums.
After around 45 minutes of slow walking (pacing ourselves due to carrying / encouraging a child), we reached the snow gum line. The trail flattens out and winds through granite boulders and snow gum trees, many burnt out, joining into the AAWT (Australian Alps Walking Track).
Views of the back of Falls Creek and Bogong on your right and the distant Kosciuszko ranges on the left with snow-capped peaks would be, though no fresh snow was on our path today. After 20 minutes or so, a final climb on the access trail leads up to a mobile tower; continue up and around and the green-roofed hut at the summit presents itself.
The summit itself isn’t anything of note with a single lightning rod, but the rocky cliff formation in front of the shelter presents a great view towards Benambra and Kosciuszko. The hut is a great find, featuring sleeping space for up to 8, a drop toilet, a stove for heating inside, and a fire pit outside. This would make a great mini overnight hike, or even a day hike to see the snow while staying at the Tallangatta Ski Club or down in Mitta Mitta -provided you’re adequately prepared. We headed inside the hut out of the wind where temperatures sat at 4°C, but shelter from the increasing wind made all the difference. The chill of freezing air was well apparent even in the middle of the day.
After a 20-minute lunch and break to warm our hands and take in the views, we started back. The walk back is honestly lovely and cruisy. With Bogong clearly in view, we steamed back to the car and arrived by 3:20 PM.