Melbourne's closest snow has toboggan runs, groomed cross-country trails and no chairlift at all. Skis, snowshoes and chains come from the shops below it, at Narbethong on the way in or on Murchison Street in Marysville, the town rebuilt after the 2009 fires.
Can you hire skis at Lake Mountain?
Only if you come with a school group. The resort rents jackets, pants, kids' snow suits and snow boots at $29 each, so skis, snowshoes and wheel chains come from the shops below. Lake Mountain Ski Hire at Narbethong charged $35 for an adult classic set in 2026, and Marysville Ski Centre on Murchison Street starts at $50.
Is there a bike shuttle up Lake Mountain this summer?
No. For 2026/27 the resort runs no shuttle and has stopped issuing permits while it sorts out a commercial license for the Cascades Trail, and neither trail lists any bike hire. Riders leave one car where the trail comes out on Buxton-Marysville Road and drive up in another. Entry is free from November to April, but the facilities are shut, so carry water.
Hired on the way up
One shop sits on the Maroondah Highway at Narbethong and two on Murchison Street in Marysville. Between them they cover skis, snowshoes, toboggans, boots, clothing and chains, while the resort itself rents clothing and boots only.
| Shop | Adult cross-country skis, 1 day | Snowshoes, 1 day | Hires | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lake Mountain Ski Hire
436 Maroondah Highway, beside the Black Spur Inn
Lowest published ski price
|
$35 | $25 | Classic and skate skis, snowshoes and poles, toboggans, snow boots, insulated clothing, gloves, helmets, chains from $50 | Walk in, no booking needed |
| Shop | Adult cross-country skis, 1 day | Snowshoes, 1 day | Hires | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Marysville Ski Centre
29 Murchison Street
|
$50 | $25 | Classic, demo, skate and racing skis, snowshoes, toboggans, clothing, walking boots, helmets, chains from $50, waxing and repairs | Walk in or phone |
|
Cross Country Ski Hire
41-43 Murchison Street
|
Ask in store | Cross-country gear, snow clothing, toboggans, chains | Phone 03 5963 3322 | |
| Shop | Adult cross-country skis, 1 day | Snowshoes, 1 day | Hires | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lake Mountain Alpine Resort
1071 Lake Mountain Road
|
School groups only | Not hired | Jackets, pants, kids' snow suits and snow boots at $29 each; no gloves, socks, goggles or beanies | Tickets online → |
Australian dollars. Lake Mountain Ski Hire's 2026 list ran until 30 September 2026, and Marysville Ski Centre's applies from winter 2026. Cross Country Ski Hire publishes no prices online, so call ahead.
The bike trails open from Cup Weekend at the start of November, entry costs nothing, and wildflowers come out along Echo Flat from late spring. The cafe stays shut until winter, so bring lunch to cook on the resort's electric barbecues.
Self-shuttle only this summer, so come with two cars.
From the top of the mountain to the edge of Marysville, graded deep blue with advanced features. Allow 3 to 5 hours for 1,550 m of descent and 500 m of climbing, through the tunnel of love and Ben the Bermy Berms, then 4.85 km along the Taggerty River to finish.
Cascades Trail page →Lenny's Loop (0.9 km) and Trigger Track (2.2 km), plus Ski Run 21, 200 m down an old ski run from the 1910s.
Bike park loops →One of the 7 Peaks road climbs: 932 m up from Marysville at an average 4%, with pinches of 10%.
Climb details →Through snow gums growing back since 2009, past the old Snow Gauge, with wildflowers from late spring.
Walks →A wheelchair-accessible boardwalk from the Snow Hill car park.
Walks →Floodlit after dark until midnight, on the Steavenson River near town. Parking costs a small fee.
Visiting the falls →Narbethong comes first
Coming from Melbourne you pass Narbethong first, then turn off for Marysville. Narbethong was cheaper in 2026, while Marysville has more skis to choose from and is the last place to hire chains before the climb.
Buxton is the third corner of the Triangle, where Buxton-Marysville Road meets the Maroondah Highway past the golf course, and Taggerty sits further up the highway toward Alexandra. Neither has a hire shop, but between them they cover lunch on the drive home and a Sunday beer in Taggerty.
Lake Mountain from the towns further out
The resort's distances and drive times to Lake Mountain.
Allow 2 to 2.5 hours from Melbourne CBD, out through the Yarra Valley and over the Black Spur to Narbethong, then the Marysville turnoff. The town itself is about 90 minutes from the city.
The resort runs no shuttle for the public. Without a car, take the train to Lilydale and McKenzie's Route 684 bus, which reaches Narbethong and Marysville once or twice a day, and plan on a night or two in town.
Chains only matter when the resort declares a chain day. Then every 2WD must carry them until staff say to fit them, and 4WD and AWD drivers must know how to engage it. The day shows in the header of the resort's website and on yellow signs as you drive into Marysville. Arrive without chains and you'll be turned around at the gate, and staff can't help with fitting. Chain day rules →
In 2026 a car with up to nine seats paid $69. Anyone arriving by coach paid $22 a head, and $12 between the ages of 5 and 17. Entry is capped each day. On school-holiday weekends, once the car parks fill, tickets stop and the gate goes one-in-one-out, with waits that can run to several hours. Entry tickets →
In the snow season cars go through the gate from 8am until 3pm. Allow 10 to 20 minutes from the gate to the main car park, and be on your way down by 3.30pm, because the gate is locked from 4pm.
The resort has taken only debit and credit cards since winter 2025.
Bespoke Driven Tours in Narbethong fills the gap with private transfers for up to six people.
Fill the tank in Marysville or Narbethong and the water bottles in town, since the mountain has no drinking water. Pets of any kind aren't allowed at the resort.
Families make up about 80% of visitors. Lake Mountain's 2026 winter ran 6 June to 30 August, open daily in the July school holidays and Thursday to Monday the rest of the time.
The Mini Run is fenced, has a magic carpet and runs on snowmaking. The snow play area is just past it, north of the main building.
The Village Run is the family run, also with a magic carpet and snowmaking. Koala Creek is longer and steeper and opens on natural snow only. A ticket for anyone 6 or over cost $33 in 2026 with a toboggan included, and $11 for children 5 and under, who don't get one. A toboggan brought from home stays in the car, since only the resort's go on the runs.
Echo Flat (3.8 km) is one of the resort's easiest, along with Muster (2.5 km), Snowgum (1.3 km) and the two-way Home trail (1 km).
Woollybutt climbs steeply both ways over 1.9 km, Panorama runs one way for 2.6 km, and the resort suggests saving the downhill Royston Road (1.7 km) for last. Jubilee has long and short loops over 5 km, and the Hut Trail is ungroomed and not regularly patrolled.
The Summit Walk is 1.8 km return to the 1,433 m top, looking north to the Alps and south over Marysville toward Melbourne. Leadbeaters' Walk, 600 m return from the southeast corner of the car park, has signs about the 1939 and 2009 fires.
Chairlifts, snowboarding, lessons of any kind (even for schools), guided tours and beds. Everyone drives back down before the gate locks at 4pm.
Three toboggan runs, two kept going with snowmaking.
Groomed trails from beginner loops to Jubilee, but no lessons.
No lifts, and snowboards aren't allowed.
There and back in a day, 2 to 2.5 hours each way.
Capped entry and hours-long waits on school-holiday weekends.
Each score, 1 to 5, assumes a car from Melbourne that comes back down the same afternoon.
Lake Mountain runs no lessons or guided tours, so anything you book here happens below the snow.
Nationally recognized 4WD courses, from basic and intermediate to recovery, on its training ground at 631 Maroondah Highway, Narbethong, plus one-day tag-along tours.
Their website →Private tours and local transfers in a VW Multivan, run from 841 Marysville Road, Narbethong, for the last five years, and booked over email.
Their website →Eighteen holes along the Steavenson River and barefoot bowls at 956 Buxton-Marysville Road. Visitors book tee times online.
Their website →Murchison Street covers breakfast through dinner, from Keppel's pies to the pizza at The Mercantile. Up top there's one cafe and bistro, open 8.30am to 3.30pm in the snow season.
Breakfast, brunch and lunch seven days at number 45, with homemade gelato and pies and a produce store.
A cellar-door style bar at number 18 pouring local wine, beer and spirits, with Napolitana-style pizza and grazing boards.
Peppers Marysville's Italian-leaning restaurant at number 32, using Yarra Valley and High Country produce. Breakfast 7 to 10am daily, dinner Tuesday to Saturday, and an open fire in the Chalet Lounge in winter.
Lollies, local produce, ice cream and coffee at number 8, open 10am to 4pm every day.
Hot food, snacks and coffee, 8.30am to 3.30pm daily in the snow season and closed in summer.
At the golf club on Buxton-Marysville Road, seating more than 300, with lunch and dinner from noon to 9pm Wednesday to Sunday.
The Garden View Restaurant at Narbethong serves breakfast, lunch and dinner five days a week by an open fire, next door to Lake Mountain Ski Hire.
The Pavilion shuts on Monday and Tuesday, and the mountain cafe closes for the summer.
Before you cross the Black Spur
The mountain hires no skis or chains, takes no cash and has no drinking water, so most of this list gets done in Marysville or before you leave home.
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FAQ
Answers checked October 2026. Prices and rules change each season, so confirm with the operator before you go.
Contact UsLake Mountain Ski Hire at Narbethong, with adult classic sets at $35 a day and children's at $25 in 2026. Marysville Ski Centre charges $50 for standard adult skis and $35 for kids' skis, and it carries the demo, skate and racing gear.
Photos: Shogun (CC BY-SA 3.0), Shubham (CC BY-SA 4.0), Leighblackall (CC BY-SA 4.0), Stephen Bain (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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