Every year the population of Marysville doubles as visitors make their way towards the slopes of Lake Mountain Alpine Resort 22 kms away. Despite its name, there is no actual lake at Lake Mountain. Instead it was named after the surveyor general George Lake. At its summit the mountain is 1,433 metres.
The resort has more than 30 kilometres of groomed cross-country trails, three ticketed toboggan runs graded from a gentle slope for toddlers up to a longer run for the more adventurous, scenic lookouts, and marked routes for hiking and snowshoeing. Out of season the trails are open for walking and riding. It is the closest snow to Melbourne, roughly a two hour drive, which is why Marysville fills up on a good winter weekend.
The Victorian snow season traditionally opens on the King's Birthday long weekend in June and runs through to around the start of September, though how much snow falls, and when, varies every year.
Planning a visit
Entry is charged per car and includes everyone in it, and there are packages that bundle entry with tobogganing or lessons. Prices, opening days, what is available to hire on the mountain and the current snow depth all change from season to season, so check the resort directly before you drive up.
The resort does not open every day of the week outside the July school holidays, and the road can require wheel chains, so it is worth confirming conditions the morning you travel.
Equipment hire and lessons on the mountain vary from year to year. If you would rather sort your gear out before the drive, there are ski and snowboard hire shops in Marysville.
A short history
From as early as the 1920's holiday makers came to the area to enjoy time in the snow. Skiing had become an established sport across the globe and resorts were opening in other alpine areas of south-eastern Australia. The road to Lake Mountain was built by sustenance workers employed by the government during the depression.
In the late 1930's the potential for a ski resort was investigated by the Ski Club of Victoria and the local community. Not much progress was made due to the 1939 bushfires and the following years of World War 2. By 1947 the idea was raised again and the area around Snowy Hill was cleared ready for development. Soon there were 4 gentle ski runs at Berry Higgs Playground. At that time the cross-country trails followed the old logging tracks.
The local branch of the ski club had folded by 1960 and the ski areas were left unmanaged. In the late 1970's the Forests Commission of Victoria took control and created dedicated cross country trails and a toboggan run at Lake Mountain. The site has passed through a number of managers since, including a period under a private operator. It is now one of the six resorts governed by Alpine Resorts Victoria, the statutory authority formed when the state's separate alpine resort management boards were merged.
Lake Mountain and the surrounding areas were also devastated by the 2009 Black Saturday fires. Most of the low lying vegetation and many of the smaller trees were incinerated by the intense flames and heat. A large portion of the resort’s infrastructure and equipment was irrevocably damaged and many of the buildings were lost. Fortunately no lives were lost around the mountain area.
A replacement visitor centre was opened in 2011, and the resort has shops and food venues along with snow-making machines to supplement what falls naturally.