Lake Mountain is a 1,433-metre-high mountain peak on a plateau that hosts a cross-country ski resort that is known by the same name. It is located in Victoria, Australia, approximately 120 kilometres north-east of Melbourne.
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Lake Mountain Alpine Resort – A Perfect Family Day Out in the Snow
If you’re looking for a snow-filled escape that’s close to Melbourne and perfect for the whole family, Lake Mountain Alpine Resort is an absolute gem. Just a two-hour drive from the city, it offers a surprisingly magical alpine experience without the hassle of an overnight stay or long-distance travel.
We visited during the snow season, and right from the moment we arrived, it felt like a winter wonderland. The drive up was scenic, and once we hit the snowline, the kids were buzzing with excitement. The resort is well-organised, and parking was pretty straightforward – just get there early to beat the crowds, especially on weekends or school holidays.
What really stood out was how family-friendly the whole setup is. The toboggan slopes were a hit with our little ones – and let’s be honest, the adults had just as much fun! There are separate areas for tobogganing, snow play, and skiing, which makes it easy to find a spot that suits your group’s vibe. We spent hours building snowmen, sliding down the hills, and just soaking up the snowy landscape.
For families who want a bit more adventure, there are snowshoeing options and easy walking trails like the Leadbeaters Walk and Bjarne Dahl Memorial Walk. They’re short, scenic, and accessible – even with a stroller, which was a bonus for us. The walks wind through peaceful alpine forests, and if you’re lucky, you might even spot some wildlife or get a glimpse of the iconic snow gums.
After all that running around, we grabbed lunch at The Heights Café. It’s casual but warm and welcoming, with enough choices to keep kids and grownups happy – think hot chocolates, pies, and plenty of snacks. The indoor seating area was a lifesaver when we needed to warm up and dry off.
One thing to note: you’ll need to pre-book your entry online and check the daily snow updates before heading up. Snow gear hire is available on-site, but if you already have your own, it saves time and money.
Although there’s no accommodation on the mountain itself, Marysville is just a short drive away and has plenty of cosy places to stay if you want to turn it into a weekend trip. It’s also a lovely little town worth exploring in its own right.
Overall, Lake Mountain is a top pick for a family day in the snow – safe, well-managed, and packed with fun. Whether it’s your kid’s first time seeing snow or you’re just chasing that alpine air for the day, it ticks all the boxes. We’ll definitely be back! PS: Entry fee $67 for car group of 5 . And varies according to the size and...
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Ghastly increases in costs and decrease in quality of experience.
toboganning - disappointing, with only 1 small run open on a weekday food - bad cost - high and significantly increased from previous years.
Main attraction of this place is the guaranteed tobbogan runs with artificial snow. Unfortunately after paying for the whole toboggan experience for a family of four ($70 to drive in + $100 just to go on the toboggan runs). We discovered that of the runs only 1 was open because we came on a weekday instead of the weekend. If we had known this we wouldn't have come along. The other runs would have been much more fun if they were open particularly the koala run which is larger, steeper, and longer.
The snow play area which was once part of the toboggan run has been cordoned off so you have to walk a long way around and can't easily enjoy spending hours playing with snow, resting, and toboganning all from one location. You have to pick the activity you want to do and then only do that before moving. The fences make you feel like you are in prison and shorten the runs so you can't enjoy going as fast.
The food (hot chips ) was not hot! and tasted terrible, and we were concerned about our safety eating cold fish. We ended up binning most of it. Luckily we brought our own food.
They only take card to pay for tobogganing, and then charge a 1.4 % card fee on top! It is unlawful to charge an additional card payment fee and then only take card.
You also aren't allowed to use your own toboggans on the run. I would much prefer to use mine as they are smoother whereas the provided ones significantly limit your speed and are too short for adults.
There are heaps of staff on hand to police everyone's enjoyment, however I would prefer to have less staff and pay less to enter. They need to seriously rethink the way they run this venue.
4 years ago we came here and paid only an entry fee for the car, after that all the snow experiences were included. All the tobogan runs were open too. The changes significantly worsen the quality of the experience while also feeling like you are being scammed out...
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Below average experience. It is only a small mountain. There is limited snow play area for the kids which makes it crowded for families to hang around with their kids. The toboggan runs were fun at first but as time passed, people were crowded and the slopes became rough and bumpy in which caused people to stop in the middle and made it difficult to slide to the end. The skiing lessons my kids took were ridiculous which was priced at $45 for 30 mins. The instructor (Cameron) seemed to be uninterested in the learning of the kids. All he did was to tell the kids what to do such as form a triangle but doesn't actually teach the baby steps on how to push with the heels to form the triangle. My kids were obviously struggling in executing this basic technique while the instructor didn't seem to take attention to it. We paid $45 for him to only instruct the kids to walk around in circles without the poles for 30 mins. By the end of the lesson, he briefly gave a talk on how to hold the poles and that's it. The area for skiing lessons were limited and the slopes weren't steep enough to slide downwards. Additionally, we were forced, abruptly, to immediately move on to the muddy area on the sides without any warnings or heads up when the tractor was set to be driven around the area which caused my kids to be stuck in their gears on the muddy areas due to lack of teaching from the instructor on how to take the gears off. Moreover, food at the cafe are limited and overpriced. Therefore, packing lunch is recommended.
However, the snowboarding lessons my kids took were a blast! My kids absolutely enjoyed and had a wonderful time. The instructor (Levi) was amazing. He taught the kids the basics with simple baby steps in which my kids perfectly understood with ease. They loved it and would definitely snowboard again another time.
At the end of the day, my kids truly enjoyed and found interest in snowboarding and however, despises skiing from this experience. Overall, would not recommend wasting money and time at this place, GET your moneys worth at better resorts such as Mount Buller or...
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