Taradale lies at the eastern border of one of the largest areas of forest in Central Victoria, the Fryers Ranges State Forest. This forest spans two undulating ridges running north-south, Fryers Ridge in the east and Porcupine Ridge in the west. The forest extends from the Coliban Main Channel in the east to the Castlemaine-Daylesford road in the west. The Pyrenees Highway between Elphinstone and Chewton forms the northern boundary and the Malmsbury-Daylesford Road is the southern boundary.
The whole of the Fryers Ranges Forest is covered by the Vicmap MALMSBURY map ( number 7723-N 1:50 000 map series)
To view a map of the Fryers Ridge Nature Conservation Reserve click here (click on map for full page version): Fryers Ridge map The walks/rides described on this page are a small selection of possible excursions using the tracks shown in this map
Note: all tracks in this forest are managed by the Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning (DELWP). They are vehicular tracks designed for use by emergency vehicles and can be walked and ridden in almost all conditions.
The forest stands on the ancient gold-bearing Ordovician slate rocks. See Geology for more information. Poor soil and past activities have resulted in the forest that we see today. See History
The forest is home to one of the richest assemblages of wild flowers in Central Victoria. See Wildflowers. The wildflower season commences in June/July and continues to the end of the year.