The Peace Mile is a 2.8km gravel track around the lake that takes about 40 minutes. There's a waterside playground and a small beach for paddling in summer. Nearby Central Springs Reserve has three pumps where you can taste the local mineral water.

Restored vintage railmotors leave the 1882 Daylesford station and climb nine kilometres through forest to Bullarto, Victoria's highest operating station. Trains run every Sunday of the year, plus holiday Wednesdays and Saturdays. The volunteer-run station has food, a gift shop and toilets.

Pioneer Memorial Tower stands in Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens, on an extinct volcano just behind Daylesford's town centre. The 77 stairs to the top are very steep, so keep a close eye on children. Afterwards, find the fernery and rotunda, or the cafe in the old caretaker's cottage.

Sailors Falls drops 20 metres into a fern-lined gully, about 10 minutes' drive from Daylesford. The viewing platforms are down a lot of steps, but the tapped mineral spring and covered picnic tables need no stairs. The 1.5km Mineral Springs Loop takes about 40 minutes from the picnic area.

Lalgambuk Mount Franklin is an extinct volcano 15 minutes' drive north of Daylesford, jointly managed by Parks Victoria and the Dja Dja Wurrung. The 1.7km Summit Loop circles the crater rim, and the crater floor has free camping, picnic tables and fireplaces. There's no drinking water, so bring your own, plus firewood.

Trentham Falls plunges more than 32 metres over a basalt cliff, the highest single drop in Central Victoria. A short walk from the car park reaches the viewing areas; there's no access to the base, so stay behind the barriers. Flows are strongest in winter and spring, and there are picnic tables and fire pits if you bring wood.

This flat rail trail runs six kilometres each way from the old Trentham station to Lyonville. It passes through the Wombat State Forest, home to the endangered powerful owl. Signs at the station tell the story of the line, which carried potatoes and timber until it closed in 1978.

St Georges Lake, two kilometres east of Creswick, began as a mining dam and is now a summer base for swimming and kayaking. There are free gas barbecues and toilets, but no camping or powerboats, and Parks Victoria flags deep water. The 1.8km loop around the shore takes about 40 minutes and has narrow, steep sections.

Daylesford Museum fills ten large rooms of the former School of Mines with local artefacts, photographs and records. It's run entirely by volunteers, and entry was from $5 in October 2026. Opening hours vary, so check the museum's website before you go.