[3] The first section to be built was between the Princes Bridge and Punt Road to the south of the Melbourne central business district, which opened in November 1975.

The neighboring municipalities of Hawthorn and Kew began purchasing residential frontages to prepare for future construction of the Trail.

[citation needed] At the west side of Yarra's Edge and before the Docklands Highway, it heads off the road towards the bank of the river.

[citation needed] Once across the bridge on the north side of the river, the trail continues up a short steep hill to the base of Walmer St and turns immediately to the left (west) into the park.

[citation needed] At Gipps Street, flights of steps connect to the concrete path on the western side of the river.

Some cyclists choose to avoid the steps and ride the back streets of Abbotsford to meet the trail at the Collingwood Children's Farm.

The Yarra River Trail crosses the Merri Creek there, then passes under the Eastern Freeway and starts a long gradual uphill climb to Melbourne Polytechnic, before crossing the Yarra River at the pedestrian Pipe bridge at the Fairfield boathouse.

It is a tourist drive with on-road cycling lanes, which provides access to the Studley Park boathouse, where row boats can be hired.

[citation needed] The northern end of the Anniversary Outer Circle Trail is 0.6 km from this point.

A safer alternative is to continue 1.5 km along the Yarra River Trail from the Chandler Highway to Willsmere Park.

From the footbridge, there is a hilly path, including a usually quiet on-road section (along The Boulevard, East Ivanhoe), to access the Sparks Reserve end of the Darebin Creek Trail.

[citation needed] Continuing the path travels along various natural features, including river flats, sporting ovals, market gardens, and paddocks with horses.

However, an extension to the Yarra Trail is currently being constructed, which will extend the path to Warrandyte, via Heidelberg-Warrandyte Road and Taroona Avenue.