Mount Donna Buang Road, opened up to tourists by the creation of bridle tracks c1912 and which later became roads of regional significance as an important Upper Yarra Valley beauty spot and recreational area, which has become a popular Victorian tourist destination. The road, bridle track and walking trails are used for a variety of recreational activities while, from the 1920s, Donna Buang has become a popular day trip destination for Melbourne people. Mt. Donna Buang is a snow playground in winter as the closest snowfield to Melbourne. Its long history of use indicates its high social significance for the Melbourne community.

Mt Donna Buang is an important place for locals and visitors to the region, and has been developed over the years to reflect these uses. Bridle tracks cut to help visitors access Mt Donna Buang date from the early years of the nineteenth century. These tracks have been developed into the present access roads: Mt Donna Buang Road, Acheron Way and Ben Cairn Road.

There are a number of popular visitor destinations at Mount Donna Buang and nearby. Many have a long history of use, including: the lookout tower (c1963 replacing an earlier tower) which gives panoramic views; picnic areas such as the Ten Mile picnic area and those near the summit; snow play and toboggan areas; the summit car park; and Ben Cairn lookout at the other end of the mountain. More recently Parks Victoria has developed a "rainforest gallery" featuring a canopy observation deck near Cement Creek.

Described as "Melbourne's great unknown mountain" in 1900, it quickly became a popular place for visitors and has remained a favourite destination, especially for Melbourne people to visit the snow ever since. (Griffiths 1992:82)