Carnarvon Gorge
See it, know it, love it!
Tracks and Trails
The Gorge Mouth
The Gorge Mouth
The first area visitors enter in the National Park is the mouth of the Gorge.
Between the commercial accommodation centres and the Ranger Station lie three National Park sites and three private walking tracks on Carnarvon Gorge Wilderness Lodge (drop in to Reception to gain access);
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The Lodge Lookout (see Reception).
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The Lodge Creek Loop (see Reception).
From the Ranger Station you can access the three remaining tracks in the mouth of the Gorge;
Baloon Cave
permanently closed due to fire damage
The 2018 fire in Carnarvon Gorge destroyed the viewing platform and severely damaged the rock art site. Traditional owners and Queensland Parks and Wildlife are working together to find a way forward following this devastating event.
Baloon Cave; Stencils, interpretive signs, and the viewing platform.
Mickey Creek and
Warrumbah Gorge
Distance (one way): 1km.
Track Class: 3. Easy on the maintained track, with creek crossings and some stairs. Moderate to hard, past the maintained track, with clambering, wading, swimming and climbing involved.
Access: Via the signed parking area on the main road.
Average Walking Time: Allow 2-3 hours return for a good look at both Mickey Creek and Warrumbah Creek.
The walking track into Mickey Creek forks about a kilometre in and Warrumbah Gorge turns off to the right. Shortly after the fork, both tracks have Park signs informing walkers that the 'formed track ends here'. Some visitors have interpreted this as 'don't go any further', however the Rangers are merely trying to tell you that beyond those points they conduct no maintenance on the trail whatsoever. You are welcome to proceed further, but you must take care on the uneven terrain.
If you are comfortable with walking beyond the maintained track, do not miss Warrumbah Gorge as within its first one hundred metres it narrows to a slot canyon. In places you can touch both walls with outstretched arms. In fact, both Gorges offer plenty of rock-hopping for those willing to keep going, and you should be prepared to get your feet wet if you wish to follow either gorge as far as you can. Walking through water is usually the safest course in these places as most accidents occur when people try and keep their feet dry by scampering up the gorge walls.
Keep an ear pricked for Echidnas on this walk. The cool micro-climate in Mickey's Creek allows them to be active all day and the groundcover is thin enough that you have a good chance of observing them.
Mickey Creek and Warrumbah Gorge
The Rockpools
Access: Can be reached in three ways - from the Rockpool Carpark, from the Visitor Area, or from the Lodge.
Distance (one way): 300 m from the Rockpool Carpark, 1.8 km from the Visitor Area via the Rockpool Track, 1 km from the Lodge (you'll need to wade the creek if you wish to explore upstream).
Track Class: 3. From all points of access - easy walking, some gentle inclines, a few stairs and two creek crossings.
Average Walking Time: Allow 30 minutes from the campground, 5 minutes from the carpark, or 15 minutes from the Lodge.
The Rockpool should have an ‘s’ on the end as there are two of them. A shady picnic spot with coin operated gas BBQ facilities and picnic tables is maintained next to the creek and there are toilet facilities close to the Rockpool Carpark. These two pools are the only designated swimming holes in the Gorge and they are also the most changeable locations from year to year as all of the Gorge's runoff must pass through the Rockpool cliffs.
The trail from the Visitor Area is the least travelled section of track on the Gorge floor as you can drive to either end of it. Therein lies its value. If you are after a bit of peace and quiet, or want to sneak up on wildlife without disturbance, the Rockpool Track will give you the best chance for peace and tranquility.
The Rockpools are designated swimming areas in Carnarvon Gorge.
The Nature Trail
Distance (one way): 2 km circuit.
Track Class: 3. Easy walking with two creek crossings and few stairs.
Access: Signed turn-off just after crossing 1 on the Main Track.
Average Walking Time: Allow an hour for a good look around, or twenty minutes at a normal pace.
The Nature Trail runs the length of the Visitor Area on the opposite side of Carnarvon Creek. It is an excellent walk along which to search for local flora and fauna. Water birds such as dusky moorhens, cormorants and pacific black ducks are seen in the creek, while red-backed and variegated fairywrens inhabit the thick ground storey on the creek flats.
Platypus inhabit the more substantial pools and, with luck and persistence, can be seen at dawn or dusk. All of the Gorge's common macropods occur in the habitats along the track; swamp wallabies, eastern grey kangaroos and pretty-faced wallabies.
Turtles may be seen basking alonside the creek and you may disturb the odd eastern water dragon, which will leap from its perch with a loud splash. The Gorge's fish may be seen alongside the crossings as well.
Platypus and scenery along the Nature Trail.
Boolimba Bluff
Distance (one way): 3.4 km.
Track Class: 3. Moderate (if you take your time) to hard (if you push yourself. Several sets of laddered steps.
Access: Signed turn-off around 15 minutes walk along the Main Track.
Average Walking Time: Allow an hour to an hour and a half to the lookout. The return trip is usually faster
Boolimba Bluff is the Gorge’s main lookout. It stands about 200m above the level of the creek and its track contains around 960 stairs. However it is within the reach of most walkers, provided they are smart enough to take it at their own pace. If you happen to be accompanied by faster walkers on this trail, wave them goodbye and bid them wait for you at the lookout and take your own sweet time. The walk to the Bluff is, ecologically, the most diverse in Carnarvon Gorge, meaning the slower you walk and the more frequently you stop, the more you are likely to notice.
On clear days we recommend you commence this track between 7am and 8am. In warm weather, go even earlier. Starting early keeps your high physical output in the cooler hours, which is easier on the body as you don't have to sweat so much to keep cool. It also puts you on the track when it is at its most scenic, because of the way light works in this landscape.
The walk to the Bluff passes through the mouth of Wagaroo Gorge, the first and the widest of Carnarvon Gorge's offshoots. In the morning, light hits Wagaroo's western walls and is reflected into the shaded gullies, which is where the track runs, lighting them with an almost magical light. When it is at its peak, you'd swear you were walking through a McCubbins painting. And when you get to the top, the sun should still be low enough to cast deep shadows which allows a greater appreciation of the ruggedness of the terrain and gives depth to your photographs.
