Snapshot
| Where | Main Range National Park, Scenic Rim, Queensland — 116km south-west of Brisbane on the Cunningham Highway · Warwick is 50km west of Cunninghams Gap · Aratula is 21km east of the Gap · Queen Mary Falls is 11km east of Killarney |
|---|---|
| Getting there | The sealed Cunningham Highway crosses the range at Cunninghams Gap, and most walks start at The Crest car park beside it · Spicers Gap Road branches off Lake Moogerah Road, 5km west of Aratula — the eastern approach suits conventional vehicles but not small city cars, the western access needs high-clearance 4WD and closes in the wet, and the road does not cross the range · The last 6km into Goomburra is unsealed and can be impassable after flooding or heavy rain · The Queen Mary Falls approach from Boonah is very steep and unsuitable for caravans |
| Best time | April to September — cooler, less humid and the driest window for the unsealed approaches, with spring bringing spear lilies into flower on the cliff faces; winter is mild by day but nights average 5°C |
| Worst time | November to March — most of the rain falls, days reach 35°C on exposed ridges, and thunderstorms and flooding close the last 6km to Goomburra and the Lookout Road to Sylvesters and Mount Castle |
| Time needed | 1–2 days for Cunninghams Gap and Spicers Gap; 3 days to add Goomburra or Queen Mary Falls |
| Cost | No entry or vehicle fee is published on the QPWS pages · Camping $7.75 per person per night or $31.00 per family per night (rates published from 1 July) · $4.25 per person for students and accompanying adults on approved educational excursions · Children under 5 camp free · Book and pay online before arrival |
| Facilities | Untreated tap water at West Gap, Spicers Gap and Queen Mary Falls — boil or chemically treat it — and no water at Kurrajong picnic area · Toilets at West Gap, Spicers Gap, Queen Mary Falls and Manna Gum (wheelchair-accessible) · Picnic tables at West Gap and Spicers Gap, barbecues at Spicers Gap and Queen Mary Falls · Fuel 3km west of The Crest, at Aratula (21km east) and Allora (38km west of Goomburra) · No bins anywhere in the park · Mobile coverage is unreliable |
| Best for | Day walkers from Brisbane · Scenic Rim road-trippers · Campers who want cool rainforest nights |
| Difficulty |
3 of 5 — Challenging
The short circuits are easy, but the signature walks are steep Grade 4 routes of 6.8km to 12.4km return on rugged, unguarded cliffs, and the park warns inexperienced walkers off its remote routes entirely. |
Driving there? Car hire and what to check →
One thing first: this is Main Range National Park in Queensland's Scenic Rim, not the Main Range walking track in Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales — unrelated parks, a thousand kilometres apart in every sense. The Queensland park protects the escarpment of a shield volcano active about 24 million years ago, whose basalt spread across the Fassifern Valley and was stripped back over some 20 million years of erosion to leave the range standing above the farmland. It is part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, holding subtropical and cool temperate rainforest, montane heath on the exposed peaks, and more than 200 bird species.
You reach it on the Cunningham Highway, 116km south-west of Brisbane, which climbs through Cunninghams Gap past the trailheads for most of the day walks; Spicers Gap, Goomburra and Queen Mary Falls sit apart from that highway. Mount Cordeaux is known to Aboriginal people as Niamboyoo, and First Nations people are thought to have used the Alphen gap as a trade route between east and west. The QPWS pages consulted do not name the park's Traditional Owners.
Go if…
- You want a full day of Grade 4 walking within about 1.5 hours of Brisbane, on a sealed highway
- Escarpment views and World Heritage rainforest matter more to you than rails, signage and shops at every stop
- The story of the road over the range interests you — Spicers Gap's cuttings, the 1847 Alphen route and the Allan Cunningham monument are all part of the walking
- You will camp in cold country: winter nights average 5°C with frosts, and the rainforest holds the chill
Skip it if…
- You are looking for the Main Range walking track near Mount Kosciuszko — that is in Kosciuszko National Park, NSW, and this page is about Queensland
- You need reliable phone coverage, drinkable tap water or bins at the picnic areas
- You are travelling November to March with unsealed sections in your plans — flooding closes the last 6km to Goomburra and the lookout roads
- You are towing a caravan in via the Boonah side for Queen Mary Falls — that mountain road is very steep and unsuitable for caravans
What to expect
Reviewed
You drive in from Brisbane on the Cunningham Highway — 116km south-west, about 1.5 hours on sealed road all the way to The Crest car park at Cunninghams Gap, with fuel and supplies 3km west of the car park and Aratula 21km east. The highway is the working spine of this park: a steep, winding climb through rainforest with trucks grinding past the car park, which is why most walkers simply pull in and start climbing. From The Crest the tracks fan out onto the escarpment, and the park is open 24 hours although QPWS asks you to walk in daylight hours for safety. There are no platforms or handrails at the natural lookouts and the cliffs are real, so supervise children closely and take care with binoculars and cameras near the edge. Weather changes quickly at this altitude — late spring and summer bring thunderstorms, lightning and unseasonably cold conditions — so check the forecast at bom.gov.au, park alerts at qld.gov.au/ParkAlerts and road conditions at qldtraffic.qld.gov.au or 13 19 40 before you commit to a long day.
At The Crest you pick from a tight cluster of tracks. The Rainforest circuit is 1.6km and about 25 minutes at Grade 3, passing the heritage-listed Allan Cunningham monument to a platform lookout over the Fassifern Valley, Lake Moogerah and the volcanic peaks that line it. Mount Cordeaux goes further: 6.8km return, 2.5 hours, Grade 4, climbing from subtropical rainforest to the cooler forest and heath of the crest, where the cliff face carries giant spear lilies that flower spectacularly in spring. The summit rises to 1,135m above sea level, and the park asks for a maximum of 10 people per group on the track and lookout.
Beyond Mount Cordeaux the escarpment gets serious. The Bare Rock track and Morgans Walk is 12.4km return and about 4.5 hours at Grade 4, continuing past the end of the Mount Cordeaux track to a bare granite summit at 1,168m; Morgans Walk is a short offshoot near the top. Gap Creek Falls is longer again — 9.8km return, 6 hours, Grade 4 — while Box Forest (5km) and Palm Grove (4.4km) offer shorter loops in the same forest. Watch for movement in the canopy and on the cliffs: the park records more than 200 bird species and about 59 mammals, including Albert's lyrebird, brush-tailed rock wallabies and the endangered eastern bristlebird. The high, exposed heath is fragile and slow to recover from trampling, so stay on the marked track.
Spicers Gap tells the other half of the story. You turn off the Cunningham Highway 5km west of Aratula onto Lake Moogerah Road, then follow Spicers Gap Road to the Governors Chair car park — a road the park describes as suitable for conventional vehicles on the eastern approach but not for small city cars, and which does not cross the range. This was the first safe trafficable route between Brisbane Town and the Darling Downs: bullock teams hauled wool west and returned with supplies, and in 1847 the stockman Henry Alphen found an easier line through a gap 7km south of Cunninghams Gap. Allan Cunningham, who found the main gap on 25 August 1828, named this one after Peter Spicer while searching for escaped convicts from the Moreton Bay penal settlement, and an inn once stood briefly opposite the present camping area. You walk the 3.2km self-guiding Heritage trail from the Governors Chair car park past cuttings that show how the road was built, add Pioneer Graves (260m) and Moss's Well (120m), and take the 8.1km Mount Mathieson trail from opposite the Pioneer picnic area for the view north to Cunninghams Gap.
Goomburra and Queen Mary Falls sit away from the highway sections and reward the extra driving. Goomburra is about 175km south-west of Brisbane via Inverramsay Road and Forestry Reserve Road, with the last 6km unsealed and slippery when wet — the North Branch track (7km return, 3.5 hours, Grade 4) begins at the locked gate opposite Kurrajong picnic area and turns around where the rainforest starts, and the Ridge track adds 5km of Grade 4 from the Cascades circuit. The Lookout Road climbs 4.7km from Kurrajong to Sylvesters lookout (940m) and 6.3km to Mount Castle lookout (960m), and closes after wet weather. In the south, Queen Mary Falls is 11km east of Killarney: the 2km circuit takes about 40 minutes to where Spring Creek drops 40m to the valley floor and joins the upper Condamine River, and the causeway must never be crossed when water covers it.
Where to stay
Most walkers day-trip from Brisbane or base in the Fassifern towns of Aratula, Kalbar and Boonah, with park camping at Spicers Gap and Goomburra for anyone who wants to sleep on the range; the Queen Mary Falls end has its own caravan park.
When bookings open: Every camping area in Main Range National Park requires a permit, booked and paid for before arrival through the Queensland National Parks Booking Service. Book at least 6 weeks ahead for public and school holidays, and display your camping tag or written permit at your site. Official booking page. Checked 16 October 2026.
| Stay | Guest rating | Best for | Distance | Style | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spicers Campground | Not rated | Walkers using Spicers Gap as a base | Spicers Gap section — 18km from Aratula | National park camping area beside the picnic area, with toilets, barbecues and untreated tap water; fires allowed subject to conditions and no bins | Book now |
| Manna Gum camping area | Not rated | Families and campers exploring Goomburra | Goomburra section, Forestry Road — about 175km south-west of Brisbane | National park camping area with wheelchair-accessible toilets, in the Goomburra section below the lookout road | Book now |
| Spicers Peak Lodge | Not rated | Walkers who want a bed, a restaurant and a hot shower on the range | 1 Wilkinson Road, Swanfels — above the Fassifern Valley | Remote luxury lodge with suites and private lodges, restaurant, spa and transfers; the finish line for guided summit-to-summit walking over Mount Mitchell and Mount Cordeaux | Check rates |
| Bestbrook Mountain Farmstay | Not rated | Families wanting cabins and farm activities near the Gap | 9790 Cunningham Highway, Tregony — on the highway west of Cunninghams Gap | Farmstay with self-contained cabins, powered and unpowered camping, fire pits, a pool and farm activities | Check rates |
| Lake Moogerah Caravan Park | Not rated | Caravanners and boaters exploring the northern sections | 1 Muller Park Road, Moogerah — under Mount Mitchell | Caravan park beside the lake with powered sites, a playground, firewood for sale and a boat ramp nearby | Check rates |
| Queen Mary Falls Caravan Park | Not rated | Anyone walking the Falls circuit in the park's southern section | Near Queen Mary Falls — 11km east of Killarney | Caravan park close to the falls picnic area; the only commercial stay in the Queen Mary Falls section | Check rates |
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What to do here
8 walks & sights
Rainforest circuit and The Crest
The Rainforest circuit is the shortest way into the park's World Heritage forest: 1.6km of graded track from The Crest car park at Cunninghams Gap, walked in about 25 minutes and rated Grade 3. It passes the heritage-listed Allan Cunningham monument — the explorer who found the gap on 25 August 1828 — and climbs to a platform lookout over the Fassifern Valley, Lake Moogerah and the volcanic peaks that line it. Use it as a leg-stretch on the way through or as the warm-up before Mount Cordeaux, and read the vegetation as you climb: subtropical rainforest gives way to cooler forest and montane heath on the exposed crest, where low plants with bright flowers hold on in shallow, low-fertility soils that a single footstep can damage. The park is open 24 hours but asks walkers to travel in daylight.
Mount Cordeaux (Niamboyoo)
The park's signature day walk, climbing from The Crest to a natural lookout on a 1,135m summit known to Aboriginal people as Niamboyoo. The track is steep and honest, and the cliff face below the top carries giant spear lilies that flower spectacularly in spring; groups of 10 or fewer are asked for on the track and lookout, and the lookout has no rails. Allow 2.5 hours return at a steady pace, and treat the final section as exposed cliff country.
Bare Rock track and Morgans Walk
Continue past the end of the Mount Cordeaux track to the bare granite summit of Bare Rock at 1,168m, with Morgans Walk as a short offshoot near the top. This is the longest of the Cunninghams Gap day walks at 12.4km return and about 4.5 hours, on Grade 4 terrain that includes rock scrambling and unguarded edges. Carry a map, start early and turn back if cloud or storms build on the crest.
Mount Mitchell
The southern twin of the Gap: a 10.2km return walk, about 3.5 hours at Grade 4, to the East Peak overlooking the Fassifern Valley. Allan Cunningham named it after the Surveyor-General Sir Thomas Mitchell on the same 1828 trip in which he named Mount Cordeaux. The summit is a natural lookout with no handrails, and it is the peak the guided summit-to-summit walks pair with Mount Cordeaux.
Spicers Gap heritage walks and the Mount Mathieson trail
Spicers Gap is where the park's road heritage sits. From the Governors Chair car park at the end of Spicers Gap Road — the eastern approach suits conventional vehicles but not small city cars — the 300m return walk to the Governors Chair lookout takes 15 minutes at Grade 3 and looks over the Fassifern Valley, and the 3.2km self-guiding Heritage trail (1 hour, Grade 4) passes cuttings and sidings that show how the first safe trafficable route between Brisbane and the Darling Downs was built. Pioneer Graves (260m return, 15 minutes) and Moss's Well (120m return, 10 minutes) are short stops near the picnic area. The Mount Mathieson trail, 8.1km return and about 3 hours at Grade 4, starts opposite the Pioneer picnic area and climbs through woodland, grass trees and patches of rainforest for the view north to Cunninghams Gap.
Queen Mary Falls circuit
The park's southern showpiece: a 2km circuit taking about 40 minutes to a platform where Spring Creek plunges 40m to the valley floor and joins the upper Condamine River. It is Grade 3, day-use only, with tables, wood-fired barbecues, free electric barbecues, toilets and tap water at the picnic area — and no bins. The causeway is slippery and must never be crossed when water covers it. Getting here is 11km east of Killarney via Spring Creek Road, or 64km south-west of Boonah via Carneys Creek Road and Head Road; the Boonah approach is very steep and unsuitable for caravans.
Goomburra: North Branch track and the lookout road
The quietest of the park's three sections, reached via Inverramsay Road and Forestry Reserve Road with the last 6km unsealed. The North Branch track starts at the locked gate opposite Kurrajong picnic area and turns around at the 3.5km mark where the rainforest begins — 7km return, 3.5 hours, Grade 4 — while the Ridge track adds 5km of Grade 4 from the Cascades circuit. The Lookout Road runs 4.7km from Kurrajong to Sylvesters lookout (940m) and 6.3km to Mount Castle lookout (960m), and closes after heavy rain, so check park alerts before the drive up.
The Scenic Rim Trail
A 47km long-distance walk along the Mistake and Main ranges, starting on private land north of the park and finishing at Cunninghams Gap, through World Heritage forest along the escarpment of the ancient volcano. QPWS offers it as a walk for experienced bushwalkers with high fitness, navigation and scrambling skills; commercial operators run guided versions of roughly four days with camp transfers and meals, in a season that runs March to November. Self-guided walkers carry lightweight camping gear, sturdy footwear and topographic maps, and must book their camping permits before arrival.
Main Range itineraries: 1, 2 or 3 days
3 plans
One day: the Gap walks and the range crest
- Early start from Brisbane. Take the Cunningham Highway 116km south-west to The Crest car park at Cunninghams Gap, about 1.5 hours of sealed driving each way. Fuel and supplies are 3km west of the car park, and Aratula is 21km east.
- Morning. Walk the Rainforest circuit from The Crest — 1.6km, 25 minutes, Grade 3 — past the heritage-listed Allan Cunningham monument to the platform lookout over the Fassifern Valley and Lake Moogerah.
- Afternoon. Climb Mount Cordeaux (Niamboyoo), 6.8km return and 2.5 hours at Grade 4, to the natural lookout at 1,135m. The park asks for groups of 10 or fewer on the track and lookout, and the cliff edge has no rails, so keep well back and turn back if the weather closes in.
About 8.4km of walking and no nights — a straightforward day trip from Brisbane. No entry fee is published by QPWS for day use; fuel is 3km west of The Crest and at Aratula, 21km east. Carry your own water and treat anything you find, and check qld.gov.au/ParkAlerts before you leave, because the Cunningham Highway is the only way in and out.
Two days: add Spicers Gap and camp
- Day 1. Rainforest circuit (1.6km, 25 minutes) then Mount Cordeaux (6.8km return, 2.5 hours, Grade 4) from The Crest, with fuel and supplies 3km west of the car park before you start.
- Day 2, morning. Drive to Spicers Gap — turn off the Cunningham Highway 5km west of Aratula onto Lake Moogerah Road, then Spicers Gap Road to the Governors Chair car park. Walk to the Governors Chair lookout (300m return, 15 minutes) over the Fassifern Valley, then the self-guiding Heritage trail (3.2km return, 1 hour, Grade 4) past the old road cuttings.
- Day 2, afternoon. Take the Mount Mathieson trail from opposite the Pioneer picnic area — 8.1km return, 3 hours, Grade 4 — through grass trees and rainforest to the views north to Cunninghams Gap, with Pioneer Graves (260m) and Moss's Well (120m) as short stops on the way back to the car.
About 20km of walking across two days and one night. Base at Spicers Campground in the Spicers Gap section — $7.75 per person or $31.00 per family per night, booked and paid online before arrival, and at least 6 weeks ahead for holiday periods. There is no fuel at Spicers Gap (Aratula is 18km away), the tap water is untreated and there are no bins, so carry what you need in.
Three days: the Falls or Goomburra
- Day 1. Rainforest circuit (1.6km, 25 minutes) and Mount Cordeaux (6.8km return, 2.5 hours) from The Crest at Cunninghams Gap.
- Day 2. Spicers Gap: Governors Chair lookout (300m return), the Heritage trail (3.2km return, 1 hour) and the Mount Mathieson trail (8.1km return, 3 hours) from opposite the Pioneer picnic area. Overnight again at Spicers Campground, where camping is $7.75 per person or $31.00 per family per night.
- Day 3. Drive south to Queen Mary Falls, 11km east of Killarney via Spring Creek Road, for the 2km circuit (40 minutes, Grade 3) where Spring Creek plunges 40m to the valley floor — never cross the causeway when water covers it. Or turn north to the Goomburra section for the North Branch track (7km return, 3.5 hours, Grade 4) and the lookout road to Sylvesters (940m) and Mount Castle (960m).
About 22km of walking across three days and two nights — closer to 27km if you walk the North Branch track instead of the Falls circuit. The second night can be Spicers Campground or Manna Gum camping area at Goomburra, both $7.75 per person or $31.00 per family per night with the permit booked online before arrival. Fuel up at Aratula or Allora (38km west of Goomburra); the last 6km into Goomburra is unsealed and closes after heavy rain.
Suggested gear for Main Range
17 items
- Water bottles or a hydration bladder Carry at least 2 litres per person on the walks.
- Water treatment tablets or a filter Treat creek and camping-area water before drinking.
- Sun hat, sunscreen (SPF 50+) and sunglasses
- Sturdy, broken-in walking shoes or boots
- Day pack (20–30 L)
- First aid kit, including blister care
- Insect repellent
- Head torch with spare batteries
- Lightweight rain jacket
- Personal locator beacon Mobile coverage is unreliable in remote parks.
- Warm sleeping bag, beanie and thermals Winter nights in the park average 5°C with frosts at Cunninghams Gap and Goomburra, and the rainforest holds the cold well after dark.
- Topographic map and compass (Main Range map MA254) Mobile coverage is unreliable and the park's remote routes are described as hazardous for anyone without navigational skills.
- Binoculars More than 200 bird species including Albert's lyrebird, plus brush-tailed rock wallabies on the cliff lines, all easiest to spot from the lookouts.
- A compact stove with fuel Firewood cannot be collected from the park or roadside and fines apply; campfires are allowed only under conditions, so a stove is the reliable option.
- A weatherproof permit holder Your camping tag, or written permit details, must be displayed conspicuously on your tent or vehicle at the campsite.
- Full-size spare tyre and a tyre repair kit The last 6km to Goomburra is unsealed with creek crossings, and the western Spicers Gap access is rough high-clearance 4WD country closed in the wet.
- Electrolyte tablets and extra water capacity Summer ridges reach 35°C, the Grade 4 walks run to 12.4km return, and all water in the park must be boiled or treated before drinking.
How this compares
Main Range vs Lamington National Park
Lamington National Park, on the Gold Coast hinterland plateau, is Queensland's oldest national park: high-elevation rainforest with views to the Pacific Ocean and walking around its Green Mountains section. What it does not have is Main Range's pioneer road story or the open valley lookouts you get from an escarpment edge. Choose Lamington for plateau rainforest close to the Gold Coast; choose Main Range for escarpment walks, heritage tracks and a shorter run from Brisbane.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- Sealed but steep Lamington Plateau Road; camping and walking throughout the park
- Best for
- Rainforest walking · hinterland stays · Gold Coast day trips
Main Range vs Springbrook National Park
Springbrook National Park on the Gold Coast hinterland is the region's other Gondwana rainforest park, best known for Natural Bridge and its glow worms. Its headline sight is an easy walk rather than a ridge climb, and it pairs with Tamborine Mountain rather than the Fassifern Valley. Choose Springbrook for waterfalls and glow worms on a short trip; choose Main Range for longer Grade 4 ridge walks and the history of the road over the range.
- Difficulty
- 1 of 5 — Easy
- Access
- Sealed Springbrook Road, steep but suitable for conventional vehicles
- Best for
- Waterfalls · glow worms · short hinterland trips
Main Range vs Conondale National Park
Conondale National Park in the Sunshine Coast hinterland is a comparable Queensland rainforest range with mountain walking and camping, and a similar mix of rainforest climbs and steep fire-ridge tracks. It lacks the escarpment highway, the volcanic amphitheatre of the Fassifern Valley and the road heritage that Main Range walks through. Choose Conondale for a rainforest range closer to the Sunshine Coast; choose Main Range for volcanic escarpment country you can reach in about 1.5 hours from Brisbane.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- Reached from the Sunshine Coast hinterland; check current Queensland park alerts before you go
- Best for
- Rainforest ranges · mountain walks · camping
Before you go
- Book camping before you arrive: every camping area in Main Range requires a permit at $7.75 per person or $31.00 per family per night, booked online at least 6 weeks ahead for holidays, with the tag displayed at your site (13 QGOV, 13 74 68)
- No entry or vehicle fee is published on the QPWS pages, but permits are required for driving in recreation areas, holding events or running a business in the park
- Fuel before you leave the highway — 3km west of The Crest at Cunninghams Gap, Aratula 21km east and Allora 38km west of Goomburra; there is nothing at any trailhead
- Carry all the water you need: tap water at West Gap, Spicers Gap and Queen Mary Falls is untreated and must be boiled or chemically treated, and Kurrajong picnic area has no water at all
- Check qld.gov.au/ParkAlerts for track closures, qldtraffic.qld.gov.au or 13 19 40 for road conditions, bom.gov.au for weather and qfes.qld.gov.au for fire bans and warnings before you set out
- Leave pets at home — domestic animals are not allowed in the national park, including in vehicles — and never collect firewood from the park or roadside; fines apply
- Walk in daylight hours, keep 10 people or fewer on the Mount Cordeaux track, and stay back from natural lookouts, which have no platforms or handrails
- In an emergency call Triple Zero (000) or use the Emergency+ app and stay on the line; the nearest hospitals are at Warwick and Boonah
When to go
seasons & the hard months
Come between April and September. This is the driest, coolest window for the unsealed approaches to Goomburra and the Spicers Gap western access, and it suits the park's Grade 4 ridge walks; spring adds spear lilies flowering on the cliff faces below Mount Cordeaux's summit. Winter is the most reliable time for road access but the coldest for camping — nights average 5°C with frosts at the Gap and Goomburra — while the region's own visitor advice rates mid-autumn to early spring as the best stretch for the Scenic Rim Trail and notes June to September as the high season. Book camping 6 weeks ahead for any school holiday inside that window.
November to March is the hard season. Most of the park's rain falls in these months, days on exposed ridges reach 35°C with nights between 10°C and 18°C, and late spring and summer thunderstorms bring lightning, flash flooding and unseasonably cold changes; the last 6km to Goomburra can become impassable, the Lookout Road closes after wet weather, and the western Spicers Gap access shuts in the wet. Fire is the other risk: Queensland's fire danger ratings and bans are published at qfes.qld.gov.au, and bushfires are possible whenever fuel and weather align, most likely after a dry winter and spring. If you do visit in the warm months, walk early, carry more water than the distance suggests and treat every creek crossing as a decision point.
Questions
6 answers
No. The Main Range walking track is in Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales. This is Main Range National Park in Queensland's Scenic Rim, 116km south-west of Brisbane on the Cunningham Highway, where the range is the eroded escarpment of an ancient shield volcano. The two are completely unrelated — different states, different parks, different walks.
QPWS publishes no entry or vehicle fee for Main Range National Park. Camping is the cost: $7.75 per person per night or $31.00 per family per night (a family is one or two adults with children under 18, up to 8 people in total, and children under 5 camp free), or $4.25 per person for students and accompanying adults on approved educational excursions. Book and pay online before arrival through the Queensland National Parks Booking Service, and note that a permit is still needed for driving in recreation areas, events and commercial activities.
Most Cunninghams Gap walks — Rainforest circuit, Mount Cordeaux, Bare Rock, Mount Mitchell, Gap Creek Falls — start at The Crest car park on the Cunningham Highway. Spicers Gap walks begin at the Governors Chair car park at the end of Spicers Gap Road. Goomburra's tracks start near Kurrajong picnic area and the locked gate opposite it, and Queen Mary Falls has its own picnic area and car park 11km east of Killarney.
The Rainforest circuit (1.6km, Grade 3) and the Queen Mary Falls circuit (2km, Grade 3) suit most walkers. Everything else in the headline list is Grade 4: Mount Cordeaux 6.8km return, Mount Mitchell 10.2km, Mount Mathieson 8.1km and Bare Rock 12.4km return over 4.5 hours. QPWS warns that its remote routes are extremely rugged and demand high fitness, navigational and cliff-scrambling skills, and it asks for groups of 10 or fewer on the Mount Cordeaux track and lookout.
Not reliably. Coverage is poor across the park, though a signal is often available at higher locations with a view east of the dividing range. Download your maps before you leave Aratula or Warwick, tell someone your plan, and rely on 000 or the Emergency+ app in an emergency. The nearest hospitals are at Warwick and Boonah.
Mainly after rain. The last 6km into Goomburra is unsealed and can become impassable after flooding or heavy rain, the Lookout Road to Sylvesters and Mount Castle lookouts closes after wet weather, and the western Spicers Gap access (high-clearance 4WD only) shuts in the wet. The Queen Mary Falls causeway must never be crossed when water covers it. Individual tracks also close at times for management and works, so check qld.gov.au/ParkAlerts on the morning of every walk.
Nearby & next
Trail maps and GPX: Box Forest track · Mount Mitchell track
Official information
Always check current alerts before you travel.