Main gorge track map

Carnarvon Gorge · Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service

Check before you go. Trail line: © State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Science), Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service access data, licensed under CC BY 4.0. (we retrieved this data on 1 October 2026; the source may have since updated it). Tracks close and conditions change without notice, and this map may be wrong or out of date — following a wrong line can get you lost or hurt. Check Queensland Parks alerts before you set out, carry a backup way to navigate (such as a paper map), and don't rely on your phone alone. Full details

Trail line: © State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Science), Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service access data, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Assembled by Audacia from 8 segments of that data.

Start of the mapped line: -25.0604, 148.2353 (circle). The square marks the turnaround point.

From Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service

Track	“Main gorge track”
Grade	“Grade 4 walking track”
Distance	“19.4km return from the visitor area”
Time	“Allow 8hr walking time.”
Starts	“The Main gorge track starts in the Carnarvon Gorge visitor area, 5.9km by road from the park entrance.”
Hazards and cautions	None listed on this walk's page. Read the park-wide advice in the briefing below.

Quoted from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service's page for this walk (page last reviewed 2 July 2026; fetched 20 October 2026).

Before you walk: timing, water, shade and seasonal hazards

Best time of day

This walk's page doesn't cover the best time of day to walk. QPWS's general advice for the park: Whether on a day walk or longer trek, you should plan to finish walking well before dark [2]. For the hotter months, QPWS advises: If visiting in summer you should plan to walk early in the morning, as later in the day it can become very hot, with occasional thunderstorms and flash flooding [2].

Water

This walk's page doesn't cover water. QPWS's general advice for the park: Carry plenty of water with you [2]. As for creek water, QPWS says: Creek water is not suitable for drinking unless properly treated [2].

Shade

This walk's page doesn't cover shade. QPWS's general advice for the park: Protect yourself from the sun [2]. On what to wear, QPWS lists: Wear sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and a long-sleeved shirt, even on cloudy days [2].

Seasonal hazards

This walk's page doesn't cover seasonal hazards. QPWS's general advice for the park: Falling trees and limbs, flash flooding and rock falls occur naturally [2]. At the nearest long-record Bureau of Meteorology station, Injune Post Office (93 km south), mean rainfall is highest in December, January and February (87.1, 85.7 and 87.9 mm) [3]. Station averages are a guide only; conditions on the track can differ.

Alerts and conditions

We don't confirm whether this walk or park is open. Check Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service's current alerts for the park and this walk before you travel, and again on the day.

Last automated check: 20 Oct 2026, 7:45 am AEST. Automated checks can miss closures.

Check the Bureau of Meteorology forecast before you go.

Free GPX download

Before you download: this map is a planning aid, not a safety device. The route hasn't been checked on the ground. I'll check official alerts before I go, carry a paper map or backup navigation that doesn't depend on your phone, and tell someone my plans.

I understand — download GPX

File: audacia-main-gorge-carnarvon-gorge.gpx · trail line: © State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Science), Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service access data, licensed under CC BY 4.0. (data dated 1 October 2026).

Part of our Carnarvon Gorge guide — where to stay, when to go and what else to do. A wild sandstone labyrinth of towering cliffs, hidden gorges, ancient rock art and creek crossings in the heart of Queensland's outback.

Nearby trails

Amphitheatre walk Closed as at 20 October 2026
“Grade 3 walking track” · “8.6km from visitor area (1.2km from Main gorge track) return”
Ward's Canyon walk Closed as at 20 October 2026
“Grade 3 walking track” · “9.2km from visitor area (540m from Main gorge track) return”
Art Gallery walk
“Grade 3 walking track” · “10.8km from visitor area (or 600m from Main gorge track) return”
Boolimba Bluff walk
“Grade 4 walking track” · “6.4km return from the visitor area”
Moss Garden walk
“Grade 3 walking track” · “7km from visitor area (1.3km from Main gorge track) return”

Where to stay nearby

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Sources

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service — Main gorge track. https://parks.qld.gov.au/parks/carnarvon-gorge/journeys/main-gorge-track (page last reviewed 2 July 2026; fetched 20 October 2026)
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service — Visiting Carnarvon Gorge safely. https://parks.qld.gov.au/parks/carnarvon-gorge/visiting-safely (page last reviewed 2 July 2026; fetched 20 October 2026)
Bureau of Meteorology — Climate statistics, Injune Post Office (043015). https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_043015.shtml (records from 1925; fetched 20 October 2026)

Trail line: © State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Science), Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service access data, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source dataset qld-qspatial-walking-track, data dated 1 October 2026; joined from 8 segments and simplified for display by Audacia. Data attributions.

Climate: Bureau of Meteorology station Injune Post Office (043015), records from 1925, 93 km south of the start of the mapped line.

Alerts last checked automatically 20 Oct 2026, 7:45 am AEST. Page built 20 October 2026.

The briefing on this page was written by the Ground Truth Desk, an Audacia AI writer, from the sources listed. The trail facts, grade, distance, times and alerts are quoted from those sources, not written by us.

Read our editorial standards →

About this map and trail data

Where it comes from. Each trail line on this page comes from the source named above: an official park or government dataset, or OpenStreetMap, a community-mapped database. We show the source and the date we retrieved the data. We don't invent or create trail routes ourselves — we process the source lines for display, including by simplifying, joining or trimming them. Source data and processing can both contain errors, and we have not checked these routes on the ground. Grades, distances and times are the source's, not ours.

It may be wrong or out of date. Maps and data can contain errors or gaps. Tracks can be closed, rerouted, washed out or burnt with no notice, and phone GPS positions can be tens of metres out. We don't guarantee that this map, the trail line, the grade or any other detail is complete, correct or current. On-ground signs and directions from rangers always take priority over this map.

Check official alerts before you go. Always check the park authority's current alerts and closures on the day you set out, using the link in the Alerts and conditions section above. Any conditions notice on this page is a convenience summary with a timestamp. It may lag behind the official source, and it can miss things.

You're responsible for your own safety. Plan within your fitness and experience. Carry a backup way to navigate that doesn't depend on your phone, such as a paper map. Take enough water. Tell someone your route and return time. In remote areas, carry a personal locator beacon (PLB). If something doesn't match the map, stop and reassess; don't push on because the map says the track continues.

Downloads and offline packs are a snapshot as at the date we retrieved the data, shown above. Refresh them before each trip.

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