Bartle Frere Trail

This is a 14km trail in Wooroonooran National Park, in the tropical north of Queensland and is for fit, experienced and well-prepared hikers only. The trail is in the wilderness of the Bellenden Ker Range which is part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Here some of the wildlife and vegetation of both the lowland and upland rainforests have been isolated from other high-altitude populations allowing unique, endemic species to evolve such as the Bartle Frere cool-skink.The trail leads to the summit of Bartle Frere, the highest peak in Queensland and on a clear day there are panoramic views stretching out from the coast to Atherton Tableland. It begins from Josephine Falls, (there is a car park here) at an altitude of 328 ft, the summit is at 5285 ft, with the average gradient being a 1 in 5. It is best to overnight at Big Rock camp which is a 2 hours hike on from Josephine Falls and then attempt the summit the next day. Many people leave their overnight packs at the campsite and carry only light day packs to the summit. The section from the campsite to the summit is very steep and can either be done in one go or with another overnight stop at Eastern Summit camp. This takes around 5 hours to reach, the summit from here is just another hour but involves a fair bit of scrambling over rocks and boulders. Once the summit is reached, the trail continues on to Junction camp or you can return back to Josephine Falls via the same route. This trial is not for the faint-hearted. The track is marked, but not well formed and it is arduous. Hikers can and do become lost for days in this area, despite extensive searches. If attempting it you need to be well equipped and prepared and responsible for your own safety. Based on our data, the trail is graded as Extra Difficult. For information on how we grade trails, please click here. Also, check our latest community posts for trail updates.This trail can be completed in 7.15 hours although stopovers here are obviously not included. Caution is advised on trail times as this depends on multiple variables. For more info, click here.Dogs are not allowed in the national park due to the conservation of wildlife.