Carnarvon Gorge National Park is one of the most scenic places in Australia with flowing rivers, Aboriginal art, small waterfalls, and an abundance of wildlife. The Great Walk at Carnarvon Gorge has been by far one of my favourite overnight hikes. For more details on visiting Carnarvon Gorge in a camper or caravan, check out this guide here.
The start of the hike.
What: Carnarvon Great Walk
Distance: 87km
Recommended length: 6 days (5 nights) for the hike plus 2-4 days extra on either side of the hike for driving and recovery.
Best time of year to hike: From March till October. This track is usually closed from November till February due to the heat/possible bush fires.
The art on the sandstone walls reflects the rich culture and history of the area.
Camping spots
Each walking spot requires a permit and these need to be booked and paid for prior to the hike. There are five walkers’ camps on the Great Walk including the Big Bend Walkers’ camp, Gadd’s walkers’ camp, West Branch walkers’ camp, Consuelo camping zone; and Cabbage Tree camping zone. Each camping area has water (untreated) and most camping areas have a toilet.
There are 5 camps available for hikers.
What should I pack for the Great Walk?
Some things that are a must have (this list does not include all items required for the hike):
- A lightweight tent
- Warm sleeping bag
- A (comfortable) hiking pack (at least 60L +)
- A Lifestraw/water purifying tablets
- First aid kit
- Topographic map
- GPS and PLB
- JetBoil (best investment!)
- Warm clothes (the temperatures at night can get very cold)
- Good hiking shoes and socks
- Food/water
- Toiletries
- Pocket knife
- Lightweight utensils
- Protective gear (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses)
A water filter is one of the essentials you need to bring.
What were the highlights of the trip?
My top 5 highlights of the Great Walk include: 1) walking and exploring the gorge (including the Moss Garden, Amphitheatre, and Art Gallery); 2) the lookout at Battleship Spur; 3) camping in the wilderness; 4) seeing all the wildlife (including a platypus, a family of wild pigs, hearing dingoes/wild dogs at night, kangaroos/wallabies, and lots of birds); and 5) of course, being out in nature and exploring new places.
The lookout ar Battleship Spur was a highlight.
Summary of the Great Walk
Day 1: Carnarvon Gorge Visitor Area to Gadd’s walkers’ camp (24.8km)
We left around 6am to start the Great Walk as we planned to do 24.8km+ of walking on the first day. Right at the start of the hike, we saw a platypus in the river! The first 10km of this walk is by far the most scenic where we explored the Moss Garden, the Amphitheatre, Ward’s Canyon, the Art Gallery, and Cathedral Cave.
We had an early lunch at the Big Bend walkers’ camp (this is another camping area where you can stay too), before moving our way out of the gorge and hiking/climbing up to the ridgeline (500 metres higher than the gorge). Once we made it on the ridge there was a lookout of the gorge that we just walked. This was another good spot for a snack.
We reached Gadd’s walkers’ camp before sunset, put up our tent, and prepared dinner. The stars were incredible and we had the place all to ourselves.
The scenery alongside the walking track at Carnarvon Gorge.
Day 2: Gadd’s walkers’ camp to West Branch walkers’ camp (15.8km)
The second day of hiking was relatively flat as we moved away from the gorge and stayed on the plateau. The landscape was fairly dry (resulting in a fire ban in this area). We saw lots of Australian native flora and fauna (wild piglets and their mother). The West Branch camp has road access so there were a number of people in cars/campervans as well as hikers (even though it is very far away from everything!).
The amenities were nicer here with more toilets and more water access points. It was a very peaceful spot and had an abundance of Australian birds including budgies, lorikeets and corellas.
Hiking the Carnarvon Gorge Great Walk.
Day 3: West Branch walkers’ camp to Cabbage Tree camping zone (31.1km)
We left early to start this stretch as it was the longest out of all of them. There is the option to stay at Consuelo camping zone which is 17.3km from West Branch. Along this stretch, you walk through the Mahogany Forest where the plants and trees are much greener.
Once we reached Cabbage Tree camping zone (after a solid day of hiking), we set up camp and ate another heated meal (thanks to our JetBoil). The bore water here tasted very metallic (even after using the Lifestraw and boiling the water) so I would recommend bringing plenty of water for this hike.
The Great Walk is one of my favourite overnight hikes.
Day 4: Cabbage Tree Camping Zone to the Carnarvon Gorge Visitor Area (15.3km)
Day four was our final stretch of the hike and for some reason felt like the hardest, possibly because of all the uphill/downhill sections, or possibly because we did a long hike the day before.
Along this stretch, there were sections with palm trees, small river crossings, and we also saw cows/bulls. Once we got back to the Carnarvon Gorge Visitor Centre we were glad to finally take off our packs and shoes and relax by the water. The Visitor Centre is also a great place to learn more about the history of the gorge or relax in the day-use area.
The end of the hike!
Who would I recommend this hike for?
I’d recommend this hike for people who have previously completed overnight hikes and who have the right gear to do these hikes.
If you are an avid hiker, it is definitely a trail that needs to be added to your bucket list!
What’s your favourite walking trail in Queensland?
Sabrina is an avid hiker from Brisbane. She hikes as a way to unwind after a busy week working as a Guidance Officer. She’s explored many of the popular tracks around South East Queensland and is always up for a bigger challenge! She has a long list of hikes she would like to do around Australia and overseas in the future.
Hi Sabrina
I’m planning to do this hike at Easter. A really practical question – Where did you leave your car while you were on the hike? Can cars be left at the information centre?
G’day Gail, I’ve just messaged Sabrina in hopes she can let us know about where to park your car. She’s on holidays with her family at the moment but we’ll let you know once she’s online again. Cheers
Hi again Gail, this just came through from Sabrina…
‘We left our car in the camping area which is right next to the information centre at Carnarvon Gorge. We didn’t have any troubles leaving it there.’
Hope that helps – happy hiking!
Hi Sabrina
I was wondering if you drove into the gorge or if it was possible to arrange transport from Roma? I was hoping to get the train out there from Brisbane.
G’day Luke, we’ll pass your question on to Sabrina and hopefully, she’ll be able to let you know. Cheers!
Hi Luke!
Yes – we ended up driving there.
There wouldn’t be any public transport that takes you right to the gorge as it’s really isolated. I would definitely recommended driving there.
Hi Sabrina,
I’m hoping to do the Great Walk over 5 nights in 2021 with a group of families with teenagers. I’ve read that Battleship Spur climb is difficult, but can’t find any pics online of what sort of rock scrambling it is. My wife is quite afraid of heights and wants to know if it has to be done as part of the circuit? And if so, is it manageable?
We’re all reasonably fit and well-equipped. The group of us did the Thorsborne Track on Hinchinbrook this year without too much drama, other than some anxious rock climbs.
Cheers,
Dion
G’day Dion, I’ll pass your message on to Sabrina and hopefully, she can offer a few more details for you. Cheers
Hi Dion,
Thanks for your message.
The steepest part to Battleship Spur is just after Boowinda Gorge. When walking in the Gorge you will come to lots of small rock cairns and from there you will need to climb up maybe 100 or so metres. The climb is manageable (there are lots of things to grab onto). I too am a little bit scared of heights but this was not hard at all (I didn’t feel like I was exposed as there were a lot of bushes/trees to hang onto). Then after that climb the rest of the track to Battleship Spur is fine (just a gradual incline). Unfortunately this is part of the circuit needs to be done in order to complete the Great Walk. I haven’t done the Thorsborne Track (I’d love to do it though!) so can’t compare it.
I just asked my husband who did the hike with me and he also said that that section of the hike was very manageable. He did say that he was very exhausted after that climb (especially with packs!). We actually did the first two sections in one go too so I’d recommend staying at Big Bend so recoup some energy for the climb.
Hope this helps! If you have anymore questions feel free to ask away 🙂
Hi there Sabrina,
Thanks for your recap of the hike, I’m planning to do it this year. I was wondering if you regretted making that day 3 big (31.1km)? Along the same lines, is there anything you would have changed about the way you walked it?
Also, where did you base yourself the night before and the night after the hike?
Thanks,Shelley
Hi Shelley,
Thanks for your message. I don’t regret pushing through on day 3 as it was relatively flat. The hardest days for me were day 1 and day 4. Both those days weren’t overly flat so it took a lot out of us. I’d recommend spending more time in the gorge itself so breaking up day 1 into two days would be advisable (however the downside is to then pack more food as you would be spending an extra day hiking). I’d also recommend doing some shorter overnight night hikes first and also getting your fitness to an optimal level.