Glacier Rock via Douglas Track
(Barron Gorge National Park)A walk through rainforest to an ancient glacier rock with amazing views for a good chunk of it.
Getting there
Park at the same place as Stony Creek Weir.
Maps
http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/barron-gorge/pdf/barron-gorge-map.pdf
Route/Trail notes
After crossing the pipe bridge, follow the track behind the Douglas Track sign. It's a lot smaller and harder to see, but it leads away from the creek and heads up into the rainforest.
The track is very well marked with lots of coloured markers on the trees and a fairly well defined track. You'll head up and up through rainforest for a while, until you reach a clearing that used to be a railway workers camp. After this point there are some boulders to scramble up for a nice view (of some powerlines and Cairns) before it starts cutting back and forth up the hillside, as the rainforest thins out to grasssy area. The Kuranda railway looms in front of you, right where there was a rockslide in early 2010 hitting the train. Now there's stairs and a bridge to cross the railway. You then walk along the edge of the rainforest, over what is obviously ground cut for the power line. The view from here just keeps getting better and better.
Eventually you hit the top and follow the powerline service track. The Douglas Track meets the McDonalds track from the top of the Gorge here. Take the left, following the Douglas Track/Glacier rock sign back into the rainforest. More steep uphills here for 700 metres until you reach a sign saying "Glacier Rock." Take a left and enjoy the easy last 250 metres until you reach the top of the rock. Magnificent views. Don't forget to sign the guest book attached to the sign!
Follow your steps back to the car.
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Comments
Allan Allport on 3 Aug, 2010
Least populated walk of my entire Cairns bushwalk experience. And personally, one of my favourites. Wish I had done the full from the top of the Gorge, it may have made it easier going down hill for most of it