Wilson's Peak - Eastern Approach

GPS Tracks

The eastern approach to Wilsons Peak, following the Qld/NSW rabbit fence to a mountain that straddles the border, with some really steep sections.

Lookouts

Bird Watching

Scrambling or Climbing

Navigation Required

Rainforest

Eucalypt Forest

1231m

Maximum Elevation

820m

Total Climb

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Getting there

From the Boonah-Rathdowney road, turn onto Carney's Creek Road. Follow it all the way to the where Hardcastles Rd joins from the right (just before the main road turns a sharp left and follows the border to the border gate - if you reach the Boonah Border gate and cross into NSW, backtrack by about half a kilometre). Drive in about 30m and you'll find a small parking area. From there it is a very short walk to the fence, where you should turn right (west).

Maps

QTopo

All Trails clearly shows the route.

Route/Trail notes

The navigation of the route is relatively simple. Start walking west with the rabbit fence on your left. The first few kilometres undulate, sometimes rather steeply, along the fence maintenance track. You eventually start getting views of Wilson's Peak (showing you what you're in for) about 3km in, before the track leads into thicker rainforest about 4km in.

Once the track reaches the rainforest, it becomes much steeper. Gardening gloves are handy to help drag yourself up. The fence is older here and isn't topped with barbed wire. Eventually, after a bit over 5km, the fence finishes at a spectacular cliff. Turn right and follow a fairly clear, narrow footpad along the base of the cliffs, past some shallow caves.

Keep an eye out on your left for a cleft in the cliff, at a point where the path you've been following seems to start to descend (this is, in fact, where the path coming in from the west (Teviot Gap) joins). Then it's a climb up onto the forested summit plateau (no exposure, but not necessarily easy). The lookout area is along a footpad about 20m from a survey marker and cairn.

Permits/Costs

None

Other References

"Take a Walk in South East Queensland"

GPS Tracks

Comments

Very slippery walk in morning dew. Ideally not a walk to do super early. Gloves recommended as at times there is not much to hold on to other than the border fence.
alxhoff on 1 Feb, 2016

Was a good walk to tick off the list. Wouldn't do it again any-time soon. There were a few fallen trees along the fence which had to be navigated around.The lookout after the final rock scramble was fairly nice but it is quite blocked off as it has overgrown a bit.

Definitely do this walk when it hasn't rained, it was an interesting slip n slide on the way down. Also would recommend if using the Take a Walk in S.E Qld book to keep driving along Carney's Creek Rd until you go past the National park sign, then when you see a service road on the right with the rabbit fence following to park there.

Otherwise drive just before the border gate and park there. Was an easy gate to jump over to get started.
Michael_G on 15 Jun, 2015

Steep, but the views are perfect, well worth the effort
Shell on 24 Apr, 2015

First time doing it in the dry and it was a tough walk but beautiful rest spot up the top.
Allan Allport on 25 Apr, 2014

Just come back from the hike. It was a little damp and was still pretty slippery even without rain.

Good up hill work out, though the final 30m scramble/climb was beyond my (non-existant) basic rock climbing skills. I was pretty sure I could pull myself up the rock fissure though half way up didn't think I could safely get down, so called it off 30m from the top.

All in all a great walk and I'll be back when I have aquired some basic rock climbing skills.
Tprindo on 7 Jul, 2012

Nice walk. I started this from the western side of the peak.
Jimmy on 7 Apr, 2012

What a great walk!, And one of the most memorable, the lichen blowing in the rainforest trees, the low cloud cover and with it threating to rain made this a mystical experience, and to see what looked like a hugh rock monolith sticking out of the ground before you,and its top shrouded in mist/cloud was sheer magic and brought a smile to my face after enduring those steep ascents along the rabbit fence...the view from the top was just cloud..and the cairn of rocks has a small tree growing out of it and is nearly covered...what a fantastic afternoon, coming back down didnt seem to take long...except for the last stretch which was completed in the dark, rain and cold
Walkinghawk on 11 Jun, 2011

Umm should have listened to the guide book, was wet and this was a hard walk, lots of slipping and scrambling up a very steep, muddy path with not much to hold on to. A few vert steep, dodgy bits. Got to the top and there were good views, the way down was actuallly alot easier using a combination of sliding and bum toboganing. Recommended if you want a challenge
luke Jackson on 27 Jul, 2010

Ascended from west along the fence then contoured north to find a suitable line to the summit. Steep bush-bash. We backed down few sections too steep and slippery to scramble safely. Returned to the fence thanks to GPS and back to the car. Nice place but not a walk I would repeat.
Anonymous on 9 Aug, 2009

Nice walk, we had beautiful cool weather. Only the last part is very strenuous (really steep!!)
peter10001 on Aug, 2009

A good hard walk that was a bit of a leg burner. View was good and went to the verandha or balcony.
Laurence Hallam on 25 Jul, 2009

It was wet. Very hard to finish, but we managed it. Too cloudy when we got to the peak.
Allan Allport on 20 Jun, 2009

We chose the wrong "border" fence to begin with which made the walk a bit toughter. The return walk showed us where the correct one was.

View was good, but only a limited angle.
Richard Mason on Sometime...