Grasstree Track - Eagle's Nest Trail Loop, Redwood Park

Toowoomba

This loop starts from the Redwood Park trailhead near the bottom of the Toowoomba Range. It is a moderately challenging walk through eucalypt forest, with views towards Mount Table Top & Picnic Point. It is possible to extend your walk by following the marked side-track to the Ferny Gully Circuit (approx. 2km return). The archaeological dig site at the Eagles Nest Men's Camp historical is also located off Eagle's Nest Trail (trailhead unsigned). Caution: slippery after rain.

Officially listed as Grade 4 difficulty (includes some steep sections, loose/ slippery/boggy surfaces + limited signage), this track is suitable for walkers/runners with a moderate-high fitness level.

Lookouts
Bird Watching
Heritage Sites
Picnic Facilities
Toilets
Dogs Permitted
Cycling Permitted
Eucalypt Forest
691m
Maximum Elevation

Getting there

From Toowoomba, drive down the Warrego Highway range crossing towards Brisbane. Look for the small dirt carpark on the left of the road, just after the 100km speed sign near the bottom of the range. Walk though the heavy wooden gate (pedestrian access only) then continue down the gravel driveway and past the picnic area to find the Grasstree Track trailhead. 

Route/Trail notes

From the picnic area, walk downhill to the signed intersection and turn left onto Grasstree Track. This car-wide dirt track leads you along a few gentle slopes before curving sharply to the right and coming to another intersection (poorly signed). Take the right fork onto Eagles Nest Trail to complete the loop section anti-clockwise (the incline is more gradal in this direction). At the top of the range, turn left onto the Bridle Trail (unmarked) and left again at the last intersection (unsigned) to return via Grasstree Track. 

If you want to add a short side-track, turn off Eagles Nest Trail at the yellow sign marked 'Fern Tree Gully Walk'. This walk is approx 1km return to the creek or 2.5km return if you include the extra loop on the opposite side of the creek. This hidden path is filled with surprises such as lush rainforest plants, small caves, accessible creekbed (beautiful when running) and a small waterfall. Please walk quietly here as this is a nesting place for powerful owls.    

Note: Take water & a hat. Intersections at the top of the park are not signed. Be careful not to wander north onto the Bridle Trail, which would take you up to the Bridge Street trailhead via several steep climbs. 

Permits/Costs

Free

Other References/Comments

Redwood Park (stephtred.wixsite.com)

GPS Tracks

  • No GPS available for this walk yet.

Comments

It would be very difficult to follow this without someone who knows the way. Quite steep and muddy in sections. Beautiful creek at the bottom to do some rock hopping along if you want.

ct__ on 30 Jul, 2022

Nice pleasant walk with some good views across the escarpment at times. I went anticlockwise and it is hard not to miss the turn into grass tree walk so I would recommend using all trails or strata to track your route.

Bobbe on 20 Jun, 2022

Completed Eagles Nest going up and Grass Tree back down. Eagles Nest was quite slippery and yes you will get your feet wet/muddy at the moment. Great walk none the less.

Hillbilly Aussie on 28 May, 2022

Gorgeous walk with great variety of plant-life & views from the top. Due to recent rain, there is a sign at the trailhead saying 'proceed with caution'. The trail is very slippery after rain. Ferny Gully Walk has been temporarily closed due to flood damage.

Steph T on 14 May, 2022

This area has a lot of tracks but only the vehicle-wide and fire-breaks seem to be marked. I started at Bridge St entrance at top of the range - down via Redwood Forest Walk to the picnic area at the bottom of the range. Most of that track is wide, quite pleasant and easy walking, though dry loose gravel makes downhill a bit slippery. Not very green at the moment - weeds being treated so a lot of dead undergrowth.
At the bottom the Rainforest Walking Circuit is a 400m loop through the trees which would be very pretty if not so dry atm.
I then went back up via the Grass Tree Track to Eagles Nest Trail (north side) and detoured off to a foot track along the creek edge - then joined the Redwood Bridle Trail to the top. That is wide but quite steep, will definitely get your heart going.
The main track is fire-break wide but not really well signed - some signs at junctions are broken, and placement is a bit confusing so check the map for your turn direction or you could accidentally do a loop back down.
Smaller foot tracks branching off along the creek are beautiful but again, not signed or mapped that I could find. Couldn't find any creeks with water, not even pools, very dry.

ML on 13 Oct, 2020

This park is endangered by the Mayor of Toowoomba planning to build 4 cycle tracks here, in the hope that Toowoomba, gets some cycling events in the Olympic Games. Cyclists are already starting to overrun the Range. By the way it is a Council park, not a National Park

Caroline Smith on 1 Jul, 2020

Lovely walk from bottom to top of range.

Hannah on 20 Jun, 2020

Gets the heart rate going! Sat at top for morning tea before heading back down. Great views.

Hannah on Jun, 2020

Great walk. Awesome views and a good workout

Joel Bideganeta on 10 Mar, 2020

Found this a nice easy walk could suit most levels of fitness beautiful views along the way

Juanita on 5 Aug, 2018

There seem to be two maps with very different routes (one attached). It was very dry, no waterfalls on our chosen day. A lot of weeds stifling the native vegetation, but the local conservation groups are putting a lot of work into controlling it. Trails are road-width and slashed in many places. Very steep up and down in sections. We intended to walk counterclockwise following Redwood Forest Track returning via Fern Tree Gully track. Instead through some confusion with the maps we actually walked through Fern Tree Gully first! So we then decided to walk to the top completing the Redwood Forest Track and returning via Redwood Bridal Trail & Eagle’s nest trail. Total about 6.5km for us with little feet managing the whole walk very well.

Family Blunt on 15 Jul, 2018

This is a regular for me as I use it for a training walk for the Kokoda Challenge I compete in every year. When you get to the top you can cross the road and head down into Jubilee Park which is also full of well marked walking tracks. This is also the old site of the Men's Depression camp in the 1930's. The site is hidden well in this park.

Aussie Weekend Warrior on 29 Apr, 2017

Went clockwise from the bottom carpark, explored some of the creek areas and others while geocaching. Steeper than I expected but then I didn't realise it is on the side of the range, hahaha. I enjoyed the walk though!

Caro on 7 Sep, 2016

A nice walk.

Evo on May, 2016

If you want to do a study on weeds, this is your spot, very overgrown, pivot everywhere, however this time of the year there are amazing butterflies, and plenty of birds to watch. Early in the morning brings the snakes and monitors so be on the look out

Shell on 17 Jan, 2015

Completed in about 1 1/2 hours. Not overly exhausted but a nice walk

toby.birch on 3 Feb, 2013

found seed for siphonodon australe. germinated many of them and they are now growing in my dry vine scrub revegetation site.

also hippocratea barbarata.

Mick on 20 Dec, 2009

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