Mt Maroon has two peaks, with one boasting 360° views of the Scenic Rim. Deciding to head the highest point, Jacquie and her crew set off along the Cotswold Track to see it for themselves.

Quick Overview

Cotswold Track trail on Mt Maroon is a 6km return, grade 5 hike located in the Mt Barney National Park in Queensland. The hike should take around 3 hours to complete.

 

Highlights

  • 360 degree views of the Scenic Rim
  • Challenging but doable climb up rocks
  • A mountain to yourself

The Cotswold Track

The hike starts at the end of Cotswold Road off the Boonah-Rathdowney Road. Passing through a section of open farmland, which slowly turns into rocky ground. We quickly came to realise this trail was very under marked but assumed we were heading in the right direction by following what looked to be a path.

The first part of the hike is steep, with some scrambling required, leading to a lovely rocky outcrop boasting great views. From there the trail leads up to a gorge where you go from scrambling to actually climbing and hauling yourself up rocks.

You need to be careful when climbing up these steep parts as there are rocks that jag out. I actually hit my head on one while trying to pull myself up a rock. I felt stupid, but it’s easily done.

Mt Maroon – Rock Climbing Utopia

Mt Maroon has a rich rock climbing heritage and I could see why just by looking at some of the mount faces and ridges. So you’ll be in heaven if you love rock climbing.

Once we reached the top of the gorge, there was a tiny stream flowing and lots of trees still surrounding us. We had the choice to veer to the right near the stream or turn left. We mistakenly turned left which was a bit of a dead end.

Fortunately, from there we could see where the summit was and decided on the route we needed to take to get there.

In the end, the thing that really helped us make it to the south peak was little cairns (balancing rock formations). As we followed them they got bigger and bigger, with the summit having a huge one taller than myself.

The tough unmarked hike paid off when we reached the summit. The 360 degree views of the Border Ranges Scenic Rim were spectacular. We could see Maroon dam to the north, Mt Barney to west and other mountain ranges and farmland to the east and south.

If I was to do hike the Cotswold Track again, I would definitely stay the night on top of the mountain. To experience those views with an amazing night sky would be something else.

Essential Gear

  • Hiking shoes or good quality running shoes
  • Lots of water
  • Snacks
  • Phone
  • GPS/compass (just in case)

How To Get There

From Brisbane get on the Mt Lindesay Highway that goes through Beaudesert, following the signs to Rathdowney. Travel through Rathdowney and turn off into Boonah Rathdowney Road (right turn approximately 1 km past the town). At 15 km be on the lookout for the left turn onto Cotswold Road which brings you to the Cotswold Track car park after 3.3 km.

Activities

  • Hiking
  • Rock climbing
  • Camping
  • Photography

Skill Level

Intermediate to Expert. Great hike to test your fitness levels before attempting Mt Barney.

Class 5 rating on National Parks website.

Distance Covered / Elevation Gain

6km return / 966m