While searching for more mountains to summit, Lisa came across the Flinders Peak hike. This tough track is just out of Brisbane and begging you to scramble over its exposed rocks and soak up its views.

 

Highlights

  • Challenging and diverse trail with some rock hopping and scrambling
  • Only an hour drive from Brisbane
  • Several vantage points of the Fassifern Valley

 

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Hiking Up Flinders Peak

I hadn’t heard about the Flinders Peak walk until I recently came across it on a bushwalking club’s site. It was only an hour from Brisbane in Flinders Peak Conservation Park, so I decided last minute to head down the Ipswich Motorway and check it out one weekend, together with the nearby White Rock.

 

Peaking Hard // Hike to Flinders Peak (QLD) Lisa Owen, Flinders Peak, Queensland, rocky, cliffs, escarpment

 

The way to the trailhead up the northern slope of the peak starts at a gate at the end of a gravel road. The road used to end at Flinders Plum picnic area but recent flooding washed out the road. So at the time of writing, it was an easy 1.5km walk to the trailhead from the car park.

I hope you’ve warmed up by now because the trail doesn’t waste much time before it starts heading up. First, through grassy hills with a good view of the peak you’re about to climb, and then up a rugged dirt path past gumtrees and lantana.

The trail is easy to follow up the hill, and then you’ll reach a line of rocks on top of the ridge. You’ll rock-hop along these for a few minutes with markers showing the way in any indistinct sections. Then your legs get a bit of a rest as you wind your way through trees before another push up.

To get to the first major viewpoint (nicknamed Little Mt Flinders), you’ll need to do a short rock scramble and climb. Watch that you don’t knock any rocks onto your fellow hikers here.

Only about 50 percent of hikers I met on the trail made the final push to the summit. The Flinders Peak summit is a little deceiving, it looks harder to reach than it actually is from the first lookout – in reality it’s only a 15-minute hike down into the saddle and up the moderately steep mountainside – so push on!

 

Peaking Hard // Hike to Flinders Peak (QLD) Lisa Owen, Flinders Peak, Queensland, distance, mountain,

 

At the summit, the view is somewhat blocked by a helicopter pad and TV towers, but continue past the buildings, scramble down a couple of boulders and you’ll get the perfect viewpoint on the cliffside over the Fassifern Valley. On a clear day, you’ll even be able to see the Brisbane skyline.

Heading down, the trail is pretty slippery once you hit the steep section and my feet slid out from under me a few times, so take it easy. All up, it’s about a three hour round trip, you could have it done by midday.

You might even be able to make it up before sunrise.

Essential Gear

  • Good hiking boots (the trail is particularly slippery on the way down and there’s some rock scrambling required)
  • At least 2L of water
  • Camera
  • Snacks

How To Get There

Head down the Ipswich Motorway and continue onto the Cunningham Highway. Exit onto the Ipswich-Boonah Road, following this for about 10 minutes and then turn left into Mt Flinders Road at Peak Crossing. The bitumen turns into gravel past the Ivory’s Rock conference centre. Follow the gravel road and park at the locked gate. Walk around the gate, follow the road (keep left) to the Flinders Plum picnic area and then you’ll see the trailhead up Flinders Peak on the right near the toilets.

Skill Level

Intermediate

Steep hike up to Flinders Peak with some rock scrambling required.

Distance / Elevation

9km (including walk to trailhead from carpark) / 677m