Are you chasing a view that’ll blow your socks off (and ruin your legs)? Join Sarah for a challenging hike through World Heritage rainforest to the summit of Queensland’s highest peak, Chooreechillum/Mount Bartle Frere.

 

We Are Explorers acknowledges that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Noongyanbudda Ngadjon people, who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

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Quick Overview

The eastern approach to the Mount Bartle Frere summit is a challenging 15km return hike located in Woonoorooran National Park in Far North Queensland. The hike can be completed in a day, but is better tackled as an overnighter.

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

Mount Bartle Frere Summit Facts

Distance: 15km return
Duration: 8-12 hours
Elevation gain: 1500m
Nearest town: Babinda or Innisfail

About Mount Bartle Frere Summit trail

Mount Bartle Frere is the highest mountain in Queensland, sitting 1622m above sea level. The summit and surrounding trails are in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, forming part of the Atherton Tablelands. The summit, which spends most of the year shrouded in cloud, is home to mossy boulder fields, cloud forests, and unique flora and fauna.

Mount Bartle Frere can be summited via two trails: the western approach from the Tablelands or the more scenic (read: difficult) eastern approach from Josephine Falls. Although the total distance to the summit from the trailhead is just under 8km, the hike boasts the second-highest elevation gain of any hike in Australia.

Despite near-vertical sections and never-ending root ladders, reaching the summit makes the pain worth it with views from the Tablelands all the way out to the Coral Sea. The best time to hike is in the dry season (April-October) to avoid slippery conditions, mud, and leeches.

Read more: Leeches: How To Remove, Avoid, and Appreciate Them

Mount Bartle Frere History

For tens of thousands of years, the Noongyanbudda Ngadjon people lived in the foothills of Chooreechillum the traditional name for the mountain. The surrounding rainforest supports complex ecosystems and is recognised internationally for its exceptional natural beauty.

In 1921, Mount Bartle Frere and neighbouring Mount Bellenden Ker were declared national parks and are today popular with outdoor enthusiasts and tourists. The range includes several Instagram-worthy destinations, including Josephine Falls and Babinda Boulders.

Read more: Staying Safe Around Swimming Holes and Waterfalls

 

How to Get to Mount Bartle Frere

The Mount Bartle Frere eastern summit trail is best accessed by car. The trailhead is located at Josephine Falls car park, an hour’s drive south of Cairns or three and a half hours north of Townsville. Although there are no camping facilities at Josephine Falls, you can camp nearby at Babinda Boulders (free!) or at Henrietta Creek ($7.50).

The car park at Josephine Falls is large enough to accommodate day tourists, so it’s easy and safe to park your car overnight. The trailhead is located past the public toilets, at the back of the grassed lunch area.

Where to Stay Along Mount Bartle Frere Trail

There are two official national park campsites along the eastern summit trail, both require booking and fee payment through Queensland Parks ($7.50 per person per night). If you’re completing the trail in one day, you won’t need to pay anything (but you’ll pay for it later with sore legs).

Big Rock Camping Area is roughly 3km from Josephine Falls car park at the junction of Mount Bartle Frere summit trail and Broken Nose spur trail.

The second campsite along the eastern trail is the Eastern Summit Camping Area, complete with a helipad and emergency shelter. There are a couple of other campsites if you approach from the western trail (Junction Camping Area and Western Summit Camping Area).

Skill Level

Advanced

The trail is a Grade 5 and although well-marked, it’s highly challenging with lengthy stretches of very steep and at times vertical climbs. The boulder field near the summit can be slippery and tricky to navigate, so prepare for a scramble.

Mobile reception (Telstra) is good along the trail, but shouldn’t be relied upon. We carried a Garmin InReach Mini with us, which had the route marked.

Water in the foothills is plentiful and clear. The last water source before the climb is the creek at Big Rock Campground. Make sure to carry enough water for a strenuous climb up and back.

Watch out along the trail for Stinging Tree/Gympie-Gympie, distinguished by large heart-shaped leaves covered with tiny hairs that can cause excruciating pain. Leeches are a ubiquitous element of the trail, with some hikers reporting them in their hundreds. The best way to avoid leech-fest is to hike during dry conditions where there has been no rain for 3-4 days prior.

Read more: 7 Tips for Rainy Day Hiking

Nearby Accommodation

Essential Gear for Mount Bartle Frere

  • Tent and sleeping gear
  • Good, sturdy footwear
  • Plenty of water
  • PLB
  • Good sun protection
  • Insect repellent
  • Warm clothes
  • Rain jacket
  • Gaiters or long socks – to help keep the leeches at bay
  • Hiking poles
  • Food and snacks
  • First aid kit, including a snake bite kit

What It’s Like to Summit Mount Bartle Frere

Day 1 – Josephine Falls Car Park to Eastern Summit Camping Area

Distance: 8km
Duration: 7-8 hours plus breaks

The first part of the hike was an easy warm-up through the rainforest foothills. The undulating, shaded trail took us over mossy boulders and creek crossings to Big Rock Campground about 3km in. We took the opportunity to rest here before the climb, and nearby Majuba Creek provided fresh, crystal-clear water.

 

 

Immediately after leaving Big Rock Campground, the climb started and didn’t stop. The trail is mostly irregular root ladders, but there are some very memorable vertical sections that require the use of a provided rope.

There were a couple of opportunities to rest and reset along the track on the way up – a landslide in 2021 opened a part of the rainforest alongside the trail, offering a glimpse of the view to come. Further along, there’s a large, flat granite boulder perfect for a rest that sticks out of the rainforest canopy, accessible via a smothering fig tree.

In the final kilometre before the Eastern Summit Camping Area, the surrounding habitat abruptly changed to a low cloud forest and an immense boulder field. The vegetation here features a distinct ecosystem of low-lying trees and orchids that thrive in the foggy conditions.

Although we were lucky with our weather window, the boulder scramble to the camping area was slippery and slow to navigate, especially with our full packs. The trail eventually plateaued out to the exposed camping area, where we were treated to almost 360º views.

 

 

From the Eastern Summit Camping Area, it was approximately 45 minutes to reach the summit. The track consisted of more boulder scrambling with a false peak thrown in for good measure.

The summit itself was incredibly unremarkable, consisting of a small clearing surrounded by tall trees and a sign.

If you’re staying overnight at the camping area, you can choose to set up camp on the helipad or in several small clearings just a little further along the track. We were treated to an incredible sunset from the door of our tents – a procession of pastel pinks and purples that illuminated the entire sky above us.

As it became darker, the stars were mirrored in the landscape below as the surrounding sugar cane fields were set alight ahead of harvest season.

 

Day 2 – Eastern Summit Camping Area to Josephine Falls Car Park

Distance: 8km
Duration: 5-6 hours plus breaks

The following day greeted us with an equally spectacular sunrise, which we enjoyed over our morning coffee. The descent was much easier, being the reverse of the previous day.

When we finally (finally!) reached flat ground at Big Rock Campground, we enjoyed the final 3km through the rainforest. It took us around five hours, plus a lunch break at Big Rock, to reach Josephine Falls car park.

 

 

Nothing is better after a hard, sweaty hike than a refreshing dip in a tropical waterfall. We took the short (600m) walk from the car park to Josephine Falls, where we were treated to an azure tiered cascade waterfall. The falls begin as a small creek on Mount Bartle Frere summit, so the water is icy cold even in summer.

Tips For Summiting Mount Bartle Frere

  • Beyond Big Rock Campground, there are no more reliable water sources, so make sure you fill up at Majuba Creek before tackling the summit
  • If you’re planning on staying the night at Big Rock or Eastern Summit Camping Area make sure you book in advance; both sites hold eight people
  • Mount Bartle Frere has its own weather patterns that can rapidly change without warning. The average annual rainfall in the range is around 8000mm, with nearby Mount Bellenden Ker recognised as the wettest place in Australia. Be prepared for wet, muddy conditions. Choose your weather window wisely and always carry a PLB
  • The previous few days’ rainfall is a pretty good predictor of how many leeches you might encounter – consider protection, including insect repellent and long socks or gaiters
  • It gets cold and windy on the summit, especially once you stop moving and your body cools down. Prepare for cold sleeping conditions (the summit is typically 10ºC colder than the coast) and make sure to pack a wind or rain jacket

FAQs Mount Bartle Frere

Where is Mount Bartle Frere located?

Mount Bartle Frere is found in Far North Queensland, 51km south of Cairns in Wooroonooran National Park.

How did Mount Bartle Frere get its name?

Mount Bartle Frere’s traditional name is Chooreechillum, named by the Noongyanbudda Ngadjon people. However, this was changed by George Elphinstone Dalrymple, who led the 1873 North-East Coast Exploring Expedition. Dalrymple named the mountain after Sir Edward Bartle Frere, who was the president of the Royal Geographical Society in London at the time.

How do I get to Mount Bartle Frere?

The Mount Bartle Frere eastern summit trail is best accessed by car. The trailhead is located at Josephine Falls car park, an hour’s drive south of Cairns or three and a half hours north of Townsville. The trailhead is located past the public toilets, at the back of the grassed lunch area.

What is the highest point in Carins?

Although not located in the city itself, Mount Bartle Frere is the highest point in the area surrounding Cairns, and in all of Queensland, at 1,611m above sea level.

How hard is Mount Bartle Frere?

Summiting Mount Bartle Frere is a difficult hike that should only be undertaken by experienced hikers. It involves rock scrambling across a boulder field, creek crossings,

Explore Deeper in Far North Queensland

This piece was brought to you by a real living human who felt the wind in their hair and described their adventure in their own words. This is because we rate authenticity and the sharing of great experiences in the natural world – it’s all part of our ethos here at We Are Explorers. You can read more about it in our Editorial Standards.