Do not miss Carnarvon Gorge on your visit to Central Queensland! Of all the stunning gorges we visited in Australia, Carnarvon Gorge really stood out with its scenic beauty and cultural heritage. You will find unique geological formations that have been 200 million years in the making and some of the best Aboriginal rock art in Australia in this remote and tranquil sandstone wilderness.

The national park is so remote, in fact, that it can become inaccessible when Carnarvon Creek rises after heavy rains, blocking access roads to the park. Far from the hustle and bustle of the coast, echidnas and kangaroos roam the campsite in the twilight and hidden between the steep-sided canyon walls, you’ll find a lush and cool outback oasis with pockets of remnant rainforest and spring-fed waterfalls.

No road runs through the gorge or along the rim, and once you rock-hop across the creek at the visitor centre, it’ll be just you (and probably a few other hikers) surrounded by the towering sandstone cliffs of Carnarvon Gorge.

We’ve compiled this detailed Travel and Hiking Guide to help you plan your trip and explore the most of what this national park has to offer. See our 1-3 days in Carnarvon Gorge itineraries at the end of this post for an idea of what you can fit in.

Carnarvon Gorge is located between Roma and Emerald in Queensland’s central highlands and was declared a national park in 1932. Since then, Carnarvon Gorge has evolved into a hiker’s paradise with numerous hiking trails, over twenty kilometres of track, in fact, that make the major attractions in the park accessible to visitors. One such walk, the Carnarvon Great Walk, has even made the list of Australia’s fabulous Great Walks.

As almost all the park’s major sites are lined up along the main gorge walking track that runs through the gorge for 10 kilometres to Big Bend (and can only be reached via this track), it makes sense to cover all the sites, especially those at the far end of the gorge, on a 23-kilometre return hike.

The short side trails that fork off the main trail and lead to the individual sites don’t add much to the total trail distance. I’d leave the climb to Boolimba Bluff, the site closest to the visitor centre and a 5.5-kilometre return walk from the trail junction, for last. If you then decide you’d rather save this steep detour with plenty of steps and short ladders to climb for the next day, you won’t have to cover much of the main track again to get back to that trail junction.

In addition to the main gorge walking track, there are three short walks close to the Carnarvon Gorge Visitor Area: Mickey Creek, Rock Pool, and Nature Trail. All of them are lovely, short Grade 3 trails, suitable for visitors with some bushwalking experience, but don’t compare to the spectacular scenery of the main gorge. Very experienced bushwalkers, on the other hand, can tackle the more challenging 87km Carnarvon Great Walk and spend 6 or 7 days immersed in this remote, semi-arid wilderness.

The following sites are the park’s main attractions and are accessible via short side trails from the main gorge walking track.

The return distances from the visitor centre do not include the out-and-back detours from the main track turnoff to other sites in the park.