Carnarvon Great Walk: How many days and how hard is it?

The Carnarvon Great Walk in Queensland’s Carnarvon National Park is an 87km that usually takes six days. There are some very steep Grade 5 sections.

The Carnarvon Great Walk is a long distance walking trail through Queensland’s Carnarvon National Park. It is a walk that requires camping out overnight, relatively high fitness levels and a high degree of self-sufficiency.

If this doesn’t sound right for you, then there are a series of Carnarvon Gorge hikes that you can tackle instead.

How long is the Carnarvon Great Walk?

The Carnarvon Great Walk is an 87km circuit that links the Carnarvon Gorge and Mount Moffatt sections of Carnarvon National Park. It is broken down into six sections, each of which have rudimentary campgrounds at the end. Most walkers will tackle the Carnarvon Great Walk over a period of six days, and start at the Carnarvon Gorge Visitor Centre.

The drive from Roma to Carnarvon Gorge takes just under three hours.

How hard is the Carnarvon Great Walk

Most of the Carnarvon Great Walk is rated as Grade 3, but there are significantly tougher Grade 4 and Grade 5 sections. Given the length of the walk, and the need to camp out, the circuit as a whole is rated as Grade 5. You should have significant bushwalking experience before attempting to tackle it.

When is the Carnarvon Great Walk open?

The Carnarvon Great Walk is closed off to the public for safety reasons during the hottest months of the year. At time of writing, it was closed from 4 October 2022 to 28 February 2022. Anyone wishing to tackle it is strongly advised to do so during the cooler months.

Carnarvon Great Walk sections

The first section of the Carnarvon Great Walk is 9.7km long, with a bit added for little trips to side gorges. This follows the main Carnarvon Gorge track to the end at Big Bend. Highlights include the Aboriginal rock art at the Art Gallery and Cathedral Cave.

The second section is the tough, Grade 5 walk to Gadd’s walkers camp. This stretch is 14.8km long and involves climbing steeply out of the gorge. The Battleship Spur Lookout peering out over the gorge and Great Dividing Range is the highlight here.

Section three goes 15.8km to West Branch walkers’ camp. Again, there’s a steep Grade 5 climb. The views of basalt-topped Mount Moffat and the suspension bridge over the Maranoa River are the main attractions.

The longest section of the walk is the fourth to the Consuelo camping zone. It’s 17.3km long and crosses the Consuelo Tableland over the crest of the Great Dividing Range. The landscape switches from rugged to fertile, with plenty of open forest.

Section five goes 13.8km to the Cabbage Tree camping zone. It’s a slow descent through more forest, with a few natural springs on the way.

The sixth and final section heads back 15.3km to the Carnarvon Gorge visitor area. It’s an up and down section of ridges, mountain views and lookouts. The 700m side track to the Boolimba Bluff Lookout is worth taking for views of the Carnarvon Gorge mouth.

Carnarvon Great Walk map

If you’re considering tackling the Carnarvon Great Walk, you need a map. The Carnarvon Great Walk Topographic Map produced by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service is an essential purchase.

It can be bought via the Parks and Wildlife Service website.