Bartle Frere Trail (Josephine Falls) (15km), Atherton Tablelands, Queensland

Bartle Frere Trail (Josephine Falls) is a 15km, grade 5 hike located in the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland. The hike should take around 2 days to complete.

Length: 15km

Duration: 2 days

Grade: 5

Style: One Way

Start: Josephine Falls Walk

End: Josephine Falls Walk

Location: Atherton Tablelands

Closest town: Wooroonooran

Queensland

From state capital: 1625km

Longitude: 145.8594704

Latitude: -17.43254524

Hike summary

Climbing the summit of Queensland's highest mountain offers a challenging way to explore part of the World Heritage-listed rainforest of the Bellenden Ker Range in Wooroonooran National Park. From Josephine Falls, walkers can walk to the summit and return or continue on to Junction Camp at the Atherton Tableland (both walks are 15 kilometres and take two days). The trail starts at an altitude of 100 metres and rises to 1,622 metres at the summit; an average gradient of one in five.

Route and GPX file

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Trail Features

Rough Trail
Rainforest
Rock Scrambling
Steep Terrain
River Crossings
Scenic Viewpoints
Untreated Water
Swimming Spots
Overnight Campsites

Gear you might need

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Location

Access Conditions

2WD Access
Bitumen Road
Large Car Park
Accessible Parking
Accessible Toilet
Public Toilets
Picnic Shelter
Picnic Table

Getting there

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Let someone know before you go

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Weather

About the region

The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns. Although it is in the tropical latitudes, its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. It has an area of around 32,000 km2 with an altitude ranging between 500 and 1,280 m (1,640 and 4,200 ft). The fertility of the soils in the region can be attributed to the volcanic origins of the land.

The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tinaroo. Tinaroo Hydro, a small 1.6MW Hydroelectric power station is located near the spillway.

For more information on this hiking trail, please visit Queensland.com

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Acknowledgement of Country

Trail Hiking Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we hike and pay respects to their Elders, past and present, and we acknowledge the First Nations people of other communities who may be here today.

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