Fassifern Rail Trail (6km)

The Fassifern Rail Trail was one of the trails to be constructed under the South East Queensland Active Trails Stategy. It was to be part of 76 km Boonah to Ipswich Trail. Work on the the long distance trail was suspended in 2012.

Commencing at the carpark of the Boonah Visitor Information Centre the rail trails starts with a climb to the "Hollywood" style sign that overlooks the town and the VIC. From the town lookout the trail is to the west via a simple walking track. This section is signposted and has direction markers but the Rail trail is not evident. The Boonah Lookout can be access by local roads and there is ample parking in this locality, if the climb from the VIC to Athol Terrace is too hard.
The walking track leads to the rail trail proper the junction being about 150 m north of the Boonah-Fassifern Road.
The rail trail proper is easy to follow and traverse and extends for about 2km until the gate on Pocock Road. The small historic cemetery adjacent to the rail trail records the resting place for a number of the pioneers of the area. The cemetery can be accessed from Re Bridge Road and is an alternative parking area for easy access to the rail trail.
The trail is located on the southern boundary of Pocock Road, this is a gravel surface along the fence line. At the top of the hill, about 300m from the gate, is asmall clump of trees where are some great views of the Scenic Rim including Mount French to the south west.
The loop trail continues down the slope and south east about 400m along the unformed section of Hoya Road then follows the formed section of Hoya Road (on the eastern footpath) for about 1.4km to Springleigh Park, the site of the weekly Boonah markets.
The trail route then follows the footpath on the southern side of the Ipswich-Boonah Road crossing back to the northern side of the road at the main roundabout (all up about 700m) back to the carpark.
Many people, after reaching the lookout or the gate in Pocock Road reurn to the Tourist Information Centre along the old rail formation.
There are sections of the old railway line still visible in the town proper. A section of the rail trail appears near Yeates Avenue (at Lions park) and is pedestrian friendly for about 600m to Mount French Road on the western side of Dugandan Park. This was the site of a mjor timber mill in the past. The "terminus" today is not far from the popular Dugandan Pub.

The Fassifern Rail Trail utises a section of the disused railway line on the outskirts of the Boonah township. The Fassifern Rail Trail is being developed in partnership with Scenic Rim Regional Council and local community groups of the Fassifern Valley.

Today, Boonah is an attractive and busy town of about 2 500 people. It promotes itself as being "The Heart of the Scenic Rim". The Scenic Rim being the arc of spectacular mountains that stretch north west from the New South Wales border ttowards Toowoomba.