The Mount Barney Summit hike is a 17.5km, grade 5 Circuit hike located in the Mount Barney National Park, QLD. The hike should take approximately 8hrs to complete. It can also be completed as an overnight hike. Be sure you read the warnings below.

Over 400 Rescues and 700 Lost People in the last 30 years

Summary

Mount Barney, at 1359m, is QLD’s 4^th highest mountain and one of the state’s most spectacular mountains. and is a mecca for experienced bushwalkers and climbers. It’s part of the McPherson Range and presents walkers with some formidable challenges and is no place for novice walkers.

There are many established walking tracks up and around the mountain, although none of them are easy. All routes require a reasonable level of fitness and advanced route-finding and rock-scrambling skills. Mount Barney via SE and Peastant Ridge is the most common route and for this reason will be the only one I provide on this site. Please note the wearings however as this is a hike for the experienced ONLY. People have gone missing and have died on this hike.

Another popular hike in this region is the Lower Portals track, which is the best-marked track in the park, but still requires Grade 4 walking experience. The 7.5k round trip leads to one of the most spectacular water holes in the region, with a cave and waterfall and 30m cliffs above it.

About the Region

The distinctive peaks of Mount Barney, Mount Maroon, Mount May, Mount Lindesay, Mount Ernest, Mount Ballow and Mount Clunie make up Mount Barney National Park. These rugged peaks are the remains of the ancient Focal Peak Shield Volcano which erupted 24 million years ago. Mount Barney is the second highest peak in South East Queensland.

The park has extremely varied vegetation with open forests around the foothills of the peaks, subtropical rainforest above 600m and montane heath shrublands towards the summits. The summit of Mount Ballow is cool temperate rainforest, and on Mount Maroon there are mallee eucalypt shrublands. Many rare and unusual plant species grow in the park. Cronans Creek provides a beautiful spot to cool off, track leaves from the Yellow Pinch reserve.

There are picnic tables, toilets, barbecues and information displays at Yellow Pinch at the base of Mount Barney.

Tips

• Although there is a worn foot track to follow most of the way – the trail is not constructed or maintained by QPWS, just by repeat footfall. As there is no track from the saddle to the summit, knowledge of the area and map skills apply. It is essential to prepare your knowledge base before trying this walk.
• Care must be taken at the summit, as the 60m cliff break is unfenced.