Bartle Frere is the highest mountain in Queensland at 1,611 metres, and it sits close enough to Cairns that people underestimate it every year. This page is mostly about what Queensland Parks says the trail demands, because that is the part the photographs leave out.
The trail, in numbers
The Bartle Frere trail is 15 kilometres one way and graded 5, which is the hardest grade in the Australian walking track standard. Queensland Parks tells you to allow two days. You can walk it as a return trip from one end or traverse it end to end, and if you traverse it you need to make private transport arrangements in advance, because there is no shuttle and the two ends are a long way apart by road.
Where it starts
Two ends. From the coast, the trail is accessed at Josephine Falls, which Queensland Parks puts 75 kilometres south of Cairns. From the Atherton Tableland side, access is via the Junction camping area. The coastal start is the more commonly used and the more brutal, because you gain the whole 1,611 metres from near sea level.
The warnings, quoted rather than softened
Queensland Parks does not hedge on this trail and neither will we. Walkers have been lost for several days in this area. Only experienced and extremely fit bushwalkers should attempt the trail. Walkers must always walk in groups and stay on the trail. The track is unformed and very steep, with sections requiring rock scrambling, and the boulder sections can be slippery when wet. Weather conditions affect visibility and safety, and cloud sits on the summit for much of the year, which is how people lose the route.
Water
Do not count on it. Queensland Parks notes there is no water along the trail on the section to Broken Nose. Carry what you need for the walking and the camp, and plan for more than you would at sea level, because the climb is relentless and the humidity on the lower slopes is punishing.
Camping on the mountain
There are camping areas at Big Rock, Eastern Summit and Western Summit. Camping is what makes the two-day plan work, and attempting the summit and return in a single day from the coast is the decision behind most of the trouble on this mountain. Book through the Queensland parks system and check alerts before you go.
Who should not do this
Anyone treating it as a long day walk. Anyone walking alone. Anyone whose hill fitness comes from a treadmill. Anyone without navigation they can use in cloud, and the experience to turn around. There is no shame in the alternative: Josephine Falls at the base is one of the best short stops in the far north, and the views from the Tableland side give you the mountain without the mountain.
If you are still going
Tell someone your plan and your expected return time. Walk in a group. Stay on the trail even when a shortcut looks obvious, because that is precisely how people end up lost here. Check the Queensland Parks alerts for Wooroonooran National Park the morning you leave. Take warm and waterproof layers regardless of how hot the coast is, because the summit is a different climate entirely.
FAQs
How long is the Bartle Frere trail? 15 kilometres one way, graded 5, and Queensland Parks says to allow two days.
How high is Bartle Frere? 1,611 metres, the highest point in Queensland.
Can you do Bartle Frere in a day? Queensland Parks frames it as a two day walk and warns that only experienced and extremely fit bushwalkers should attempt the trail at all. It is the hardest thing in our walks near Cairns guide, which lists the grade 3 and grade 4 alternatives if two days on the mountain is not the plan.
Is there water on the trail? Not reliably. Parks notes no water along the trail on the section to Broken Nose, so carry your own.
Where does the Bartle Frere trail start? At Josephine Falls, 75km south of Cairns, or from the Atherton Tableland via Junction camping area.
Visitor info
Trail: Bartle Frere trail, 15km one way, grade 5, allow 2 days.
Summit: 1,611m.
Access: Josephine Falls on the coast, 75km south of Cairns, or the Atherton Tableland via Junction camping area.
Camping: Big Rock, Eastern Summit and Western Summit camping areas.
Managed by: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Wooroonooran National Park.
Book tours and experiences
Check live prices and availability with our booking partner Viator: Browse all Cairns and Tropical North experiences
Bookings made through these links may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. It keeps the site running and the fact-checks flowing.
Find it
Header photo: Mrpalermo via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped.
