Lake Perseverance is a Toowoomba Regional Council dam near Crows Nest with a public picnic area, free gas barbecues and toilets. It is a spot for a lakeside lunch, but it is not a swimming or boating lake for visitors.
That is worth knowing before you drive out, because many people searching for Lake Perseverance are hoping for camping, fishing or a paddle. The council’s rules rule out most of that.
What you can do at Lake Perseverance
Picnic and barbecue
The picnic area has gas barbecues that the public can use. Toilets are on site. Bring your own food, water and anything you need to cook with.
Look over the water
The lake sits in bush-covered hills, and the dam is a rock-fill wall built in the 1960s to supply drinking water to Toowoomba. It is a place to sit, eat and look at the view, not a place with a lot to do.
What you cannot do
- Swimming: not permitted.
- Open fires: not allowed. Use the gas barbecues.
- Canoeing and water skiing: only for Perseverance Aquatic Club members and people taking part in organised activities run through the Lake Perseverance Centre.
The council page does not list fishing, camping or dogs, so do not assume they are allowed. Ring the council before you go if you want to ask.
The Lake Perseverance Centre
The site also has an activity centre run through the Queensland Government. Schools and other groups can apply to use its accommodation, conference room, multipurpose court, sports oval, canoes and archery equipment, and the council says approval is decided case by case. It is not open for casual visits. Group bookings are by phone on 07 5460 6700.
About the dam
Perseverance Dam is a rock-fill dam, 53 m high and 197 m long, built between 1962 and 1965. The lake behind it covers about 2.5 square kilometres, holds about 30,140 megalitres and is up to 23.1 m deep. Toowoomba Regional Council operates it, and it supplies drinking water.
Is Lake Perseverance worth the drive?
It suits a quiet picnic stop if you are already out near Crows Nest or on the way along the range. If you want to swim, paddle or camp, look elsewhere. The 47 km drive from Toowoomba is long for a place with few listed facilities, so it is best combined with other stops.
Planning your visit
- How long: an hour or two for a picnic.
- Cost: the council page lists no entry fee.
- What to bring: food, water, a hat, sunscreen, and anything you need for eating, since only gas barbecues and toilets are listed.
Getting there
The address is 854 Perseverance Dam Road, Crows Nest. By car it is about 50 minutes from Toowoomba and about 2 hours 5 minutes from the Brisbane CBD, based on a routing service without traffic. No public transport to the lake is listed, so plan to drive.
The council’s pages for Lake Perseverance and its open or closed status have the current details. Details can change, so check before you go.
Nearby
- Spring Bluff – another stop on the Toowoomba range.
- Ravensbourne – a town and national park on the range.
Browse more lakes and rivers or everything in Toowoomba.
You might also like
- Picnic Point Toowoomba – a Toowoomba lookout and park.
- Queens Park Toowoomba – a Toowoomba park and gardens.
- Atkinsons Dam (Lowood)
Quick answers
Can you swim at Lake Perseverance?
No. The council says swimming is not permitted.
Are there barbecues at Lake Perseverance?
Yes. There are gas barbecues in the picnic area for public use, and no open fires are allowed.
Can you camp at Lake Perseverance?
The council lists no camping for visitors. Accommodation at the site is for groups who apply through the Lake Perseverance Centre.
Can you canoe at Lake Perseverance?
Only Perseverance Aquatic Club members and people in organised activities through the Lake Perseverance Centre can use the water.
Where is Lake Perseverance?
At 854 Perseverance Dam Road, Crows Nest, about 50 minutes by car from Toowoomba.
0 Comments