Scenic Rim Trail: Guided and Self-Guided Hikes, Prices and Getting There

The Scenic Rim Trail is a multi-day guided walk through the Main Range in Queensland’s Scenic Rim, about 90 minutes west of Brisbane. It is a commercial, bookable experience rather than a public trail you can start whenever you like, with guided walks of 2, 3, 4 and 6 days and a 4-day self-guided option.

Walkers stay in farmhouse rooms, eco camps, cabins and luxury tents, and the 4 day walk goes through Gondwana Rainforest. If you want a day walk in the same country instead, the nearby free options are further down this page.

How the Scenic Rim Trail works

The trail is owned and run by Jude and Graham Turner. It opened in 2009 as a 3-day walk based at Canopy Luxury Tents, and the extended trail linking their two properties opened in June 2020, with about 60 km of walking tracks. The operator describes it as Queensland’s only inclusion in the Great Walks of Australia collection.

Groups are capped at 12 walkers. Most walks become guaranteed once 8 people have booked, and if it does not reach 8 the operator offers another date or a full refund.

Walk options and prices

• 2 day guided: 15 km on day 1 and 10 km on day 2, with two nights at Canopy Luxury Tents. From about $1,750 per person. Departures run on Fridays and meet at Canopy, Gross Road, Tregony, which the operator puts at about 2 hours from Brisbane.
• 3 day guided: about 16 km a day, from about $2,550 per person twin share, starting at Canopy at Tregony.
• 4 day guided: up to 18 km a day, from about $3,500 per person twin share. Optional luggage porterage costs about $400.
• 4 day self-guided: $1,500 per person twin share ($1,800 solo), with departures on Wednesdays. You need to be able to navigate with maps.
• 6 day guided: from about $7,160 per person, starting at Spicers Hidden Vale near Grandchester.

All the prices above are the operator’s published figures per person, and they change, so check the walks page and the tour dates before you plan.

The 4 day guided walk

This is the walk most people mean by the Scenic Rim Trail, about 60 km in total.

• Day 1 (10 km, hard): a climb over the Mistake Mountain Range with rock scrambling, including a 16 m rock ladder. You sleep at Mt Mistake Farmhouse.
• Day 2 (18 km, moderate): a former logging route and then onto a Grade 5 track into Gondwana Rainforest, a World Heritage area. You sleep at Amphitheatre Eco Camp.
• Day 3 (16 km, moderate to hard): rainforest trail with boulder sections, half the day on Grade 5 track and an afternoon break at Dalrymple Creek. You sleep at Timber Getters Eco Camp.
• Day 4 (16 km, moderate to hard): fire trail, deep rainforest and Bare Rock, with 360-degree views on a clear day. You sleep at Hidden Peaks Cabins.

Walkers usually reach camp around 3:30 pm, depending on conditions and the pace of the group. The guided price covers four nights, all meals and snacks, tea, coffee and soft drinks, with two guides for a group of 12. The trail has a weight limit of 50 kg minimum and 150 kg maximum because of the harnessed rock ladder.

The 4 day self-guided walk

The self-guided walk covers the same route of about 60 km, without a guide. It includes three nights at camp with bedding, transfers to and from the trail, a National Park permit and meals (lunch on day 1 is bring your own). You carry your own gear because porterage is not available.

You navigate with GPX files and printed topographic maps, the trail is not always marked, and phone reception is limited. The operator asks walkers to be fit and confident in remote bush, to carry a personal locator beacon, a first aid kit with snake bandages and at least 2.5 litres of water (3 litres in warmer months), and to be able to comfortably walk about 15 km a day over four days. Changes and cancellations are allowed up to 61 days before departure, with a $200 fee per booking.

Planning your visit

• Season: February to December, on scheduled dates listed on the tour dates page. Some 4 day dates are marked family friendly.
• Age: guests must be 18 or older, though children aged 10 and over may be allowed at the operator’s discretion.
• Included on guided walks: meals, trail snacks, bedding, linen, towels and bathroom products, plus tea, coffee and soft drinks. Alcohol is not included and can be bought through an honesty system.
• Packing: the operator publishes a packing list and a preparation guide.
• Booking: phone 1300 493 702 or use the enquiry form on the Scenic Rim Trail website.

Getting there and parking

The 4 day walks start at the base at 7791 Cunningham Highway, Clumber, about 85 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD (the operator says about 1.5 hours). The operator says to enter “Scenic Rim Trail” or its GPS coordinates into your maps app, because typing the address often sends people to a different location.

You can self-drive and park on the property, though there is no undercover parking and no EV charging, and the access road is unsealed and may not suit all cars. There is no public transport to the area, and the operator suggests hiring a car or booking one of the transfer companies listed on its getting here page. Walkers on the 4 day walks meet at the base at 7 am for a 7:30 am departure. The trail ends at the Crest Car Park at Cunninghams Gap.

More walks and places in the Scenic Rim

• Cunninghams Gap – lookouts and walks at the highway stop where the trail ends.
• Main Range National Park – the national park around Cunninghams Gap, with public walks and camping.
• Mount French – walks and the Frog Buttress.
• Lake Moogerah and Boonah – swimming, camping and a country town.
• Queen Mary Falls – a short walk to a waterfall.
• Lake Wyaralong and Kooralbyn Valley – paddling, trails and mountain biking.
• More in the hiking trails and Scenic Rim categories.

You might also like

• Flinders Peak (Ipswich)
• Mount Greville (Scenic Rim)
• Mount Barney (Scenic Rim)

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