Exploration Circuit - Girraween National Park

Leader - Jason Stone

Leader Details - 0416 346648 jason@stone.id.au

Meeting Point – Storm King Dam Campground (for Carpooling) - several 4WD’s required, and we’ll assist the Mt Norman walkers car-shuffle

Travel Time – 1 hr scenic loop via sealed/unsealed roads (30min return)

Walk distance: 5.5km circuit (with extra 3km option)

Grade: M64

What to bring:

All walkers should carry a personal first aid kit with snake bite bandages x2
Water 2-3 litres
Sturdy footwear boots/hiking shoes
Long sleeve shirt & pants, hat, sunscreen. (A lot of the track is in open country)
Personal medication as needed
Lunch

Schedule: All going well we will assist the Mt Norman group with a car-shuffle by dropping their cars at the Girraween day-use-area then loop via the New England highway & Wallangarra to drop their group at the Mt Norman day-use-area carpark.
We’ll then descend into the heart of the park to commence our circuit walk by climbing Billy Goat Hill - my favourite vantage point to marvel at the vista encompassing the entire eastern part of the National Park, from creeks, to granite peaks, to Bald Rock & the border.
After that we’ll descend to visit the Round House (a relic from an earlier era of habitation), look for an impressive vegetated plinth, then ascend Twin Peaks for further views. From there we can choose to loop back to our cars via some Racecourse Ck cascades, or if everyone is still feeling fresh we can detour via the Aztec Temple and Underground Ck (adding 3km).
The walk is off-track crossing open granite (with a few steep bits), open grassland, gullies and vegetated areas. There will be up-and-down and climbing around boulders. All fun and interesting.
Full disclosure - I last led a variation of this walk at our 2013 Girraween Pilgrimage, so please forgive a few navigational embarrassments on my part as I recreate our path through granite boulder mazes and ever-changing vegetation conditions. At least it’s impossible to not have fun in Girraween!