11 Walking Trails in Girraween National Park near Stanthorpe

Few places in Queensland capture the rugged beauty of granite landscapes quite like Girraween National Park near Stanthorpe. Whether you want a short stroll to a lookout or a challenging trek up giant boulders, Girraween’s Walking trails offer dramatic rock formations and wildflower displays.

But with so many hikes to choose from, you might be wondering: Which trails are best for my time and fitness level? How hard are the climbs, and what can I expect to see along the way?

On my visit, I explored several of these trails and discovered just how rewarding each hike can be. In this guide, I’ll share a complete overview of the different walking trails in the Girraween National Park, highlighting their length, difficulty, so you can choose the walks that suit your adventure best.

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Girraween National Park Walking Trails

The Girraween National Park is located about 30 minutes south of Stanthorpe (please see location map Here), in South East Country Queensland. It’s very close to Brisbane and a great idea for a weekend away, only taking about 3 hours one way to get there.

There are about 11 different hikes you can complete, and they are suitable for you to explore over several days. The Bald Rock Day use area is the best place to start, park the car, and where the facilities are.

Please click HERE to download the PDF Map of the different hiking trails – But, I have gone into more detail about them below.

1. The Pyramid Track ( Including Granite Arch & Balancing Rock)

• Grade: 3 to 4
• Distance: 3.6 Kilometres return
• Time: 1.5 to 2 hours

I have to start by saying it’s been a while since I’ve completed a hike this challenging, and I was proud to finish in the end.

Overall, the bulk of the Pyramid Track was nicely formed and relatively easy. Although, the last 30 minutes to get to the top requires a lot of stairs and scaling up and across the side of the mountain.

I remember stopping about every 10 metres to catch my breath, as it was an extremely steep and very smooth rock. It was also necessary for some areas to use my hands.

Luckily, there are painted white marks on the rock face to help guide you on the proper path. The top of this section is where the famous Balancing rock is and an interesting highlight. Obviously, where you would get that Instagram-worthy shot pretending to hold “The Balancing Rock” up.

You can walk all through the Boulders at the top to view each side, and I felt very safe completing it, but some of the left-hand side edges would not be handled very well if you are afraid of heights. 

Note: Never do this hike in the rain, it’s a smooth & steep rock face and would not really be safe.

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2. The Sphinx / Turtle Rock Track

• Grade: 3 to 4
• Distance: 7.4 Kilometres return
• Time: 3 to 4 hours

Just like the Pyramid Track, The Sphinx & Turtle Rock Track had a lot of stairs, probably even more, but as a whole was easy to walk and a nicely formed track.

Conveniently, the stairs were consistently broken up into sections, which allowed you to catch your breath in between.

I found the Cicada noises just amazing, so hypnotic. The Sphinx was an interesting rock formation, but unfortunately, I couldn’t get in a great position for photos. 

This is where I found the Drone the easiest, especially taking shots of the Sphinx from Turtle Rock. Although, walking in and around all the rocks there was difficult, and I didn’t explore much.

I was given the impression that the section between the Sphinx and Turtle Rock was more complicated. It was assigned a Grade 4, but I saw no added difficulty to the rest of the Track.

Luckily, it was only about 5 to 10 minutes between them both, so it was over pretty quick.

Take note there’s a sign saying that the Track ends, but you can walk a fair distance in and around Turtle Rock. I ended up finding a way up on the left-hand side, but not to the top. It was still a nice view up there, especially seeing the Sphinx in the distance.

3. Wyberba Walk

• Grade: 2
• Distance: 560 metres return
• Time: 15 minutes

4. Granite Arch

• Grade: 3
• Distance: 1.6 kilometres return
• Time: 30 minutes

The Granite Arch hike is a smaller section of the Pyramid track and is very easy to complete together. The boulders have formed into an Archway and very unique. 

5. Bald Rock Creek Circuit

• Grade: 3
• Distance: 2.2 kilometres return
• Time: 1 Hour

6. The Junction

• Grade: 3
• Distance: 5.2 kilometres return
• Time: 2 Hours

7. Dr Roberts Waterhole

• Grade: 2
• Distance: 1.2 kilometres return
• Time: 30 Minutes

8. Underground Creek

• Grade: 3
• Distance: 2.8 kilometres return
• Time: 1 to 1.5 Hours

9. Castle Rock

• Grade: 3 and 4
• Distance: 5.2 kilometres return
• Time: 1.5 to 2 Hours

10. Mount Norman

• Grade: 3 and 4
• Distance: 11 kilometres return
• Time: 4 to 5 Hours

11. Mount Norman ( From Mt Norman Day Use Area)

• Grade: 3 and 4
• Distance: 4 kilometres return
• Time: 1.5 to 2 Hours

Ultimately, all the Walking trails in the Girraween National Park are all free to complete and don’t require a permit. And while it’s open 24 hours a day with bush camping sites, It is much safer to do any hiking during the day. 

With that said, I’ve seen plenty of Astro photographers heading on some of these hikes in the dark for milky way shots. Obviously, extra safety precautions should be taken if that is the case. 

Where to Stay?

Stanthorpe

Stanthorpe has a population of roughly 6000 people and heaps of accommodation options (this is where we stayed). There will be choices from Hotels, Motels, Luxury, Caravan Parks, and Airbnb, and you’re sure to find something to suit your style and budget. 

➡  Search All Stanthorpe accommodation HERE with Booking.com

The Girraween National Park is only 30 minutes drive away and easy enough to navigate in and out each day. We chose to do this and ended up securing a nice little motel room on the southern side of town. 

Note: Driving a car from there is still your best transport, since any public transport will only get you to Ballandeen (15 minutes away from the Park).

Camping

Both the Bald Rock and Castle Rock camping areas have open forest settings available in the National Park, and you can Click here to book. 

They provide accommodations for Tents & Camper trailers, have Bathrooms, showers, picnic tables, and cost under $10 per adult per night to stay. You also have several camping spots along the tracks, but these are off-grid bush camping with no facilities.

Best Time to Visit

The Girraween walking trails can be completed any time of year, although the cooler months, April to October, might be preferred. If you see the temperature average below, the area doesn’t get over 30 degrees much, although it did on my visit. 

I completed both the Pyramid Hike and the Sphinx/Turtle Rock in early November. Watching the YouTube clips linked above, the Sphinx track was much more comfortable starting at 630am. The Pyramid would have been better first thing in the morning too, but we carried extra water to compensate. 

In the summer, the harsh sun would reflect off the rocks, increasing your body temp quicker. Not to mention being prone to sunburn, so please wear sunscreen. At this time of year, I wouldn’t walk in the middle of the day, and better for late afternoon or sunset.

On the other hand, make sure you carry around some good working torches for sunset or sunrise trips. 

FAQ’s – Common Questions?

Can you swim?

Yes, there are swimming opportunities in the National Park. The Rock Pools are located on the Bald Rock Circuit but expect these to be on the cooler side most of the year round. 

In the Summertime, from December to March, you’ll find most of the rainfall will replenish the creek, and hot days will make it very refreshing. Obviously, this is wild swimming, so it helps to take extra measures for safety. 

Do you need hiking boots?

I definitely found ankle-supporting hiking boots necessary for some of the walking trails, especially for the Pyramid Track. But, it really comes down to support, safety, and what you feel comfortable with. In the end, my Matt is always hiking in closed-in shoes and finds them sufficient for most of the same trails, so you can make do. 

What does “Girraween mean”?

The name Girraween has an Aboriginal meaning – “place of flowers” – and it’s easy to understand why. Every spring, the rugged terrain erupts in a breath-taking display of vibrant wildflowers that make this place truly unique.

Wrap up!

Thanks for reading today’s blog post on the Girraween National Park Walks near Stanthorpe. I hope you found what you were looking for, but if you’re still researching, please find my other Queensland Posts here for inspiration. 

• Things to see on a Brisbane to Cairns Road trip
• Best Carnarvon Gorge Walks & Sites in the National Park
• Exposing the Downsides to a Great Barrier Reef Pontoon Tour
• Tips to know BEFORE planning a Queensland Road Trip
• Best Things to see in Outback Queensland
• 5 Day Brisbane Itinerary in South East Queensland
• Best things to do in Toowoomba?
• Best Day trips from the Gold Coast