Mount Bartle Frere

Absolutely brutiful hike. Yes. Brutiful. It's so damn stunning yet so damn soul crushing 😂 the first 3kms are a literal walk in the park. Beautiful little creek crossings only a 300m accent. Then, the last 4.5km are a whopping 1,300m!! It's actually disgusting. But I can't recommend enough!

Please go well prepared (calculate your water. Minimum 4L I'd say. I've taken 5 both times for an overnight hike and it's been a good amount. Plus with life straw bottles etc. You're sweet on the way down or can refill from puddles etc.)

No easy task. But the views from the top (if you get a clear day) are breathtaking!

Check out our experience on hiking Mount Bartle Frere:
ultimateaussiebucketlist.com.au (FB and IG for more)
What an epic hike! It poured with rain, there were leeches on every cm2 of my body. I was so glad for the shelter - made for a good spot to sleep overnight. It's a tough hike (came from Josephine Falls carpark) - but add this to your bucket list! It is tough - I took a 20kg pack with me and it took 7 hours up (rocks were super slippery and wind was howling) and 7 hours down. A few places to fill up water along the way.

One of the most beautifully amazing and challenging hikes I have done. We were lucky enough to get a stunning view from the top... the rare 5-10% of the year apparently. Its a serious all over workout but the variety of terrain is really cool and the boulder field like a natural scrambling course. We did it comfortably in one day but we started early and are definitely of a very good above average fitness level. Parts of boulder field are exposed and not for nervous hikers. Lying on the rocks on the top felt like being on top of the world, magic. Went to helipad and the summit from josephine falls side. Jumping in the falls after arriving back to carpark hot sweaty and exhausted was the sweetest end to an unforgettable day. About 8hours roundtrip for a very fit and athletic person that can rockhop at height. Would advise to leave 10-12 hours in wetter conditions this hike would take so much longer. Dont take any risks. Always hike in your comfort level and be prepared for the unexpected.

I love this mountain. At 1,622 metres it is the tallest mountain in Queensland. I love mountains, I can say the exact height of every mountain you can see within 3.6 km (possibly more) from my house.

Fantastic, both the Eastern and Western approach’s are different and unique. The lookout from the helipad on the Eastern is as spectacular as the lookout from the western summit boulders. Recommend not doing this summer.

Amazing experience. I approached forum the eastern side and came down down the same way. I brought 5 litres and ran out an hour and a half to go. I would recommend bringing at least 6 litres.

Beautiful. Need to research in advance. You need to be careful about water.

Both East and West approaches challenging. Watch the drive into the west side if it's at all wet.

The highest mountain in Queensland..
Usually covered by cloud not this day but ..

Incredible experience. If you haven't done the return walk on the eastern side, you haven't done it. Just kidding, Western approach is demanding yet rewarding as well.

Best place in the whole wide world

Great hike experience

No whinging is allowed on the mountain

Bartle Frere was an emotional and intense experience. My friends and I had a suboptimal experience. Here are some points you should know when hiking up: Check the forecast because rain can make it awful and if its cloudy the view from the summit is ruined; read on how to deal with leeches because there will be many; its a hard hike for some as there is some mild rock climbing and very steep parts in the trail. Overall, I am glad I did and suggest anyone looking for a challenge to go for it.

We have done the summit trail last Monday. It started raining after the first hour of walking and we should have been wise and return back home. We thought being in middle of the rainforest, a little bit of rain was normal and that eventually it would have stopped (weather forecast said it was going to be clear).
Really hard work to get to km 6 (being the hardest part between 4 and 5) to find out that there was a signature of Closure until further notice due to area being dangerous after heavy winds and floods. Never got to the Helicopter platforms and camping area on km 7. Had to start our walk back down the mountain in order to camp at Big Rock. Nothing is advised in the Queensland National Park website (it says No alerts for this park) or in the board at the beginning of the trail. Disappointing not to be able to camp on top and see the sunrise.