Well well, there’s an adventure on Queensland’s tallest mountain, Mount Bartle Frere. It involves loads of hiking, humidity, leeches and (hopefully) views atop these lovely 1,611 metres. Don’t worry, dealing with the leeches is worth the adventure.
Bartle Frere is both a town and a mountain. The hike to Bartle Frere’s peak is meant to be a two-day one-night hiking trip, however there’s different route options and times possible. The mountain is in Wooroonooran National Park, which is part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.
The first time I went to Northern Queensland, I didn’t know about the hikes in the area. Second time around, I purchased lightweight camping equipment specifically for hiking—more than ready for Bartle Frere.
Attempting an overnight hike? Check out my overnight hike packing list to stock up on everything you may need.
This article is all about hiking Mount Bartle Frere, this includes how to get there, what the hike’s about and what to expect on the hike. This is greatly surrounding the eastern approach, but I discuss what the other approaches are and how to get there.
Please note this is mainly from my personal experience with facts from Queensland Parks information. I did this hike in October 2020, just before the wet season began, so conditions in this article apply to this time of year.
Getting There
The most important thing to know about getting to Mount Bartle Frere is the exact location. Don’t make the mistake of showing up to the town of Bartle Frere, or the wrong trail head. For the western approach, head to Josephine Falls, which shares the same parking lot.
Hiking Bartle Frere can go three different ways, first is from the western approach, which begins and ends at the Junction camp. The second option is the eastern approach, beginning and ending at Josephine Falls. Both of these options head only to Bartle Frere’s peak.
The final option is to do a one-way journey from the eastern to western or vice versa. This gives hikers the ultimate journey on all views available to hikers along this trail. But rides or pickups must be arranged to make it possible.
The Josephine Falls parking lot is located about an hour south of Cairns, or 25 minutes from Innisfail. A free spot to stay the night, if your travelling is at Innisfail’s rest area.
For the western approach, Junction camp is an hour and forty minutes from cairns. Or, just forty minutes from the town of Atherton.
The drive to the trail head is easy, and accessible by conventional vehicle. Make sure to get there early so you don’t rush the hike. And, more importantly, so you find a parking spot before it’s taken up by those swimming at Josephine Falls.
About Hiking Bartle Frere
Getting to the highest point of Queensland takes some effort. Looking on other websites, the reviews are mixed. This is why I’m sharing my perspective and the training beforehand to explain this hike. The most important things to know about the hike is how to prepare, water on the trail and leeches.
Let’s start by going into planning for the trip. Queensland’s government website recommends the hike as a two-day, one-night journey. This means backcountry camping on the trail. There are loads of people that do the hike in one day, but personally I prefer the overnight adventure and sleeping on the mountain.
If you are camping, make sure to book and pay for a camping permit ahead of time. Without camping, there’s no fees to do the hike.
The next important step to deciding the amount of time on the hike, is physically preparing your body. There’s nothing like planning the hike then feeling ready to pass out a few hours into it.
About a week before doing Bartle Frere, I did Mount Halifax so my body was ready. Working out in the gym or going for runs could be alternative options. It also depends on the weight you’re planning to carry up, which equals out to a tougher hike for your legs.
Second to this is to pack right for the trip, always bring more food than necessary to avoid fatigue. Pack electrolytes and loads of water as well. The last water source on the trail is at the Broken Nose turn off, at Big Rock camp which is about 7 kilometres return from the peak.
A few quick notes about the trail, there’s leeches so bring bug repellant and avoid too much exposed skin. So, even though it’ll likely be humid, wear pants and long-sleeves, if possible.
The leeches on the trail are primarily found between kilometre 5 to 6 on the trail. This is the area with higher elevation, which stays wet even if it’s dry below.
What to Expect on the Hike
The eastern approach hike humbly begins just a few hundred metres away from the adjoining Josephine Falls parking lot. The trail head has but a few signs, which are dated but still applicable—mainly about the leeches on the trail.
Most of the trail is marked by yellow and orange arrows or markers along the trail, along with kilometre markers.
There’s also a map, so if you don’t have one already, snap a photo on your smartphone for reference. Not that it’s easy to get lost, the trail is well-marked and easy to navigate with many signs along the trail.
Off to the left, the trail begins. The first few kilometres are relatively flat. It goes through tiny creek crossings. Then there’s a notably larger creek crossing, where climbing over boulders is necessary and the threat of falling into water gets real.
The trail continues beside a creek and through the woods until Big Rock Camp, which is also the turn off towards Broken Nose. This is just over three kilometres into the trail. On the other end of that turn off, the trail goes across Majuba Creek up to Bartle Frere peak.
This is also the last available water source on the trail until the peak. the rest of the trail follows the ridge so there’s no creeks or water sources.
After Big Rock Camp, is when the elevation gain gets serious. Not that it’s the biggest elevation gain, but it feels like the beginning of the climb. On both going up the trail and going down, the trail between kilometre point 4-5 seems further than other kilometres. It brings into question how reliable the markers are, but I wasn’t measuring them.
Along the trail leeches hide in the leaves close to the path where they grab onto hikers.
After the fifth kilometre is when the leeches come out more. I noticed a few beforehand, but they’re more abundant higher up as it’s wetter from the elevation and cloud coverage. I was wearing bug repellant everywhere, but at this point in the trail, it may be wiped off by the wet leaves along the trail.
The leeches are generally quite small, under one centimetre when curled up. They got everywhere, despite my best efforts and constant checking. But, none of the leeches fully latched on. Make sure to check for leeches every few minutes so they can still be wiped off.
At one point I took my pack off to grab a snack and a leech had gone from the bottom of my sack to my lower back at that point. Another time I wiped sweat off my forehead and found a leech there. Otherwise they would try to climb up my boots.
The beginning of the boulders is simple and blends into the bush. 
Later the boulders dominate the trail with huge dark cracks to avoid.
Back to the hiking, from the fifth kilometre to just before the seventh, the trail is similar. This is when it follows the ridge along the mountain ascending up.
Around the seventh kilometre is when the trail changes. Some people call this a boulder field. Whatever it’s called, it begins as a few boulders above the trees, the trail goes over there boulders and there’s metal bars to hold onto in some cases.
Attempting an overnight hike? Check out my overnight hike packing list to stock up on everything you may need.
This section of the boulders ends at the Eastern Summit Camp, which is where the evacuation hut is and a small shelter.
It’s disappointing to see the amount of rubbish people have left in and around these areas. Including toilet paper, faeces, and general rubbish strewn around.
Pack out what you pack in and bring a shovel to hide those number twos. Toilet paper doesn’t go away that easily, always take back used toilet paper in a garbage bag instead of throwing it on the ground. Please be considerate of other hikers and the nature here.
This camp isn’t the end of the trail though. If you’re planning to head do a one-night stay, I advise to leave your pack around this area to camp at. The rest of the trail goes through more boulder fields before reaching the peak, and balancing on the wet rocks can be anxiety-inducing.
Aside from looking down into the ugly dark depths of the cracks in the boulders, I really enjoyed this part of the trail. It requires focus, balance and confidence to make it through.
This is the final section of the trail from the eastern approach. You’ll know you’ve reached the top when getting to the memorable sign telling you so.
For more hikes in Queensland, check out Conway Circuit, Mount Walsh Summit, and my packing list for an overnight hike!
