Shake off your tech and reconnect to earth with the most grounding Daintree walks.
Tapping into your inner vine-swinging Mowgli is unavoidable upon entering Tropical North Queensland’s Daintree Rainforest. Crammed with flowing streams, cascading waterfalls, secret swimming spots and jaw-dropping mountain ranges, the Daintree Rainforest is the oldest rainforest on the entire planet. While action-packed Daintree tours round up serious highlights, nothing compares to strapping on your boots and getting (strategically) lost amongst its immensity.
Before you go, it’s worth noting that safe trails are contained to Daintree National Park, which works to preserve a huge portion of the wider rainforest. Split into the rocky Mossman Gorge area and coastal Cape Tribulation section, the park is a nature lover’s playground. Here, we unveil the best Daintree walks to get you exploring with ease.
1. Rainforest Circuit Track in Mossman Gorge
Distance: 3.4 kilometres
Time: Roughly 2 hours
Difficulty: Grade 3, which means there’s some obstacles. Walking experience is required and Grade 3 also indicates steep hills and more than a few stairs.
Easily one of the most popular walks in the Daintree, the Rainforest Circuit Track in Mossman Gorge offers ridiculous views of Mount Demi, a spiritually significant rock formation of the local Kuku Yalanji people. Visitors will delight in the array of flora and fauna this Daintree walk covers, including strangler figs and various butterfly species, while the circular nature of the trip equals straightforward exploration — who doesn’t love that?
To get there, seek out the shuttle bus stop car park in Mossman Gorge and take the Baral Marrjanga track to the Rex Creek bridge track (more on both of those trails, below). The circuit starts on the far side of the bridge.
2. Dubuji Boardwalk in Cape Tribulation
Distance: 1.2 kilometres
Time: About 45 minutes
Difficulty: Grade 1, which means the track is flat, stair-free, clearly signposted and well-formed. Wheelchairs are also welcome, though some assistance is required.
If the Daintree walk of your dreams involves gazing into lush mangrove swamps to uncover what lies beneath, the Dubuji Boardwalk in Cape Tribulation has your name on it. Extremely simple to navigate due to its flat terrain, this pick is known to throw up the odd cassowary, too. Bird life thrives here, in fact, with kingfishers and orange-footed scrubfowls roaming the joint — and then there’s the payoff for all your hard work, Myall Beach, accessible from the boardwalk.
3. Manjal Jimalji (Devils Thumb) Trail
Distance: 10.6 kilometres, return
Time: 8 hours
Difficulty: Grade 4, which means the trail’s rough and steep with minimal signposts. You’ll need bushwalking experience and be extra careful if it’s been raining as the track will get slippery.
Full-day explorers who know how to navigate uneven and hilly terrain should consider the incredible Manjal Jimalji (Devils Thumb) Trail , which uncovers one of the most culturally significant sites in the region. A word of warning from Queensland National Parks: experienced walkers should only attempt this Daintree walk between May and November when rain is minimal and the track isn’t slippery. The team advises visitors to steer clear of it any other time.
If you do find an opportunity to strike it off your bucket list, however, you’ll be rewarded with spectacular plant life, spanning ancient bloodwoods and giant wattles, the upper reaches of the Daintree, breathtaking views out to Port Douglas and Thornton Peak, and the dramatic Split Rock boulder.
4. Lower River Track in Mossman Gorge
Distance: 640 metres, return
Time: About 40 minutes in total
Difficulty: Grade 2, which means the trail is formed but you’ll likely encounter hills and steps. Be careful if it’s been raining as things get slippery.
Flowing streams, birdsong harmonies and multicoloured butterflies? The Lower River Track in Mossman Gorge is a short but insanely sweet stretch of prime Daintree real estate. Keep your eyes peeled for several lookouts to help you spy the Mossman River gushing over granite boulders and into the ocean, and don’t be surprised to spot a turtle amid your awe. You’ll find this Daintree walk’s entry at the shuttle bus stop in the Mossman Gorge day-use area.
5. Rex Creek Bridge Track in Mossman Gorge
Distance: 1.4 kilometres, return
Time: Roughly 1 hour
Difficulty: Grade 2, which means the trail is formed but you’ll likely encounter hills and steps.
If you’re wary of unstable heights, look away. Adventure seekers will, however, love the Rex Creek Bridge Track in Mossman Gorge , which takes visitors onto a suspension bridge across the flowing Rex Creek. You’ll trawl lush rainforest to get to the star of the show, which also provides an epic vantage point to spot turtles and fish that call the creek home. To find the walk’s entry, leave from the Mossman Gorge car park along the Baral Marrjanga track, which leads to the bridge track.
6. Mount Sorrow Ridge Trail in Cape Tribulation
Distance: 7 kilometres, return
Time: About 6 hours
Difficulty: Grade 4, which means the trail’s rough and steep, with minimal signposts. You’ll need bushwalking experience for this one.
For a sweeping view of the Daintree’s spectacular coastline, the Mount Sorrow Ridge Trail is the ultimate pick. Ascending the ridge of Mount Sorrow, this Daintree walk soars you 680 metres above ground level and once you do reach that summit, you’ll spy the Great Barrier Reef if conditions are clear. Queensland National Parks recommends you leave the peak’s lookout by 2pm, even on a sunny day, to allow enough time to return before dark.
7. Kulki Boardwalk in Cape Tribulation
Distance: 600 metres, return
Time: Just 10 minutes
Difficulty: Grade 1, which means the track is flat, stair-free, clearly signposted and well-formed.
An all-too-convenient stretch of timber makes strolling the Kulki Boardwalk an easy choice, as do the legendary Cape Tribulation views you’ll score along the way. From dramatic headlands to golden beaches, delightful eyefuls run rife on this Daintree walk, which can be reached by driving along Cape Tribulation Road and turning into its well-signalled car park.
8. Madja Boardwalk in Cape Tribulation
Distance: 1.2 kilometre circuit
Time: About 45 minutes
Difficulty: Grade 1, which means the track is flat, stair-free, clearly signposted and well-formed.
It’s mangrove country again on the Madja Boardwalk , a loop that explores the Daintree’s lowland tranquillity. You’ll trail a sturdy path dotted with educational signage to offer insight into the Daintree’s incredible plant life as the odd eel and crabs plus other crustaceans shuffle down low.
9. Jindalba Circuit Track in Cape Tribulation
Distance: 3-kilometre circuit
Time: About 1.5 hours
Difficulty: Grade 4, which means the trail’s rough and steep with minimal signposts. You’ll need bushwalking experience.
Find your grippiest shoes as the Jindalba Circuit Track takes visitors across multiple trickling creeks, so the conditions are inevitably wet. Your effort will be worth it, however, as this Daintree walk scales the base of Mount Alexandria, taking in loads of native wildlife including an extensive collection of birds, like giant cassowaries, and multiple kangaroo types.
10. Baral Marrjanga Track in Mossman Gorge
Distance: 660 metres, return
Time: Roughly 30 minutes
Difficulty: Grade 1, which means the track is flat, stair-free, clearly signposted and well-formed. Wheelchairs and prams are welcome.
Navigate the Mossman Gorge from above with the elevated Baral Marrjanga Track . One of the simplest Daintree walks, the trek runs through the lower canopy and is littered with bright butterflies. There’s also a lookout to hang at where vistas across the Mossman River dazzle and turtles have been spotted below. Access the track from the Mossman Gorge day-use area car park.
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