Things to do

Enjoy a walk to Balancing Rock.

Photo credit: Craig Dickman © Queensland Government

View the cave decoration in the form of the Madonna in Donna Cave.

Photo credit: © TTNQ

The 'Chandelier' in Trezkinn Cave.

Photo credit: Greg Watson © Queensland Government

Bats can be seen in the caves.

Photo credit: © Frank Harrison

Torches are required on the self guided tour to Bauhinia cave.

Photo credit: © TTNQ

Camping and accommodation

Camping

Camping is not permitted in Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park.

Other accommodation

Motel, hotel, caravan park and camping accommodation is available in the Chillagoe township. A range of accommodation and camping is also available on the Atherton Tableland (about 110km east of Chillagoe). For more information see the tourism information links.

Walking

Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park offers walking opportunities ranging from 440m to 9km.

View the journeys information for details and ensure you read the visiting safely information.

Ranger-guided cave tours

Visitors can explore Donna, Trezkinn and Royal Arch caves on ranger-guided cave tours.

View the ranger-guided cave tours information for booking details.

Picnic and day use areas

Picnic tables are provided at Donna Cave, Royal Arch Cave and Balancing Rock car parks, and at the Mungana Aboriginal art site.

Viewing wildlife

More than 75 bird species have been recorded around Chillagoe including pale-headed rosellas Platycercus adscitus, apostle birds Struthidea cinerea and blue-faced honeyeaters Entomyzon cyanotis. Listen for the Torresian crow's Corvus orru raucous call drifting across the woodland in the heat of the day.

Many agile wallabies Macropus agilis live in the surrounding woodland and can easily be seen along the walking track, especially around dusk. The larger wallaroos are also common. Look for rock-wallabies around rocky outcrops.

In the caves, look for several types of insectivorous bats including eastern bent-wing bats Miniopterus schreibersii oceanensis and the common sheathtail bats Taphozous georgianus. White-rumped swiftlets Aerodramus terraereginae can be seen circling over the limestone towers. Similar in appearance to swallows, they nest in the complete darkness of the caves in colonies of about 50, between November and February. Swiftlets use echolocation to navigate in the darkness. They are very sensitive to disturbance in their nesting chambers. Avoid disturbing bat and swiftlet colonies at all times.

• See the description of the park's natural environment for more details about Chillagoe-Mungana's diverse wildlife.

Other things to do

Chillagoe Smelters

Drive to the visitor viewing area which overlooks this historical site. Discover the highly colourful mining history of the area. Copper, lead, silver and gold were extracted here for a period of more than 40 years—the site preserves relics of the State's mining and industrial heritage dating back to the 1890s. This industrial site includes pits, tanks and contaminants. The Chillagoe Smelters site has been declared a restricted access area (PDF, 412.8KB) and entry is prohibited. Keep within the elevated viewing area and car park and stay on the walking tracks at all times. Read more about visiting the Chillagoe Smelters.

View Aboriginal rock art

There are some Aboriginal rock art galleries found in the area but most are accessible only on foot. At Mungana, a small gallery is located 1.2km along the gravel road to The Archways. Another gallery, the Wullumba art site, is a short walk from the Balancing Rock car park, 2.5km from Chillagoe.