Mount Barney National Park Brisbane

Photo credit: Steve Browne © Queensland Government

Watch the Mount Barney safety video to plan your visit

There is no easy way to climb Mount Barney and preparation is the key to a safe and enjoyable visit. The safety video only takes 4.5 minutes to watch but it could save you from being caught out overnight or being rescued. Photo credit: Steve Browne © Queensland Government

Visiting Mount Barney safely

    • There is no easy way to climb Mount Barney and preparation is the key to a safe and enjoyable visit. The video only takes 4.5 minutes to watch but it could save you from being…

      There is no easy way to climb Mount Barney and preparation is the key to a safe and enjoyable visit. The video only takes 4.5 minutes to watch but it could save you from being caught out overnight or being rescued.

    Choose your recreation activities wisely; summit routes are suitable only for well-prepared climbers with a high level of fitness, bush navigation skills and rock-scrambling and climbing experience.

    Choose your recreation activities wisely; summit routes are suitable only for well-prepared climbers with a high level of fitness, bush navigation skills and rock-scrambling and climbing experience.

    Photo credit: Steve Browne Queensland Government

    Getting there and getting around

    The following directions are to the Lower Portals car park, Cleared Ridge car park and Yellow Pinch trailhead located at the base of Mount Barney.

    From Brisbane via Rathdowney

    Follow the Mount Lindesay Highway through Beaudesert to Rathdowney. Turn right on to the Boonah–Rathdowney Road 1km after Rathdowney and travel 8km to the Barney View–Upper Logan Road turn-off. After turning left, follow the signs to either Lower Portals car park or Yellow Pinch trailhead.

    To get to the Cleared Ridge car park and the Upper Portals track, turn off the Boonah–Rathdowney Road onto Newman Road just past the Maroon State School, then turn left onto Waterfall Creek Road. A 4WD vehicle is required for access beyond the Waterfall Creek Reserve to the Cleared Ridge car park.

    From Boonah

    Follow the Boonah–Rathdowney Road south for 39km and turn right on to the Barney View–Upper Logan Road. Travel a further 12km and follow the signs to either the Lower Portals car park or Yellow Pinch trailhead.

    To get to the Cleared Ridge car park and Upper Portals track, follow the Boonah-Rathdowney Road for 26km before turning right onto Burnett Creek Road. Turn left onto Newman Road then veer right onto Waterfall Creek Road. A 4WD vehicle is required for access beyond the Waterfall Creek Reserve to the Cleared Ridge car park.

    Be aware that the main access roads to the national park can flood after storms and prolonged periods of rain. Check road closures and park alerts.

    Wheelchair accessibility

    There are no wheelchair-accessible tracks or facilities in this park.

    Mount Barney's peaks are often in cloud. This can significantly reduce visibility. For your safety, stay where you are until the clouds lift. This may mean staying out overnight.

    Mount Barney's peaks are often in cloud. This can significantly reduce visibility. For your safety, stay where you are until the clouds lift. This may mean staying out overnight.

    Photo credit: Steve Browne, Queensland Government

    Staying safe

    • Choose activities that suit the skills, experience and fitness of your group.
    • Check current weather forecasts for the local area before leaving. Mount Barney's peaks are often in cloud and temperatures can drop suddenly.
    • Avoid exploring the park during wet weather. Tracks and rock surfaces can be slippery, especially after rain.
    • Stay away from cliff edges.
    • Supervise children at all times.
    • Never walk alone—at least one member of the group needs to be a competent map-reader and bushwalker. If something happens to you, someone in your group can go for help.
    • Plan to complete your activity before dark.
    • Start longer walks at cooler times of the day to avoid heat exhaustion on hot days.
    • Tell a reliable person where you are going and when you expect to return—they will contact the police if you do not return when planned. If you change your plans, inform them.
    • Observe and comply with all regulatory signs.

    Read safety information specifically for summit routes.

    For more general safety information, please read the guidelines on safety in parks and forests.

    In an emergency

    Emergencies do happen—be prepared. While out in the park, know your location at all times.

    • Call Triple Zero (000) in an emergency.
    • Call 106 for a text-only message for deaf or speech or hearing impaired callers.
    • Carry a fully-charged mobile phone. A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) could be the best emergency beacon in remote areas where mobile reception is not possible.

    Mobile phone coverage is not reliable in Mount Barney National Park, but it might be available in areas with high elevation. The nearest hospitals are in Beaudesert and Boonah.

    For more information, please read the guidelines on safety in parks and forests.

    Be prepared. Walk with friends, keep to the tracks and/or selected route, and always carry water, a first-aid kit, a fully charged mobile, PLB, and a map or GPS.

    Be prepared. Walk with friends, keep to the tracks and/or selected route, and always carry water, a first-aid kit, a fully charged mobile, PLB, and a map or GPS.

    Photo credit: Steve Browne, Queensland Government

    Save battery life; use your phone sparingly.

    Save battery life; use your phone sparingly.

    Photo credit: Steve Browne, Queensland Government

    Carry a topographic map or a GPS and know how to use them to navigate remote routes in the park.

    Carry a topographic map or a GPS and know how to use them to navigate remote routes in the park.

    Photo credit: Steve Browne, Queensland Government

    Be prepared and be responsible for your own safety.

    Be prepared and be responsible for your own safety.

    Photo credit: Steve Browne, Queensland Government

    Before you visit

    Essentials to bring

    • Bring drinking water, a fuel stove to boil water for drinking and/or chemical tablets to treat water.
    • Take warm clothing and raincoats as rapid changes in temperature and weather are common.
    • Wear a hat and apply sunscreen to prevent sunburn.
    • Bring a first-aid kit and a fully charged mobile phone. A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) is recommended
    • Bring rubbish bags to remove your rubbish from the park. No bins are provided.
    • Bring a topographic map, compass and other bushwalking equipment for staying safe in the park.

    Essential to know

    Communication devices

    Mobile phone coverage is not reliable in Mount Barney National Park, but it might be available in areas with high elevation.

    A Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) could be the best emergency beacon in remote areas where mobile reception is not possible.

    Private property access

    Some routes within Mount Barney National Park are accessed through private property. Please respect private property.

    • Leave gates as you find them.
    • Keep to the summit route to stay off adjacent private property.
    • Do not litter, disturb stock or damage fences.
    • Obtain the owner’s permission before crossing or entering any private land.

    Opening hours

    Mount Barney National Park is open 24 hours a day. For your safety, walk in daylight hours only.

    Permits and fees

    All camping, including remote bushcamping, within Mount Barney National Park requires a camping permit and fees apply.

    For more details, see camping information.

    Other permits

    A special permit is not required for recreational activities in Mount Barney National Park unless they are organised events or large scale competitive events. If an activity or visit to a protected area includes commercial photography or filming—that is, to sell photographs or film footage taken on a protected area or use photographs or footage in a product which will later be sold, such as a book or postcard—a permit must be obtained and a fee paid.

    Pets

    Domestic animals are not permitted in Mount Barney National Park.

    Climate and weather

    Mount Barney experiences rapid changes in temperature and weather. Winters are usually dry and cold; nights are frosty with temperatures dropping to an average minimum of -4°C. Summers are warm to very hot, especially on the exposed ridges, with temperatures reaching 25 to 40°C; nights are cooler, averaging 15 to 18°C. Watch out for late spring and summer thunderstorms, which bring lightning and unseasonably cold weather. Most rain falls between November and March.

    Always check the current weather forecast before you visit.

    For more information see the tourism information links.

    Fuel and supplies

    Fuel and supplies are available at Boonah and Rathdowney. For more information see the tourism information links.