Hiking at Gold Creek Reservoir

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Within the Brisbane City area there are a number of nature reserves that provide opportunities for the hiker who doesn't want to drive for hours to get out of the city. One of the most interesting is the Gold Creek Reservoir located next to the suburb of Upper Brookfield.



A little history to start with. The Gold Creek Dam was the second dam built in Queensland, but also the first dam in the world with a cascading spillway designed to stop erosion at the base of the spillway. You can walk along the top of the dam and even onto the spillway and this can make for a great little history trip for kids.



For adventurous hikers, the 5.5 km track around the circumference of the reservoir provides an interesting, varied and challenging hike through thick bush.

Note: At the moment the track is poorly signed, tracks are overgrown and because the reservoir backs onto D'aguilar National Park it is easy to get seriously lost on this hike. You should either bring topographical maps or download the maps onto your phone or GPS device to make sure you stay on the path.



The hike starts at the dam. We went around the track in a counter-clockwise fashion which means we did the steeper sections first coming out through more open country at the end of the track. It took us around 2 hours in total do the hike at what would be considered a medium pace.

Like other lake and reservoir hikes around the Brisbane area, you get a wide variety of terrain and vegetation making for a very interesting hike.



The state government has announced plans to open up Gold Creek Reservoir for more day use activities, such as boating, barbecuing and improved hiking, however the exact date for this is unknown. If you want a short hiking adventure within Brisbane's suburbs this is still a great option.

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#outdoor
#places-of-interest
#upper-brookfield
#walks
#western-suburbs
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