Hiking & Camping @ Bald Rock National
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One of the great National Parks to visit in Northern New South Wales,
Bald Rock National Park is the home of the eponymous Bald Rock. This large granite outcrop has the distinction of being the largest granite monolith in Australia.
One of the main highlights of the Bald Rock area is the numerous rock formations, including a gateway formation creating by three rocks, as well as various other balancing rocks.
Getting there
At just over 3 hours drive from Brisbane, this National Park is a bit too far for a comfortable day trip, though people certainly just come here for the day. Instead it can be better to come here for a weekend or visit the national park as part of a trip to other locations such as Boonoo Boonoo National Park, Girraween or neighbouring towns such as Stanthorpe or Tenterfield.
The quickest route is via Cunninghams Gap and then passing through the towns of Warwick and Stanthorpe, There is a shorter route that goes through Beaudesert and joins Mount Lindesay Road. However while this twisting and scenic road has little traffic, it tends to take longer than going via Cunninghams Gap.
Hiking
The area has 3 main hikes, though the main one that attracts people here is of course Bald Rock. The original Rock Face path up bald rock goes straight up the rock face. Very few people take this path anymore. It is not overly steep, however you will want to exercise caution as a single slip could spell disaster.
Most people take the Bungoona Walking Track that circles around through the bushland behind the rock. The rock itself has a large exposed face, however the rear of the rock has bushland right up to the summit. This makes walking up easy, but impedes the views a little. The walk up takes about 40 minutes for a reasonably fit walker. Going back down is usually a little faster.
The other walk to do is Little Bald Rock. The walk is 14 kms return and follows the border track between NSW and Queensland. The highlight is the granite dome of Little Bald Rock which provides great views of both NSW and Queensland.
The Border Walk is a 12 km loop that goes up to the border to Queensland and back. The walk passes through varied terrain, including creeks and wetland areas. The walk ends up rising above the trees and provides great views of Bald Rock. This walk is often great to do close to dawn or dusk to spot kangaroos and wallabies near the creeks.
Picnics and camping
The picnic and camping area are together and have a range of facilities that include picnic tables, barbecues, toilets and drinking water. The camping area is suitable for tents and caravans. While the campground is spacious and shaded, the ground is hard dirt.
Personally I prefer to the camp grounds across Mount Lindesay Road at Boonoo Boonoo. Many people camp at Boonoo Boonoo and hike at Bald Rock.
Surrounds
Right next to Bald Rock National Park is
Boonoo Boonoo National Park . Boonoo Boonoo has a better campground, but also has a much better swimming hole.
Bald Rock is not far from the towns of Stanthorpe and Tenterfield.
Tenterfield is the more active town, especially on Saturdays during the day, and the
Commercial Boutique Hotel offers great dining and entertainment at night.
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162556 - 2023-06-14 20:53:22