Escarpment walk
Guy Fawkes River National Park
Overview
Escarpment walk in Guy Fawkes River National Park is a forest walk that takes hikers past Chaelundi Falls and Lucifers Thumb, all the way to Spring Gully picnic area.
- Distance
- 13km loop
- Time suggested
- 5 - 7hrs
- Grade
- Grade 4
- What to
bring - Drinking water, hat, suitable clothing, sunscreen
- Please note
- From the start of Escarpment walk, Chaelundi Falls is 500m, Lucifers Thumb is 2km, and Spring Gully picnic area is 8km.
- Remember to take your binoculars if you want to birdwatch
Follow the lovely Escarpment walk to Chaelundi Falls for amazing views of the falls tumbling down into the valley. A bit further along the track, you’ll come to Lucifer’s Thumb, a finger of rock that spreads out into the gorge. Take a seat and enjoy breathtaking 180-degrees views out over the park and Guy Fawkes River.
The walk to the waterfall is a fairly level, easy walk for young children, with a spectacular reward at its end. If you want to walk further, you can head all the way to the Spring Gully picnic area, 8km from the campground.
Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for endangered brush-tailed rock-wallabies and jacky lizards sunning themselves on the rocks, as well as the peregrine falcon, the fastest bird in the world.
Also see
Map
Map legend
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/escarpment-walk/local-alerts
General enquiries
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Park info
- in Guy Fawkes River National Park in the North Coast and Country NSW regions
Guy Fawkes River National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Escarpment walk.
Track grading
Features of this track
Distance
13km loop
Time
5 - 7hrs
Quality of markings
Clearly sign posted
Experience required
Some bushwalking experience recommended
Gradient
Very steep
Steps
Occasional steps
Quality of path
Rough track, many obstacles
Getting there and parking
Escarpment walk is in the Chaelundi campground precinct of Guy Fawkes River National Park. The walking track starts at Chaelundi campground. To get there:
From Dorrigo:
- Take the Tyringham Road through to the Grafton/Armidale Road
- Turn right onto the Grafton/Armidale Road, travel 4km and turn left at Dundurrabin onto Sheepstation Creek Road (gravel road starts).
- 6km along Sheepstation Creek Road, turn left onto Chaelundi Road.
- Travel 17km along Chaelundi Road, then turn left onto Misty Creek Road.
- The campground is 11km down Misty Creek Road
From Grafton:
- Take Grafton/Armidale Road, travel 81km and turn right at Dundurrabin onto Sheepstation Creek Road (gravel road starts).
- 6km along Sheepstation Creek Road, turn left onto Chaelundi Road.
- Travel 17km along Chaelundi Road, then turn left onto Misty Creek Road.
- The campground is 11km down Misty Creek Road
From Ebor:
- Take Grafton/Armidale Road east for 15km
- Turn left at Hernani onto Marengo Road and proceed for 11km (gravel road starts).
- Turn right onto Hardens Road and proceed for 12km
- Turn left onto Chaelundi Road and proceed for 7km
- Turn left onto Misty Creek Road
- The campground is 11km down Misty Creek Road
Parking
Parking is available at Chaelundi campground.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Guy Fawkes River National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Great camping weather when the days start cooling off, yet the water in the river is still warm.
Spring
Look out for native wildflowers around Ebor Falls, including everlasting daisies, native violets and small-fruited hakea.
Summer
Paddle in the creek at Chaelundi campground or swim, canoe or fish on Boyd River at Dalmorton.
Facilities
You'll need to bring your own drinking and cooking water.
Maps and downloads
Permitted
Fishing
A current NSW recreational fishing licence is required when fishing in all waters.
Prohibited
Gathering firewood
Firewood may not be collected from the park
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Learn more
Escarpment walk is in Guy Fawkes River National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Gold rush
Major Edward Parke named Guy Fawkes River after camping nearby on Guy Fawkes Day, November 5, 1845. Gold was discovered in the late 1800s at Ballards Flat and Dalmorton, with the latter once supporting a town of 3,000 people during a short gold rush. A couple of building ruins remain today and old stockmen huts and yards are still present throughout the valleys.
Routes of time
Archaeological sites suggest that Aboriginal people have occupied these valleys for over 10,000 years. The Guy Fawkes and Boyd rivers once served as important traffic and trade routes linking the tablelands to the coast. Ebor Falls was traditionally named 'Martiam', which means 'Great Falls' in Gumbaynggir language.
Unique geology
The north-south line of the Guy Fawkes River cuts through the Demon fault line, a 240-million-year-old crack in the landscape. In the south of the park the Ebor volcano spewed lava across the landscape. This created the Ebor Falls, with their unusual organ pipe-like rock formations.
- Ebor Falls A great stop-off between the coast and Armidale along Waterfall Way, Ebor Falls offers spectacular waterfall views and scenic lookouts.
- Escarpment walk Escarpment walk in Guy Fawkes River National Park is a forest walk that takes hikers past Chaelundi Falls and Lucifers Thumb, all the way to Spring Gully picnic area.
- Misty Creek lookout Enjoy scenic views from Misty Creek lookout over Guy Fawkes River Gorge, near Coffs Harbour, and Chaelundi campground.
- Upper Falls loop walk With stunning waterfall views, the 360m accessible Upper Falls loop walk is ideal for walking with children. It’s a great way to explore the rugged wilderness of Guy Fawkes River National Park in Ebor.
Wild about species
The park is an incredible biodiversity hotspot. There are over 40 different plant communities and about 1000 plant species in the park, along with 28 threatened plant species, 24 threatened animal species, and significant areas of old growth forest. The endangered brush-tailed rock-wallaby can be seen in the rocky areas of the park, while glossy black cockatoos are often spotted throughout the park. The park is also one of the few remaining areas in Australia where purebred dingoes can still be found. The park is a conservation site for one of the most significant areas of wilderness in northern NSW, extending over 84,000ha of the 107,000ha park. This preserves the biodiversity of the park, allowing its natural ecosystems to be kept free from excessive human impact.
- Ebor Falls A great stop-off between the coast and Armidale along Waterfall Way, Ebor Falls offers spectacular waterfall views and scenic lookouts.
- Escarpment walk Escarpment walk in Guy Fawkes River National Park is a forest walk that takes hikers past Chaelundi Falls and Lucifers Thumb, all the way to Spring Gully picnic area.
- Misty Creek lookout Enjoy scenic views from Misty Creek lookout over Guy Fawkes River Gorge, near Coffs Harbour, and Chaelundi campground.
- Upper Falls loop walk With stunning waterfall views, the 360m accessible Upper Falls loop walk is ideal for walking with children. It’s a great way to explore the rugged wilderness of Guy Fawkes River National Park in Ebor.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
-
Spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)
The spotted-tailed quoll is the largest remaining carnivorous marsupial on the Australian mainland. It’s protected as a vulnerable species in NSW.