Junction Spur walking track
Gibraltar Range National Park
Overview
For experienced bushwalkers only, Junction Spur walking track in Gibraltar Range National Park will suit adventure seekers who want to get off the beaten track and explore the tablelands.
- Accessibility
- No wheelchair access
- Distance
- 8km return
- Time suggested
- 5hrs
- Grade
- Grade 5
- Trip Intention Form
-
It's a good idea to let someone know where you're going. Fill in a trip intention form to send important details about your trip to your emergency contact.
- Personal Locator Beacon
-
Hire a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) for free at the Glen Innes office.
- Entry fees
- Park entry fees apply
- What to
bring - Drinking water, sturdy shoes, clothes for all weather conditions, hat, sunscreen, compass, topographic map, insect repellent
- Please note
- You need navigational skills to find your way on this unmarked route.
- Come prepared because weather conditions can change quickly in the tablelands.
- Ticks and leeches are common in this area. They can cause allergic reactions and other health issues.
- To avoid getting bitten, apply insect repellent containing DEET and wear long trousers, a long-sleeved shirt and a hat. If bitten by a tick, remove it as soon as possible.
Junction Spur walking track is great day walk for fit, adventurous day trippers from Grafton or Glenn Innes or those staying at Mulligans campground.
You’ll need navigational skill to complete this challenging 5-hour, 8km return hike, which features a long and challenging diversion from Murrumbooee Cascades walking track.
Starting from Mulligans campground, the walk diverts from Murrumbooee Cascades walking track after about 1.1km to follow a spur between Little Dandahra and Dandahra creeks. It continues across rugged terrain, down to the junction of these 2 waterways. This remote and peaceful spot is a great place to enjoy lunch and cool off.
Junction Spur walking track is a long and difficult hike. Be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to enjoy the highlights because there’s lots to see, from dry eucalypt forest to rainforest and grass trees. Keep an eye out for the parma wallaby, a small marsupial once thought to be extinct.
Spring’s a great time to visit, to see the Gibraltar Range waratah and other wildflowers bloom across the rainforest. In summer, early morning starts and refreshing creek dips are the best way to beat the heat.
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/junction-spur-walking-track/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 Gibraltar Range National Park in the North Coast and Country NSW regions
Gibraltar Range National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather, road damage, or high fire danger.
-
Park entry fees:
$8 per vehicle per day. The park uses a self-registration fee collection system. Please bring the correct change and display your receipt.
Buy annual pass.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Junction Spur walking track.
Track grading
Features of this track
Distance
8km return
Time
5hrs
Quality of markings
No directional signage
Experience required
Very experienced bushwalkers
Gradient
Very steep and difficult
Steps
Many steps
Quality of path
Rough unformed track
Getting there and parking
Junction Spur walking track is in Gibraltar Range National Park.
To get there from Glen Innes:
- Drive 68km east on the Gwydir Highway, towards Grafton.
- Turn left onto Mulligans Drive.
To get there from Grafton:
- Drive 92km west on the Gwydir Highway, towards Glen Innes.
- Turn right onto Mulligans Drive.
Continue on Mulligans Drive for 10km to Mulligans campground and picnic area.
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
Parking is available at Mulligans campground and picnic area.
Facilities
- Flush toilets, picnic tables and barbecues are available at Mulligans campground and picnic area.
- There are no bins so you’ll need to take all rubbish away with you.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - no wheelchair access
Permitted
Gathering firewood
Prohibited
Generators
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
Junction Spur walking track is in Gibraltar Range National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Lands of plenty
The European heritage of the park may be shorter, but look around and you'll find its traces clearly etched in the natural environment. Living around the range are direct descendants of graziers, lumberers and miners who made their livings here. Bullock teams and horses once struggled through the bush and granite tors, attempting to tame a landscape that today inspires for its wild ruggedness. Evidence of their work can be glimpsed at Mulligans campground and picnic area, where an aborted hydro-electric scheme from the 1900s is memoralised by a remaining hut and several weirs. Hikers on the wide-reaching Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage walk might also notice relics of pre-WWII tin and gold-mining operations in the Grassy Creek area.
- Dandahra Crags walking track Dandahra Crags walking track, in Gibraltar Range National Park, is a hiking route with scenic views and birdwatching opportunities.
- Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage walk Keep an eye out for birds and wildflowers on the 45km Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage walk through eucalypt forests, rainforests, wetlands and granite tors in the rugged Northern Tablelands.
World Heritage Area
Part of the Gondwana Rainforests Reserves of Australia, Gibraltar Range is listed on the World Heritage register for rainforest plants that have existed since Australia was part of the Gondwana super-continent. Gibraltar Range National Park is home to several threatened species of animal: the endangered giant barred frog, which can grow to the size of a small adult's hand; and glossy black cockatoos, under threat from a loss of breeding habitat. Feeding locations are very important to the continuing survival of the cockatoo.
- Dandahra Falls walking track Suitable for fit and experienced bushwalkers only, Dandahra Falls walking track in Gibraltar Range National Park offers impressive waterfall views in stunning World Heritage surrounds.
- Duffer Falls walking track Within easy reach of Glen Innes or Grafton and ideal for a day trip, Duffer Falls walking track offers waterfall views in the beautiful forest setting of Gibraltar Range National Park.
- Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage walk Keep an eye out for birds and wildflowers on the 45km Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage walk through eucalypt forests, rainforests, wetlands and granite tors in the rugged Northern Tablelands.
- Junction Spur walking track For experienced bushwalkers only, Junction Spur walking track in Gibraltar Range National Park will suit adventure seekers who want to get off the beaten track and explore the tablelands.
- The Needles walking track The Needles walking track offers jaw-dropping views of granite rock formations in Gibraltar Range National Park, near Glen Innes. Part of the Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage walk, it’s a great shorter walk option.
Years in the making
Long stewarded through history by Aboriginal people in the area, the Gibraltar Range continues to hold significance for contemporary descendants. The Range is rich in cultural sites and sacred places, with Aboriginal groups having moved regularly between the tablelands and coastal plains, conducting ceremonies and gathering food along the way.
- Dandahra Crags walking track Dandahra Crags walking track, in Gibraltar Range National Park, is a hiking route with scenic views and birdwatching opportunities.