Porcupine Gorge

Porcupine Gorge National Park is a Queensland national park in the Outback of Queensland.

Understand

Landscape

The park is 25 kilometres long and just a few kilometres wide, follows the course of Porcupine Creek and includes open woodland and grassland on both sides. The river has carved an impressive gorge averaging 120 metres deep through sedimentary rock hundreds of millions of years old. In the broad parts of the canyon, erosion has formed a pyramid over time, a solitary monolith of multicoloured layers of sandstone . This formation was only made possible by the fact that a thin but hard basalt layer formed over the sandstone five million years ago as a result of a lava flow formed, protecting the underlying soft rock. In places where this top layer had been removed, Porcupine Creek was able to dig deep into the sandstone. The deeper Permian sedimentary strata intersected in the canyon belong to the Galilee Basin and contain the coal beds of the Betts Creek Beds. The seams are explored outside of the park to see if they are worth building.

Flora and fauna

In the wet season, Porcupine Creek is a raging creek, in the dry season a thin rivulet with numerous waterholes that attract a variety of animals, including endangered species such as the pygmy quoll and the letter pigeon. In total, the park is home to 80 species of birds, 30 species of reptiles and 30 species of mammals. Larger species include mountain kangaroos, red kangaroos, and red kangaroos. A dingo population is deliberately maintained to manage the pest numbers and to regulate kangaroo populations.

Park website

• QPWS Website

Get in

The park is a 62 km (39 mi) drive from the nearest town, Hughenden via State Route 62 Kennedy Development Road.

See

• 1 Pyramid lookout (Porcupine Gorge Lookout). A 400-metre walk from the carpark, arguably giving you one of the finest views of the gorge from up above. The lookout is easily accessible, and there are informative signs along the way. (updated Mar 2022)

Do

• The Pyramid walking track is a 2.4-kilometre (1.5 mi) return trail descending to the bottom of the gorge. Prior hiking experience required.

Buy, eat and drink

Unfortunately, there are no places to buy, eat or drink.

Sleep

Camping

• 1 Pyramid camping area. Camping area which includes toilets, RV camping, caravan camping, with several walking trails nearby. (updated Mar 2022)