Lark Quarry Conservation Park is on Koa Country. I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this area and their deep and ongoing connection to Country, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.
The main reason anyone travels to Lark Quarry Conservation Park is, no doubt, the impressive Dinosaur Stampede National Monument.
But this rugged landscape also offers a beautiful walk along the mesas, mulga shrubs and spinifex country so typical for this part of Outback Queensland.
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LARK QUARRY CONSERVATION PARK: TIPS FOR YOUR VISIT
In Outback Queensland you need to be a little more prepared for your trip. So here are some tips to plan your visit.
HOW MUCH TIME TO PLAN FOR LARK QUARRY
Since Lark Quarry Conservation Park is very small and there’s no camping here, you’ll only need half a day or so. There are some (covered) picnic tables so you could plan to have lunch here as well.
We arrived early to have breakfast before our guided tour at the dinosaur trackways. After the tour we went on the walk, and then had lunch before returning to Bladensburg National Park where we were camping.
If you’re coming from Winton or Bladensburg National Park, it’s basically a day trip. The drive will take about 1.5-2 hours each way.
BEST TIME TO VISIT LARK QUARRY
Although Lark Quarry Conservation Park and the Dinosaur Stampede National Monument are open year round, travelling this far west is best done over the cooler winter months (April to September).
In winter, the mornings can be fresh but the days are usually mid-20°Cs and clear.
During the summer, temperatures are typically 40°C and above. Rainfall (here and elsewhere) can also easily make roads impassable.
Plus, if you come in summer you’ll just want to get straight from your air-conditioned car to the air-conditioned museum without taking in the walk or general area.
HOW TO GET TO LARK QUARRY
Located some 110km (2 hours) from Winton, the road to Lark Quarry Conservation Park is mostly unsealed. Some sections are now sealed as wide single-lane.
Lark Quarry is technically 2WD-accessible. But a 4WD vehicle is recommended, especially if there’s been some rain (and provided the road is still open). Get advice in Winton at the visitor centre if you’re unsure about road conditions or check online.
It’s very easy to find Lark Quarry.
You basically just follow the very big signs to Lark Quarry along the Winton Jundah Road. Turn off at the Lark Quarry Access Road, which you can’t miss given the big, big sign.
TIPS FOR YOUR ADVENTURE AT LARK QUARRY
You’re in Outback Queensland so it’s important to come prepared. Here are a few tips for your adventure:
- Carry sufficient fuel: There’s no fuel between Winton and Lark Quarry Conservation Park so fuel up before you head off from Winton.
- Check road conditions: This part of Queensland can flood post-rain and roads may become impassable. It would be wise to check road conditions before you venture out.
- Carry sufficient water: There’s water available in the park but make sure you have enough water for the drive and in case of breakdown.
- Bring sun protection: If you’re keen to do the walk, bring a hat, sunnies and protective clothing. The sun’s strong out here, even in winter.
- Bring emergency supplies: Have a first-aid kit handy and extra snacks in case you get stranded. There’s only poor mobile coverage in the park and along the Winton Jundah Road. For peace of mind, we generally carry a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) but in winter there’s usually enough day visitors and traffic to hopefully not leave you stranded for too long. In case of breakdown, stay with your car.
3 THINGS TO DO AT LARK QUARRY CONSERVATION PARK
Since Lark Quarry is so small, there’s only a couple of things to enjoy here.
1. VISIT THE DINOSAUR STAMPEDE NATIONAL MONUMENT
The main reason anyone would come to Lark Quarry Conservation Park is, of course, to witness the panicked footprints of a bunch of dinosaurs stampeding around the muddy banks of a lake.
DINOSAUR STAMPEDE NATIONAL MONUMENT AT A GLANCE
LOCATION: Lark Quarry Conservation Park
OPEN: Mon-Sun, 8:30-5pm (April-September); Mon-Sat, 8:30-5pm (October-March); hourly tours from 9:30am to 3pm
COST: $35 adult ($21 child) or use a pass - tour only
WEBSITE: Dinosaur Stampede National Monument
You can only experience the trackways at the Dinosaur Stampede National Monument by guided tour (pre-booking recommended). The tour takes about 45 minutes, including watching an animated video that sets the scene for the stampede.
The area around Lark Quarry is thought to have been part of a river system once that included swamps and lakes teeming with life. On the day of the stampede …
… herds of small two-legged dinosaurs came to drink at the lake.
There were at least 150 dinosaurs of two different kinds – carnivorous coelurosaurs about the size of chickens, and slightly larger plant-eating ornithopods, some of them as large as emus.
A huge meat-eating theropod, smaller than a Tyrannosaurus, approached the lake.It slowed, saw the other dinosaurs gathered at the water’s edge and began to stalk, then turned and charged. The stampeding herd of smaller dinosaurs left a chaotic mass of footprints in the mud as they ran to escape.
Dinosaur Stampede National Monument website
The footprints are housed in a giant shed that is purpose-built into the hill for protecting these pre-historic remnants.
The footprints are actually much more impressive than what we initially expected. You can really make out small but very defined chicken-sized prints and the much larger (presumably) theropod prints in the rock slab.
We found this tour a little more relaxed than those at the Age of Dinosaurs Complex outside Winton. Probably because we had ample opportunity for questions! 🙂
The dinosaur tracks were initially discovered in the 1960s but it wasn’t until the mid-1970s before a team of palaeontologists and volunteers exposed the whole trackways layer. Apparently one volunteer, Malcolm Lark, removed more rock than anyone else, and hence the site was named after him!
There’s a fair bit of (very educated and highly scientific) guessing involved in interpreting what might have happened at Lark Quarry. There are info panels at Lark Quarry or you can read up on the stampede basics here.
And if you’re very keen, you can also read more about a newer study that questions whether there was even a stampede in the first place. There’s no doubt about these tracks belonging to dinosaurs, just about what may have occurred at Lark Quarry. This, of course, wouldn’t quite fit the narrative of the Dinosaur Stampede National Monument.
2. GO FOR A WALK AT LARK QUARRY CONSERVATION PARK
Once you’ve finished your tour (or beforehand), you can take a walk around Lark Quarry. This way you get a great sense of the ‘jump-up’ country surrounding you, a ‘landscape of mesas, gullies and steep escarpments’.
Make sure you take a hat and water. Even in winter you can easily get sunburned and the walk is completely exposed.
SPINIFEX CIRCUIT (0.5KM LOOP)
BASIC TRAIL INFO
DISTANCE: 0.5km loop
DIFFICULTY: Grade 3 (easy)
TIME: 15-30 min
TRAILHEAD: At the dinosaur trackways building
The Spinifex Circuit is a very short loop up onto the mesa (hill) behind the dinosaur trackways building and back down to the car park.
Unless it’s very hot, I’d definitely recommend doing it as you get a much better idea of the landscape you find yourself in. You also get some nice views along the way.
It’s an easy, well-marked track but you do have to go uphill, which on a hot day can be strenuous so keep that in mind.
JUMP-UP LOOP (3.5KM LOOP)
BASIC TRAIL INFO
DISTANCE: 3.5km loop
DIFFICULTY: Grade 4 (easy-intermediate)
TIME: 0.75-1 hour
TRAILHEAD: At the dinosaur trackways building
If you want a slightly longer walk, you can extend the Spinifex Circuit (and see even more spinifex than on the Spinifex Circuit 🙂 ).
Instead of taking the turnoff to the car park, continue on. It’s a slightly less well-formed track but still easily made out with a few yellow track markers in place.
Since there’s no shade along the track, it can be hot depending on the season or time of day. Make sure you have plenty of water and sun protection.
Even though all the tours were booked out (i.e. there were plenty of people at Lark Quarry) on the day we were there, we didn’t meet anyone on this longer loop. It’s a really great loop though if you’re prepared for a longer walk.
You get splendid views into the western flats of the Diamantina catchment and the Mitchell grass plains.
3. HAVE A PICNIC
You could cap off your day trip with a picnic lunch (or afternoon tea depending on the timing of your tour). There’s a couple of covered picnic tables near the car park.
FINAL THOUGHTS
We really enjoyed our day at Lark Quarry Conservation Park.
We went on the first tour of the day so we’d have enough time to do the Jump-Up Loop without the sun beating down on us. If you’re willing to get up early, you’ll enjoy a lovely cool morning drive and get to see the scenery before it gets too hot and bright.
Highly recommended!
Happy exploring,
MORE INFORMATION
Find more information about Lark Quarry Conservation Park, including current alerts, at Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service.
MORE POSTS ON OUTBACK QUEENSLAND
There’s a few other dinosaur and megafauna sites across Outback Queensland if you’re keen to trace more footprints and ogle some giant bones. Or you might also want to explore some of the stunning national parks in Outback Queensland, such as Bladensburg National Park just outside Winton or isolated Diamantina National Park.
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