Deep Canyons & Pyramid Views: A Guide to Porcupine Gorge National Park

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Porcupine Gorge National Park is on Yirendali 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.

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Porcupine Gorge is a pocket full of surprises: A deep sandstone gorge that you can admire and explore from above the escarpment as well as deep inside the gorge.

Even in the dry season, Porcupine Gorge has permanent waterholes and offers some fabulous opportunities for swims in rock pools. It’s at its most serene and stunning in the early morning.

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PORCUPINE GORGE: TIPS FOR YOUR FIRST VISIT

Once you’re as far north in Queensland as Porcupine Gorge, you’ve done all the hard work. It’s an easily accessible national park that’s perfect for a couple of nights (or one night if you’re in a rush).

Most people visit Porcupine Gorge as part of a bigger road trip around Queensland or Australia. We’ve come along here on our Queensland dinosaur road trip and on our Gulf Savannah road trip.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Like most national parks in the northern Queensland outback, it’s best to visit Porcupine Gorge over the cooler months of the year, between May to September. The “cooler months” aren’t particularly cool here either, with average temperatures in the mid/high-20°s. Nights can be anywhere between 10-20°C.

In winter, the days are full of blue sky and sun, with very little chance of rain.

In the summer, temperatures can be very hot (above 35°C). There’s a fairly high chance of rain and storms, which would probably make for dramatic photos of Pyramid Rock. Unless you love the heat, summer may not be the best time to visit (though the rockpools will help to cool down).

GETTING TO PORCUPINE GORGE

Porcupine Gorge National Park is a relatively small national park in northern central Queensland. It’s some 60km north of the town of Hughenden, and about 1,500km from Brisbane.

The fantastic thing about Porcupine Gorge is that it’s 2WD-accessible with a sealed road leading all the way to the day-use area and the campground (unsealed).

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ESSENTIAL GEAR FOR PORCUPINE GORGE

Travelling into more remote regions of Queensland requires some preparation. While Porcupine Gorge isn’t that remote, help may still not be immediately available. So here are a few tips for your trip.

• Nearest Fuel Stop & Supplies: Nearest fuel is in Hughenden (~60km away). There’s also a small IGA in Hughenden if you need to get some last–minute supplies. Holdens Bakery is fantastic—we swing by each time we come through town (sadly, nothing gluten-free).
• Emergency Supplies: While Hughenden isn’t that far, have a first-aid kit handy and extra food in case something goes wrong.

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CAMPING AT PORCUPINE GORGE

If you prefer to stay in Hughenden, you could simply visit Porcupine Gorge as a day trip. Hughenden has both a fully serviced caravan park and a free RV camping area at the Hughenden Showgrounds (suitable for caravan or van travel).

But better still, camp a couple of nights at Porcupine Gorge.

If you can get a booking, I would definitely recommend the latter. It’s makes exploring the gorge far more convenient (especially if you want to explore it early or late in the day).

PYRAMID CAMPING AREA

Porcupine Gorge has a lovely camping area close to the day-use area at Pyramid Lookout.

Pyramid Camping Area has 22 numbered sites. Some have large tent pads (with a great base) and some that are more suited for caravans or camper trailers. Some sites are drive-through sites, and some even have picnic tables or low “cooking tables” (?).

QPWS lists all the campsites and their features.

The toilets are the usual composting toilets but despite the heat (we had over 30°C during our stay), I don’t recall them being particularly smelly. Bring toilet paper (just in case), especially during busier times.

While there’s vegetation around, there isn’t a ton of privacy or shade in the campsites since it’s more open countryside here. We did find that there’s enough separation between the sites to not feel squished together and with a modicum of privacy.

We had Site #16 and were quite happy with it. The tent pad had a sandy/dirt base and was large enough for our tent. With the low table, our stuff wasn’t destined to end up in the dust. Plus it served as a lovely ‘stretch out’ area!

There was not a lot of shade in our site but with our car awning out it was fine.

Apart from the (to be expected) lack of shade, the only other possible ‘negative’ of Pyramid camping area is that there are no views from the campsites. You could tell that the camping area is on the escarpment but you can’t actually see anything beyond vegetation. I had hoped I might actually see the gorge or be closer to the edge of the escarpment but I enjoyed my ‘tree views’ in any case.

Remember to take all your rubbish with you—sticking to solid Leave No Trace principles is essential to keep the national park pristine for everyone.

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EXPLORING PORCUPINE GORGE: WHAT TO SEE AND DO

The accessible part of Porcupine Gorge is only a small fraction of it so you won’t need more than a day or two to explore the gorge, walks and lookouts. But it’s a lovely spot to just relax and hang out for a few days if you’ve got a bit more time on your hands.

Here are five wonderful ways to fill your day (or days) at Porcupine Gorge.

1. EXPLORE PORCUPINE GORGE

It’s a bit obvious but you really should explore Porcupine Gorge, both from the escarpment and by hiking down into the gorge.

PYRAMID LOOKOUT (400M RETURN)

Pyramid Lookout is a very short stroll from the day-use area. If you don’t want to climb into the gorge, you should at least walk to the lookout to see Pyramid Rock from afar.

PYRAMID TRACK

You can start the Pyramid Track in the camping area or connect to it from the Pyramid Lookout Track.

The track basically descends over a kilometre into the gorge. It’s got a few steps, but it’s well-marked and not too steep as such (for anyone reasonably fit).

Keep in mind that it is a kilometre of downhill/uphill walking, especially if you decide to explore the gorge in the middle of the day.

The track is completely exposed so make sure you have a hat, enough water, etc. to keep yourself hydrated.

Once you’re at the floor of the gorge, it’s choose-your-own-adventure time. Both directions in the gorge are worthwhile exploring though you’ll probably gravitate towards Pyramid Rock.

There are some lovely rockpools, sandy banks, Porcupine Creek and cliff faces to see. We spent a fair few hours in the gorge, and it looks equally amazing in the late afternoon and the early morning.

2. WATCH THE SUNSET FROM THE RIM WALK

At the other end of the Pyramid camping area (near the toilets) is the Rim Walk that takes you along the escarpment, ending in a loop at Top Gorge Lookout.

From here you’ll have expansive views into Porcupine Gorge, over Porcupine Creek and in the far distance to Pyramid Rock.

The sun doesn’t set over Pyramid Rock as such (facing the wrong direction for that) but you can get some beautiful pink and blue reverse sunset bands.

3. TAKE A DIP IN PORCUPINE CREEK

Even in the cooler months, it’s pretty hot around here so taking a dip in Porcupine Creek is just oh-so-refreshing. It’s a beautiful spot and if you can find a permanent waterhole that looks inviting enough (you probably will), jump in for a swim.

I am not a water baby at all, and I couldn’t help but take a dip. I was expecting icy water but it wasn’t. It was just really lovely and cool in the late afternoon.

The only problem is that by the time you’ve climbed out of the gorge afterwards, you’ll be all hot and sweaty again, and ready for another swim. 😆

4. WATCH THE SUNRISE AT THE GORGE LOOKOUT

The Gorge Lookout is a short drive from the Pyramid Camping Area (11km back towards Hughenden). The actual walk is only 100m (one-way) on a paved track and there’s a large fenced viewing area at the end.

I only had one morning for a sunrise visit to the Gorge Lookout, and unfortunately for me, sunrise was a bit of a fizzler that day.

But I would still recommend coming for sunrise or early morning as the sun will slowly light up the rockface and bask it in golden hues. That’s always magical.

If sunrise is too much of a stretch for you, late afternoon might be a good time too as the sun will probably light up the left side of the gorge. Sunset will be reverse sunset here, giving you those lovely pink/blue bands (like at the Top Gorge Lookout).

5. SPOT SOME WILDLIFE

Like most national parks, Porcupine Gorge National Park is great for spotting some wildlife.

Go for a walk early or late in the afternoon, and you should come across some furry friends. We met an echidna on our way into the gorge late afternoon but he was more interested in having dinner than showing off so I didn’t get much of a look at him.

It was pretty much the same story with a big red: he was having dinner and was totally uninterested in us. Which was nice for us, I could just observe him from afar for a while.

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WRAPPING UP

Porcupine Gorge is only a small national park in Central North Queensland but it’s easily one of the standouts if you’re exploring the north-west.

If you’re on your way from the coast to Mount Isa or up north to the Gulf Savannah country, stop for a couple of nights to relax and explore the gorge. You can’t go wrong.

Happy exploring,

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