Hidden Valley to Jourama Falls via Jacobsen Track and Waterview Creek
Abseiling down waterfalls and into pools of water is one of the closest things you can get to a canyoning experience in North Queensland. Another great place is down Crystal Falls to the Intake plant.
Location - Paluma Range National Park, North Queensland, Australia
Distance - approximately 16 km one way
Time - approximately 8 hours
Grade - 4
Since the Jacobsen Track is no longer maintained, you can no longer drive a four-wheel-drive or motorbike the full length of the track. It's best to drive as far as you can along the track and hike the rest.
The start of the track is via private property and prior permission is required.
Secateurs are recommended for cutting through the Lantana, spiky Solanums, Lawyer Cane (Calamus australis) and Fishtail Lawyer Cane (Calamus caryotoides). You may also want to wear gaiters to help prevent the spread of seeds and burrs that would usually stick to your socks. Take caution when walking and lookout for snakes.
You'll need to contact the landowner for permission and request permission to pass through their private property.
You'll need to be fit, capable and have your own gear (listed below).
Although I consider this adventure relatively straightforward and easy, I recommend keeping your bag as light as possible.
Details of the trip
- Drop cars at Jourama Falls car park and drive up the range.
- Park at private property near Hidden Valley (Contact the landowner for permission to access their property)
- 11.5 km of old, unmaintained Forestry Road (I recommend walking at a fast pace to start off with)
- 50 m of bush bash through rainforest (look out for stinging trees - largish heart-shaped leaves usually with holes in them)
- 550 m rock hop - easy
- Two raps down into "Black Hole"
- 2 km of easy rock hopping with a couple of small waterfalls to scramble down - easy
- walk out via track to national park lookout
- 500 m on track back to Jourama Falls car park - a nice warm down
The walk is about 16 km in total. On unmaintained track for about 11.5 km of it and in the creek for the other 4 km. It will take all day.
The car shuttle will take approximately 2:30 hours on either side of the journey. You will only get home after dark, so don't expect to be home before 7pm.
You could also do a loop and head up the Jacobsen Track from the Bruce Highway side.
I suggest you meet at the Deeragun petrol station at 5:30am and arrange car shuttles there (depending on how many people opt-in).
You'll need a day pack with
- about 1L of water for the walk in. The water in the creek should fine to drink. I drink the water without sterilising it but do so at your own risk. You may also want to keep a bottle of water in the car at the bottom.
- Food and snacks for the day.
- Sun protection (hat, long sleeve shirt recommended, I like wearing shorts for easier movement), sunscreen. The creekbed is mostly open - so it's sunny.
- Shoes; I recommend shoes that have grip on wet granite rocks and drain & dry quickly. I usually wear joggers. Can take two pairs of shoes, one for the wet stuff and the other for rock hopping - it's up to you.
- Secateurs for cutting vines, lantana and other vegetation.
- An extra set of clothes to leave in the car at the bottom.
- First aid kit and PLB (Personal Locator Beacon)
You should consider cancelling this trip if it rains in which case you could just bushwalk to the top of Jourama Falls... or relax at home, have a beer, read a book or watch Netflix like normal people do.
Interactive map
It's quite nice to camp at the top of Jourama Falls.
This trip requires some rappelling as it's not easy to get around the cliffs above The Black Hole. You can also walk the full length of the Jacobsen Track also but note the private properties on either side. It may also be possible to navigate out via the Black Hole Track if you manage to bushwalk around the cliffs.
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