Bowling Green Bay National Park - Wanderstories

Saddle Mountain and the RAAF Mosquito plane wreckage

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Saddle Mountain and the RAAF Mosquito plane wreckage

Saddle Mountain is located in Bowling Green Bay National Park. It rises 882m, and the eastern face is essentially a 1km horizontal cliffline that you can see from the main road. It truly dominates the landscape. Challenge yourself to find the WWII plane wreckage once you reach the top.

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Joy's Cliff

Joy's Cliff is be seen from many vantage points in the national park. Atop of the steep cliffs are sweeping views across the landscape, similar views to Cockatoo Rock. This is a long circuit walk, but a great one.

Killymoon Creek

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Killymoon Creek

Killymoon is a pretty little creek to the south of Alligator Creek and is located within Bowling Green National Park, near the Saddle Mountain, and Mount Storth. It is not a long nor hard walk but has all the aspects of a typical creek walk.

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Walkers Creek

Walkers Creek is on the southern end of Mt Elliot range, part of Bowling Green Bay National Park (south of Townsville). The easiest way to access this hidden gem is via private property (via the Townsville Bushwalking Club).

Western Ridge - Cape Cleveland

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Western Ridge - Cape Cleveland

Dubbed 'Iron Head' by the rock climbers in honour of Captain James Cook, this Cape Cleveland ridgeline traverse provides spectacular views over the salt flats with many rocky outcrops and unique rock formations along the way.

Summiting Mount Cleveland

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Summiting Mount Cleveland

Mount Cleveland rises 558 metres above sea level and makes for a perfect day walk where you can enjoy views of both Townsville and Chunda Bay from both sides of the Cape.

Chunda Bay and Chunda Rock

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Chunda Bay and Chunda Rock

Don't let the name put you off, Chunda Bay is a hidden gem very close to Townsville. It's a short 5 km return walk through interesting landscape. There are two track options: the northern end and the southern end of Chunda Beach.

Cape Bowling Green

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Cape Bowling Green

This one's for all the beach lovers out there. Sharks, dingoes, no drinking water and kilometre after kilometre of sand spit ensure that this walk will be more adventurous than most other beach walks. Go remote, have your own private beach getaway and visit an active lighthouse.

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Major Creek

Located in Bowling Green Bay National Park, this creek has one of the largest collection areas on the mountain (excluding Alligator Creek). Much of the lower reaches of the creek are sandy and flat, the upper reaches are full of palm trees and smaller boulders.

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Cockatoo Creek

Cockatoo Creek is another classic rock hop bush walk with beautiful pools, cascades galore. The length of the creeks is often done as a through walk with Majors Creek. Points of interest include Nooks memorial and Cockatoo Rock.

Cockatoo Rock - North Creek to Cockatoo Creek Loop

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Cockatoo Rock - North Creek to Cockatoo Creek Loop

This hike may provide some of the best view this national park has to offer. This circuit takes you via North and Cockatoo Creeks to Cockatoo Rock and the musical rock garden. Enjoy views of Joy's Cliff and Cockatoo Valley along the way.

Hikes to do in Bowling Green Bay National Park

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Hikes to do in Bowling Green Bay National Park

There's are many places to adventure to around Townsville, so many that it would take you several years to explore all the different places within one hour of Townsville. Just

Chasing unexplored waterfalls in Bowling Green Bay National Park

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Chasing unexplored waterfalls in Bowling Green Bay National Park

Just north The Terraces lies these two rock features where you'll discover a few pretty waterfalls and cliffs that overlook parts of Bowling Green Bay National Park.

Alligator Creek and Alligator Falls

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Alligator Creek and Alligator Falls

Alligator Creek Falls is located in Bowling Green Bay National Park and is an easy one-dayer hike on-track that follows a fire break and powerline maintenance track to Alligator Creek Falls for large portion of the walk.

North Creek (Sandy Creek)

Bowling Green Bay National Park

North Creek (Sandy Creek)

This rock hop, boulder scramble and bush bash is a good beginners walk and might earn you a sense of accomplishment. The mountain creek scenery, views and swimming pool at the top falls makes for a nice hike.

Hidden aboriginal rock art around Townsville

Hidden aboriginal rock art around Townsville

This article covers aboriginal paintings in and around Townsville which includes Cape Cleveland, Hervey Range, Magnetic Island, and Townsville areas.

How to find Hidden Falls

Bowling Green Bay National Park

How to find Hidden Falls

One of the three points of interest near Palm Creek, this waterfall is truly hidden away far up the creek beds. It involves a lot of rock hopping up the creek to reveal a secluded waterfall you're guaranteed to have to yourself.

Bowling Green Bay National Park

The Cascades

This is one of the classic Palm Creek walks featuring a massive cliff where the water cascades down the face of it. The other two points of interest are Hidden Falls and The Terraces.

The Terraces and High Camp

Bowling Green Bay National Park

The Terraces and High Camp

The Terraces is another wonder of the Palm Creek area, arguably the better of the three to see. The other two points of interest are Hidden Falls and The Cascades.

Palm Creek Rockslides

Bowling Green Bay National Park

Palm Creek Rockslides

The Palm Creek rock slides are a seemingly lost treasure. Getting there only requires a relatively short walk, at which point you will find fantastic swimming holes and slides that make for a perfect place to take your family.

How to summit Mount Elliot

Bowling Green Bay National Park

How to summit Mount Elliot

The Bowling Green Bay National Park (near Townsville) is a southern outlier of the Wet Tropics bioregion and has rainforest growing at its summit as well as along the various

The hike out to Cape Cleveland Lighthouse

Bowling Green Bay National Park

The hike out to Cape Cleveland Lighthouse

Dreaming of freshly shucked oysters straight off the rocks, swimming with sea turtles, sipping fine wine, and enjoying a picnic overlooking the turquoise ocean and bay at sunset? Indeed, there's something for everyone here at Cape Cleveland!