Mount Whitfield Conservation Park

The rainforest-clad slopes of the Whitfield Range form a dramatic backdrop to Cairns and offering a great walking escape close to the city. Climb through shady rainforest gullies, dry open forest and grasslands studded with cycads to the Lumley Hill summit, and soak up the scenic views of Cairns and the coastline.

The popular Red Arrow, Blue Arrow, Green Arrow and Yellow Arrow walking tracks wind through Mount Whitfield Conservation Park, behind the Cairns Botanic Gardens. These tracks are very popular with locals and visitors seeking a nature escapes or fitness trails.

Keep an eye out for Australian brush-turkeys and orange-footed scrubfowls. Buff-breasted paradise-kingfishers are sometimes seen in the summer months and shy noisy pittas call from the quieter rainforest sections. Red-legged pademelons browse in the forest, and swamp and agile wallabies are sometimes seen.

Image credits: Stella Martin © Queensland Government