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Wollumbin (Mount Warning) summit track

Wollumbin National Park

Closed due to current alerts 

Overview

Wollumbin (Mount Warning) summit track is closed due to significant safety issues. Read more about the closure, which will be reviewed in May 2021.

Where
Wollumbin National Park
Accessibility
No wheelchair access
Distance
8.8km return
Time suggested
5 - 6hrs
Grade
Grade 5
Trip Intention Form

It's a good idea to let someone know where you're going. Fill in a trip intention form to send important details about your trip to your emergency contact.

Price
Free
What to
bring
Drinking water, sturdy shoes, suitable clothing, hat, sunscreen, snacks, first aid kit
Please note
  • Wollumbin is a place of great spiritual significance to the Bundjalung People. Visitors are asked to respect their wishes and choose not to climb the summit track.
  • Border Ranges National Park and Nightcap National Park provide some of the best photo opportunities of Wollumbin in all its glory.
  • If you do climb this track it requires extreme caution. It’s long, steep, difficult and dangerous in places. It shouldn’t be attempted in poor weather or when high winds or thunderstorms are forecast.
  • For your safety, set out before midday in winter as descending in the dark is treacherous and you may become lost.
  • Take advantage of toilets at the carpark. You’ll need to bag and carry out your waste, including toilet waste, on the summit track.

Wollumbin (Mount Warning) summit track is located 12km south-west of Murwillumbah, in Wollumbin National Park. This is a sacred place to the Bundjalung People, and was declared an Aboriginal Place in 2015. Visitors are asked to respect the wishes of the Bundjalung Elders and avoid climbing this very difficult track.

Wollumbin, which means ‘cloud catcher’ to some Aboriginal People, is a traditional place of cultural law, initiation and spiritual education for the people of the Bundjalung Nation. Under Bundjalung law, only certain people can climb the summit. Out of respect for their law and culture, consider not climbing the summit.

If you choose to tackle this challenging track, take extreme care. The 8.8km return walk takes at least 5hrs and is long and steep, with a very strenuous 100m vertical rock scramble to reach the summit. The high, exposed summit can attract wild weather and the track shouldn’t be attempted in poor conditions, especially during thunderstorms. In winter, it’s important to start before midday to avoid a dangerous descent in the dark.

You may prefer the park’s kid-friendly Lyrebird track, which winds through Gondwana rainforest to a lookout. Some of the best views of Wollumbin can be found along Pinnacle walk and lookout in Border Ranges National Park. You can also try Goorgana walking track or Pholis Gap walking track in nearby Nightcap National Park, or Best of All lookout at Queensland’s Springbrook National Park.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Things to do:

Pinnacle walk and lookout

Take the Pinnacle walk to the lookout for uninterrupted views over the World Heritage-listed rainforest, the crater escarpment, Wollumbin (Mount Warning) and the Tweed Valley.

Views towards Wollumbin (Mt Warning) from Pinnacle lookout, Border Ranges National Park. Phot credit: Murray Vanderveer © DPIE

Park:

Nightcap National Park

Explore ancient World Heritage-listed rainforest in Nightcap National Park, near Lismore in north-eastern NSW. Ideal for a day trip or overnight adventure, you’ll find great campgrounds, picnic areas, walks and stunning views.

Historic Nightcap walking track, Nightcap National Park. Photo: Brian McLachlan © DPIE

Also see

General enquiries

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Park info

See more visitor info

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