Mount May

GPS Tracks

A challenging half day circuit walk of Mount May with great views of the surrounding mountains.

Lookouts

Swimming

Scrambling or Climbing

Navigation Required

No Dogs Permitted

Camping Permitted

Eucalypt Forest

840m

Maximum Elevation

608m

Total Climb

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Tick Walk

Getting there:

Coming from Boonah turn right off the Boonah - Rathdowney Rd onto Burnett Creek Rd, then left into Newman Rd (gravel) then turn right into Waterfall Creek Rd up to the Waterfall Creek campground.

Maps:

QTopo: 9441 - 423

Route/Trail notes:

Just before the large red 4WD sign, to the left the start of the trail is easily seen. Follow an eroded footpad up the Northern/North-eastern ridge. After 30-45 minutes you will reach a low cliff; bear right until you find a break that can be climbed without too much difficulty. Back on the footpad the track continues to follow the ridge, flattening out a little. A few hundred metres from the cliff line you just climbed keep your eye out for a cairn of rocks (*25/04/2023 couldn't find the cairn*) leaning against a gumtree on the left of the track. This will be important later in the walk. The track then starts to get steeper again and crosses several rock slabs as it climbs towards the summit of the North peak. It will take one to one and a half hours to reach this point.

After admiring the views to the West and North, retrace your steps back down the ridge to the rock cairn. Turn right (roughly Easterly) then head down the side of the ridge. On this part of the mountain footpads are much less distinct than the summit track, but if you keep heading downhill bearing Southeast you will come to a gully with a few rock pools after about 15 minutes from the cairn. Follow the gully left (downstream if the water is running) until you come to a 10metre cliff and waterfall (usually only a trickle). From this point, follow the ridge up (roughly south) until, after another 20 to 30 minutes, you reach the Southern peak summit ridge, where the track again becomes more distinct. Follow the ridgeline for about 100 metres until you find some more open areas with great views of Mt Barney and Mt Ballow. It will have taken about two and a half hours to reach this point.

The descent follows the Southwestern ridge from the Southern summit. It is quite steep, involving some climbing and scrambling, but there is no real exposure (take it from someone quite nervous about big drops!), then after about thirty minutes you will reach Waterfall Creek Rd.

Turn right and head downhill approximately 3.5km back to the campground, crossing through a couple of gates (the road passes through private property). Curiously, this is probably one of the trickiest parts of the walk, given how steep the road is, with gravel on top of rock making slipping a definite concern.

At the last creek crossing just before getting back to the campground turn right and walk upstream about 50m to a beautiful gorge with a rock pool (deep enough for a swim) and waterfall.

Circuit can be done in either direction but note that the northern ridge is recommended for ascent only due to loose rocks and scree.

Permits/Costs:

None.

Other References/Comment:

Most guidebooks describe the direct route between the North and South peaks, involving some significant exposure.

GPS Tracks

Comments

Completed the circuit clockwise. Great fun, recommend some navigational knowledge, sturdy shoes, rock scrambling experience and a good time will come! After descending south peak we did the walk to upper portals then the long walk down the 4wd road back to the campground. Awesome day.
dalehikes on 14 May, 2017

Our group of 10 totally enjoyed this hard hike. Elevation straight up from the car park got the heart beating, scrambling over rocks got the hands dirty, walking out via the service road added another level of soreness for some; the quads and knees took a hammering. Mt May is a wonderful hike that ticks all the boxes for a hiking adventure. The view for lunch up top is breathtaking! If you take your time, spin around and look at the amazing view when you catch your breath! Sometimes we need to slow down, enjoy the hike and not see it as an achievement by getting to end in record time :)
Karen on 13 May, 2017

Great hike and easy little climb at the top. Track difficult to find st the start but for others it is at the Waterfalls Creek Camp Ground and the track starts to the left of the big red 4x4 only track sign. We started at rock marker to assist in finding the track.
DanF on 1 May, 2017

The track can be reached from the far end of the camping area on the left hand side just before the 4WD track. Although the majority of the route was fairly easy to navigate the descent from the first peak was difficult to find. Took me as least 30 mins. Some great views of Mount Maroon and Mount Barney National Park. My GPS clocked the walk at 9km - maybe I was lost for a little longer? Top to bottom in 3h 20m.
David on 1 Oct, 2016

4hrs to do the circuit (north and south peaks), including a half hour break at the south peak.
Michael on 7 Aug, 2016

I followed the GPS track on this website "Mt May North + South Peak circuit" it was very helpful. A great circuit though it was raining in the morning. If using the GPS track be careful descending from North peak into the saddle that connects to the South Peak - I relied on the GPS a bit too much here for the best way down and it directed me down a steep slope to a cliff drop-off so I clambered back up and found a better way down to the west a short distance.
Dan456 on 4 Mar, 2016

Literally no signs to direct you to the track.. we ended up finding it by the 4wd track. Nice little challenge! Liked the scramble on the summit push. Beautiful views of mount barney and maroon dam :-)
kyles36 on 26 Dec, 2015

Did hike with Kyles - couldn't find nth track from camp site, even asked regular campers who said they didn't know. Started walking the 4wd track then went back to drive 3/4 of it then walked the rest. Saw red tail wallaby and plenty of spiders! 😑
Great views! Well worth it
smitsie on 26 Dec, 2015

Much better to descend on the other side of the mountain. Longer but much safer
agms on 10 Jun, 2015

A lot of small rocks on the path so easy to twist your ankle if you're not careful. Because of this I shouldn't have come down the same way but I did and it was painful (fell a few times, got scratches to show :) I'll do it again and will follow the path down on the other side of the mountain towards Mt Maroon. One small face cliff is a bit exposed but doabe. Views were ok on the way up but not much from the top. Quite a wild bushy track.
agms on Aug, 2014

Had a great day for this one, both peaks, great scramble, plus a side trip towards Paddys Peak along a ridge.
drewmac on 12 Jul, 2014

Included this hike with Mount Maroon summit climb. Started from Waterfall Road camp site and straight up north ridge which is long and arduous with lots of scree making it difficult to get proper foot holds. Easy ascent to tabletop once you reach bottom of escarpment. Stop for a break here to take in views. Care must be taken with foot and hand holds as you climb to tabletop. You can do three peaks as part of this walk although I chose to do the north peak only. The track has had a bush fire through it and is quite clear of undergrowth but the pathways are not as distinct so care must be taken.
Badger on 4 Oct, 2013

After playing in the waterhole area, did the North + South peaks and down via the 4wd road. Beautiful walk, not as tough as I had imagined. All up about 6.4 kms from the campground. Even with a lot of the view obscured by clouds it was a great view. A few hairy parts where we lost the trail, but it is fairly easy to follow.
Allan Allport on 8 Jun, 2013

Completed this one with a Brisbane bushwalking group.

Headed from the cars straight up the side of a ridge and then up some scree to the top of the ridge where we had morning tea, before a short ascent to the North peak with great views to the North over Lake Maroon and the Main Range.

We continued on to the South peak, descending into a saddle where a small bush campsite is located, then scrambled up again, negotiating some more scree, grass trees and rocky areas with lots of handholds to the top of the second peak, where we had lunch.

To get back down we descended off the other side of the peak through some shrubbery, following a less distinct trail to a nice viewpoint looking toward the North peak and Mount Maroon, before hooking around and down again, crossing a small creek, and heading back up to our morning tea ridge and from there back down the way we had come.

Worth it for the fun scrambling and the views.
Shaun Johnston on 14 Apr, 2013

Ascend by the northern ridge from the campsite, was a steep walk up over very rocky terrain, scree and tree roots, the track is fairly over grown towards the summit, would have liked to do this walk as a walk through but time didn't permit..
Walkinghawk on 6 May, 2012

Did the Northern Summit. Steady incline up scree track, through overgrown tracks that flatten out to a false summit with camp spot. Then up again to the North summit with views of the dam and the hills to the North.
WorldWalker on May, 2012