Carnarvon Gorge
Sandstone Walls and Aboriginal Rock Art
On the lands of the Bidjara, Karingbal and Kara Kara people.
schedule 1 min read / Updated Apr 2026
A 30 kilometre sandstone gorge cut into the Central Queensland sandstone highlands, with white sandstone walls up to 200 metres tall, palm-lined side gorges, and one of the largest concentrations of Aboriginal rock art in southern Queensland.
Carnarvon Gorge is the headline feature of Carnarvon National Park, a 298,000 hectare reserve in central Queensland. The gorge was carved into the sandstone over 200 million years by the Carnarvon Creek and is a refuge for relict species from when the climate was wetter, including the king fern (which can have fronds 6 metres long) and the Carnarvon fan palm.
The main gorge walk is 22 kilometres return and follows the creek floor with multiple stream crossings. Side gorges branch off it: the Moss Garden, the Amphitheatre, Wards Canyon, the Art Gallery (a 62 metre wall of stencil art and engravings up to 4,000 years old), and Cathedral Cave (another major rock art site). Most walkers stay 2 or 3 nights at the lodges or campground at the gorge entrance.
The park is genuinely remote: 720 kilometres from Brisbane and the last 20 kilometres of road into the gorge can be impassable in the wet season.
Where to stay
Holiday parks near Carnarvon Gorge.
1 option via our booking partner
Bookings handled by our partner Parkbooker. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Scenic views
Lookouts near Carnarvon Gorge.
You may also like
Springbrook National Park
Lamington National Park
Helensvale
Tamborine Mountain
Kondalilla Falls
Alberton
Palm Cove
Wallaman Falls
Mount Samson
Mapleton Falls
Mackay
Lady Elliot Island
Attribution
Sources & credits
Content (1)
Images (2)
- Aboriginal art Carnarvon Gorge.jpg · September 1985 · Public domain
- Escarment from camping ground Carnarvon Gorge National Park... · John Robert McPherson · CC BY-SA 4.0
Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under licenses that permit commercial use. If you are the rights holder and believe an attribution is incorrect, please contact us.