Where to find Mount Mulligan’s Best Self-Guided Walks

Your walking shoes, hat and sense of adventure is just about all you need to bring if you’re keen to rack up steps at Mt Mulligan Lodge. Everything else, from your map and water bottle to your snacks and sunscreen is taken care of by the lodge.

Where to find Mount Mulligan’s Best Self-Guided Walks

Adventure planning starts at breakfast, where you’ll swap the daily news for your trusty self-guided walking trail map. There’s seven walks to choose from, all documented in a handy fold out map you can keep with you on the trail. We’ll take a look at three favourites here:

Try the Township Trail

This 3.6km, 1.5 hour round trip trail gives you a glimpse into the station’s mining past and you won’t even need to step off a road to do so. Exit the rear of the Main Lodge and head left along the road leading up to the Sunset Bar. The station’s namesake, Ngarrabullgan (Mount Mulligan) towers overhead so take your time to soak up the view – even better, return to the bar for sundowners another time – before carrying on towards the Manager’s House. The Township Trail starts and ends here. Follow the road up to the Mt Mulligan Memorial, and from there black markers lead the way through what was once Mount Mulligan Township. A figure eight takes you back to the Manager’s House, so you can’t get lost, but do let your mind wander, imagining what it was like living in this once thriving mining town.

DURATION: 1.5hr
DIFFICULTY: EASY
DISTANCE 3.6km return
LANDSCAPE: Gentle Paths (Township & Coal Precinct Only)

Do the Railway Loop

More history awaits on this 3.2km, 1 hour return walk. Again, you’ll set out from the rear of the Main Lodge and follow the road towards the Sunset Bar and the Manager’s House. Not too far past the house, take a left turn at the gate and follow the red markers back along the Mount Mulligan railway line. Spot the railway sleepers under the dust, and use your imagination to fill in the gaps of what travelling along the 48km coal railway line back in 1915 was like. The line linked the township to Dimbulah in the south east, unlocking coal and goods transportation between Mount Mulligan and Mareeba. Once you’ve completed the loop, you’ll ascend a hill and pop out just north of the Sunset Bar. A right turn and the road downhill takes you back to the Main Lodge. 

DURATION: 1hr
DIFFICULTY: Moderate
DISTANCE: 3.2km return
LANDSCAPE: Some steep sections which can be slippery when wet

Go offroad on the Geraldine Loop Trail

Green arrows are your guide for this 11.6km return, 3.5 hour walk. It will get your blood pumping and you’ll certainly work up an appetite on the climb, but the views are once in a lifetime. Following the same route as the Township Trail, head out of the lodge, past the Manager’s House and make a right at Mt Mulligan Memorial. From there, turn left onto McLeod Street, and then left again at the Geraldine Loop sign. You’ll crest rolling hills and wind past Geraldine Lake, a popular spot for birdwatching, before reaching a hill with a picnic table. A right turn here along the fence line, until you reach the Mt Mulligan Station boundary gate, another right to follow the gazette road passing by the cemetery, and a last right just before the sports oval turns you towards the township. Turn left onto Harris Street, wander past the old hospital, now staff accommodation, then take a right at the bottom of the road and you’ve had a thorough peek into the past of this mining region. Continue 150 meters up, and turn right just before the cattle grid. Up the hill, the Sunset Bar awaits. If you’ve timed it, a sundowner stop will be well earned, otherwise, carry on left and down the hill for a drink in the shade of the Main Lodge.   

DURATION: 3.5hr
DIFFICULTY: Moderate to Difficult
DISTANCE: 11.6km return
LANDSCAPE: Steep and slippery in sections 

Whether you’re up for an easy stroll and quick glimpses into the past, or a more adventurous deep dive into history, Mt Mulligan Lodge’s self-guided walks will get you there. 

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