Cania Gorge is an ancient pocket of dry rainforest and sandstone gorges, nestled in the Capricorn region of Queensland. The 60-metre-high cliffs and Three Moon Creek, which meanders through the gorge gully, are all a result of millions of years worth of water erosion.
Getting to Cania Gorge is a 6-hour (512km) drive northwest of Brisbane or just under 3 hours (228km) west of Bundaberg.
Within Cania Gorge National Park there are eight different walking trails, with seven of those being suitable for people with a general level of fitness.
Two days are enough to explore all of those seven walks, with an extra day being needed for those who want to take the 22km Castle Mountain trail. However, you could easily spend 5 days at Cania Gorge for a more relaxing experience, chilling out at the caravan parks and taking your time with the walks.
If you’re looking for the best Cania Gorge camping options, there are three to choose from:
- MOST CONVENIENT – Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat
- FANCIEST – BIG 4 Breeze Holiday Parks Cania Gorge
- CHEAPEST – Coominglah Range Campsite (FREE Camping – 20 hours)
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Cania Gorge Camping & Walking Trails MAP
Use the interactive map below to see where all of the Cania Gorge camping grounds, walking trails and car parks are located.
MAP KEY:
🟡 Yellow Pin Drops = Cania Gorge Camping options
🔴 Red Pin Drops = Walking Trails
🟣 Purple Pin Drops = Car Parks
Cania Gorge Camping Options
Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat
Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat is located 1.5 km south of the Three Moon Picnic Area, which is where five out of the eight Cania Gorge walks depart from. That is also the only picnic area with toilets and BBQ facilities.
The Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat is a beautiful green and peaceful park with two swimming pools, a giant chess board and afternoon bird feeding.
Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat FEATURES:
💲 Unpowered Sites (from $35) | Powered Sites (from $45) | Cabins (from $100)
⛺️ Tents, Camper Trailers, Caravans, RVs, Big Rigs
🐶 Dogs allowed
🚻 Toilets
🚿 Showers
💧 Drinking water
⚡️ Power
🗑 Bins
⬇️ Dump point
♨️ BBQ’s
👕 Laundry
🍽 Camp kitchen
🔥 Camp fires
🚶🏻 Walking tracks
🏊 2 x Swimming pools
🎲 Giant chess set
🐦 Bird feeding
📶 Telstra reception
📱 Free Wifi (at the office, but poor)
💨 Gas available
| CANIA GORGE TOURIST RETREAT | |
|---|---|
| Distance to Walks | • Direct access – Big Foot Walking Trail • 450m – Western Car Park (1 walk) • 1.5 km – Three Moon Picnic Area (5 walks) • 11.6 km – Northern Car Park (1 walk) |
| Address | 1253 Cania Road, Cania QLD 4630 |
See Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat for current pricing and bookings.
BIG 4 Breeze Holiday Parks – Cania Gorge
If you’re after a Cania Gorge camping experience with all the bells and whistles, then the BIG 4 Breeze Holiday Parks is the way to go.
With wine tasting, lawn games, bird feeding, frisbee golf, swimming pool, water park, outdoor cinema and meal nights, you can enjoy resort-style camping while visiting Cania Gorge.
Cania Gorge Breeze Holiday Parks is a BIG 4, which means that Holiday Perks+ members can get a 10% discount on accommodation. Check out all of the Aussie caravan park memberships for more information.
BIG 4 Breeze Holiday Parks FEATURES:
💲 Unpowered Sites (from $42) | Powered Sites (from $48) | Cabins (from $152)
⛺️ Tents, Camper Trailers, Caravans, RVs, Big Rigs
🐶 Dogs allowed (off-peak season only)
🚻 Toilets
🚿 Showers
♿️ Wheelchair accessible
💧 Drinking water
⚡️ Power
🗑 Bins
⬇️ Dump point
♨️ BBQ’s (free)
👕 Laundry
🍽 Camp kitchen
🔥 Camp fires
🏊 Swimming pool & water park
🌱 Lawn games
🪃 Frisbee golf
🎈 Jumping pillow
🐦 Bird feeding
🍷 Wine tasting
🎣 Fishing
🚣♀️ Kayaking (hire available)
🚴♂️ Pedal kart hire
🏸 Tennis court
🎥 Outdoor cinema
📺 TV reception
📶 Telstra reception
🛍 Kiosk/ Convenience Store
💨 Gas available
⛽️ Fuel available
| BIG 4 BREEZE HOLIDAY PARKS | |
|---|---|
| Distance to Walks | • 3.9 km – Northern Car Park (1 walk) • 7.6 km – Three Moon Picnic Area (5 walks) • 8.6 km – Western Car Park (2 walks) |
| Address | 54 Park Road, Cania Gorge QLD 4630 |
See BIG 4 Breeze Holiday Parks – Cania Gorge for current pricing and bookings.
Coominglah Range Campsite (Free Camping)
The Coominglah Range campsite offers Cania Gorge free camping for those who need somewhere to land for the night. You’ll find a nice, quiet campsite with covered picnic tables, clean toilets and a fire pit.
There is a 20-hour stay limit, which will still give you one full day to explore the Cania Gorge walks. One day is enough to do most of the easier Grade 3 walks, so you’ll still have enough time to see all of the most popular sights.
There is enough room to park a caravan at all of the three main car parks in Cania Gorge, although peak tourist seasons may get a bit crowded.
Coominglah Range Campsite FEATURES:
💲 FREE Camping
⏰ 20-hour limit
⛺️ Tents, Camper Trailers, Caravans, RVs, Big Rigs
🐶 Dogs allowed
🚻 Toilets
♿️ Wheelchair accessible
🗑 Bins
🥪 Picnic tables (sheltered)
🔥 Fire pit
📺 TV reception
📶 Telstra reception
| COOMINGLAH RANGE CAMPSITE | |
|---|---|
| Distance to Walks | • 3.9 km – Northern Car Park (1 walk) • 7.6 km – Three Moon Picnic Area (5 walks) • 8.6 km – Western Car Park (2 walks) |
| Address | Burnett Highway, Coominglah Forest QLD 4630 |
Cania Gorge Walks
Cania Gorge National Park is filled with towering cliffs, ancient caves and sheltered gorges, which were all created from an old volcanic fault line. Explore caves, rainforests, and lookouts, plus keep your eyes peeled for flecks of gold in the creek beds.
There are eight Cania Gorge walks, with all of them being grade 3 level and one being a grade 4.
We did five of the shorter Cania Gorge walks in one day, which was around 8 km in total. For a family with an average level of fitness, that was enough for one day.
You’ll find plenty of signage throughout Cania Gorge, both at the car parks and within the walks, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost. It’s important to always be prepared for hikes with plenty of food, water, hat, first aid kit and sunscreen.
Facilities
The Three Moon Picnic Area is where you’ll find toilets, sheltered tables, BBQs and tank water. There are no bins available in Cania Gorge, so be sure to take all of your rubbish with you.
WALKING GRADE KEY:
- Grade 2 – No experience required. Hardened surface & may have gentle slopes with occasional steps.
- Grade 3 – For most ages & fitness levels. May have short steep hill sections, rough surface & many steps.
- Grade 4 – Walking experience recommended. May be long, rough & steep with limited signage.
Picnic Area Circuit
| PICNIC AREA CIRCUIT | |
|---|---|
| Grade | 2 |
| Distance | 300m return |
| Time | 20 minutes |
| Departs from | Either end of Three Moon Picnic Area |
| Details | • Follows along beside Three Moon Creek • View sandstone cliffs & eucalypt woodland |
Dripping Rock & The Overhang
| DRIPPING ROCK & THE OVERHANG | |
|---|---|
| Grade | 3 |
| Distance | 3.2 km return |
| Time | 2.5 hours |
| Departs from | Three Moon Picnic Area |
| Details | • Pleasant walk over Three Moon Creek & through eucalypt woodland & dry rainforest • Leads to the base of Dripping Rock (2.2 km return) • Continues on to The Overhang, showing weathered erosion & a red/ yellow sandstone cliff |
Dragon Cave & Bloodwood Cave
| DRAGON CAVE & BLOODWOOD CAVE | |
|---|---|
| Grade | 3 |
| Distance | 2.6 km return |
| Time | 1 hour |
| Departs from | Three Moon Picnic Area |
| Details | • Continue along the Dripping Rock track for 400m, then turn right over the bridge across Russell Gully • Moderately steep track to a cliff face with a sidetrack going north to Dragon Cave (1.8 km return) • Southern branch of the track leads over natural creek crossings to Bloodwood Cave |
Two Storey Cave Circuit
| TWO STOREY CAVE CIRCUIT | |
|---|---|
| Grade | 3 |
| Distance | 1.3 km return |
| Time | 45 mins |
| Departs from | Opposite Three Moon Picnic Area |
| Details | • Meanders upwards around isolated sandstone monoliths • 20m sidetrack leads to King Orchid Crevice • Top section is important habitat for insectivorous bats |
Fern Tree Pool & Giant’s Chair Circuit
| FERN TREE POOL & GIANT’S CHAIR CIRCUIT | |
|---|---|
| Grade | 3 |
| Distance | 5.6 km return |
| Time | 3 hours |
| Departs from | Western Car Park (900m south of Three Moon Picnic Area) |
| Details | • Best walked anti-clockwise • Crosses Doctors Gully several times & passes Fern Tree Pool (2.5 km) • Moderate climb for 2.2 km up a sandstone escarpment to Giant’s Chair Lookout • 900m return (steep track & steps) to the car park |
Big Foot Walk
| BIG FOOT WALK | |
|---|---|
| Grade | 3 |
| Distance | 1 km return |
| Time | 20 minutes |
| Departs from | – Western Car Park (900m south of Three Moon Picnic Area) – Can also access from Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat |
| Details | • Trail runs parallel to the bitumen road • View the ‘big foot’ image on the white sandstone cliff |
Shamrock Mine Site
| SHAMROCK MINE SITE | |
|---|---|
| Grade | 3 |
| Distance | 1.4 km return |
| Time | 45 minutes |
| Departs from | Northern Car Park |
| Details | • Meanders along the creek & into eucalypt woodland • Shamrock Gold Mine Site • Self-guided walk with info about life on the Cania Goldfields • View remains of mine shafts, processing sheds, mullock heaps & the old battery • Gold fossicking not permitted |
Castle Mountain
| CASTLE MOUNTAIN | |
|---|---|
| Grade | 4 |
| Distance | 22 km return |
| Time | 7 – 8 hours |
| Starts from | Three Moon Picnic Area |
| Details | • Follow the 800m Bloodwood Cave track to the Castle Mountain track turn-off • Steep 200m track to the Gorge lookout • 10km fire trail winding through open woodland to Castle Mountain lookout • Return via the same track ❗️ No phone service ❗️ Take plenty of water + First Aid Kit ❗️ Can be hot – start early in the morning |
Cania Gorge Things To Do
The main things to do at Cania Gorge include camping and completing some (or all) of the eight walking trails. Here are a few more Cania Gorge things to do while exploring the area.
Cania Dam Lookout
Follow Cania Road past the Shamrock Mine Site and continue up to the end. There you’ll find a covered hut with information about the Cania Dam as well as a nice high vantage point view over the dam wall.
Cania Dam Lookout FEATURES:
💲 FREE
🐶 Dogs allowed
♿️ Wheelchair accessible
📶 Telstra reception
Lake Cania
While you’re having a look at the Cania Dam Lookout, check out the Lake Cania day-use area. Enjoy a BBQ lunch, put the boat or kayak in the water, relax amongst the scenery and go for a swim.
Lake Cania FEATURES:
💲 FREE
🐶 Dogs allowed
🚻 Toilets
♿️ Wheelchair accessible
🥪 Picnic tables
♨️ BBQs
🏊 Swimming
🚣♀️ Kayaking & boating
🚤 Boat ramp
🎣 Fishing
📶 Telstra reception
Cania Gorge Wildlife
There is an absolute abundance of native wildlife to spot as you visit Cania Gorge. From platypus in the waterholes below the dam wall to the insectivorous bats in the top section of Two Storey Cave.
Cania Gorge Wildlife to spot:
- Australian Brush-turkeys
- Australian King Parrots
- Bats
- Birds (90+ species)
- Eastern Pebble-mound Mouse
- Lace Monitors (can be over 2 metres long)
- Platypus
- Tree Snakes
- Whiptail Wallabies & Rock Wallabies
- Yellow-bellied Gliders
Cania Gorge National Park FAQs
To do all seven of the Grade 3 Cania Gorge walks, two days are recommended for people of a regular fitness level. For those who also wish to complete the Castle Mountain walk (Grade 4, 22 km), then three days would be recommended for exploring all of Cania Gorge National Park.
While there are plenty of 4WDing tracks around the area, it’s not necessary to have a 4WD to get into Cania Gorge. All of the Cania Gorge walking track car parks are easily accessible with a 2WD vehicle along bitumen roads.
As Cania Gorge is a National Park, dogs are not permitted inside the park or along the walking tracks. However, dogs are allowed at both of the Cania Gorge caravan parks – Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat and BIG 4 Breeze Holiday Parks.
Yes, you can swim in Lake Cania as it is a popular spot for fishing, swimming, boating and kayaking.
CANIA GORGE ESSENTIALS
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