Mount Walsh National Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mount Walsh National Park Queensland
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Mount Walsh
Mount Walsh National Park Location in Queensland
Nearest town or city	Biggenden, Queensland
Established	1947
Area	52.40 km2 (20.23 sq mi)
Managing authorities	Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Website	Mount Walsh National Park
See also	Protected areas of Queensland

Mount Walsh National Park is a special protected area in Queensland, Australia. It's about 230 kilometers (143 miles) northwest of Brisbane. This park is famous for its huge granite rock formations. The most well-known is Mount Walsh, which stands tall at 703 meters (2,306 feet) above sea level. It has three peaks at its top!

The park is home to many different plants and animals. You can find everything from thick forests to open woodlands. This variety of habitats means many creatures can live here. Some rare animals, like the powerful owl and grey goshawk, call Mount Walsh home. Visitors might also spot peregrine falcons, dingoes, wallabies, eastern grey kangaroos, and lace monitors.

Exploring Mount Walsh National Park

Mount Walsh National Park offers amazing views and a chance to see unique wildlife. The "Bluff" area, at the park's northern end, is a major landmark. It features stunning granite cliffs and rocky areas. These rugged landscapes create a perfect home for many different types of plants. You can see heath, shrubland, and various kinds of forests. Some sheltered valleys even have patches of hoop pine trees.

How Mount Walsh Was Formed

The story of Mount Walsh began a very long time ago, about 215 million years ago. Back then, there were huge volcanic eruptions from a place called the Mungore Centre. During these eruptions, two large bodies of hot, melted rock, called magma, rose close to the Earth's surface. Over millions of years, wind and water slowly wore away the softer rocks around them. This process, called erosion, left behind the hard granite cliffs, rocky areas, and gorges we see today.

Things to Do at Mount Walsh

Mount Walsh National Park is a great place for a day trip or even a bush camping adventure.

Picnics and Barbecues

The park has areas where you can enjoy a picnic or a barbecue with your family and friends. It's a perfect spot to relax and enjoy nature.

Bush Camping

If you love adventure, you can go bush camping in the park. However, there are no special facilities like toilets or showers. This means you need to bring everything you need with you and be completely self-sufficient. Remember to leave no trace and take all your rubbish with you!

Walking Trails

There are a couple of ways to explore the park on foot:

• Short Walk: A 300-meter (about 984 feet) trail starts from the picnic area. It takes you through open eucalyptus forests and leads to a rocky creek. This creek is surrounded by a small rainforest. The trail then continues to lookouts where you can see the beautiful countryside around you.
• Summit Hike: For experienced hikers, there's a challenging, unmarked trail to the top of Mount Walsh. This hike takes about two and a half hours. It's a tough climb, but you'll be rewarded with incredible views from the bare granite summit.

See also

In Spanish: Parque nacional Monte Walsh para niños