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Looking for dog friendly Cairns walking tracks? Earl Hill Conservation Park at Trinity Park has you covered. This 3.2km return hike, takes you up and down the hill, with sea breeze and sea views. In this story we cover the Woodland Walking Track part of Earl Hill. There are additional walks which connect to this – the Rainforest Walking Track and Cycad Palm Walking Track, which takes you to the beach – and we will go and do these at a later date, making updates to this story at that time. The Woodland Walking Track at Earl Hill is people and pooch friendly, and a great way to start or end your day.
Earl Hill Conservation Park at Trinity Park is a dog friendly Cairns walking track. The Woodland Walking Track is a 3.2km return hike with a steady incline all the way. The track is mostly shaded and the maximum elevation is 218m.
The Earl Hill Conservation Park is located in Trinity Park, which is a part of Cairns’ northern beaches. This 55 hectare forested range area is surrounded by suburbia, and is one of the last remining stretches of coastal bushland in the area. The summit is the highest part of the park and at 218m above sea level it provides beautiful views towards Palm Cove and Double Island, as well as the Bluewater Marina and out to Green Island. In this review we cover the Woodland Walking Track, which takes you to and from the summit, on a 3.2km return hike in the woodlands. The path itself is graded not sealed and uses a serious of switchbacks, with some steps, to climb up and around the hill, with a gentle but constant incline on the way up. The journey is mostly shaded with sea breezes. Along the way you are surrounded by coastal woodland vegetation, which includes some cycads and magnificent eucalyptus trees. There’s also stinging trees, which are sign-posted and should be avoided at all costs; as their name suggests, if you brush against the leaves of a stinging tree, you’ll be injected with toxins from tiny silica hairs which have a painful sting, which can last months.
“We love being in nature and taking our dog for walks, so when you can combine the two it’s a win! So for that reason, we’re are grateful for the Earl Hill Conservation Park, in Trinity Park. This winding walk takes you up and around Earl Hill to the summit, with lookouts and chairs along the way, for stops and comfort if needed. The track is reasonably steep with a constant incline, it uses switchbacks and some stairs, which are all reasonably shaded by the surrounding woodland vegetation. It gets the heart beating on the way up, with rewarding views at the top, and then a lovely downhill walk to finish it off. We enjoyed it – the dog enjoyed it – and it was a lovely way to start our day. Lots of other people and pooches on the walk too, all enjoying the views and exercise.” – Julie Johnston
Earl Hill Conservation Park is in Trinity Park, which is around 20km north of Cairns and a part of the northern beaches. The Woodland Walking Track starts at the bottom of Earl Hill, near the corner of Roberts Drive and Flagship Drive.
The Woodland Walking Track at Earl Hill Conservation Park is 3.2km return. If you want to extend your walk, this track connects with the Rainforest Walking Track (which branches off about half way up the hill) and Cycad Palm Walking Track, which takes you down to the beach. So you could do all of the tracks together, if you wanted too, it would just mean a short walk through the suburb to get back to your car at the end. This downloadable map of Earl Hill Conversation Park shows the network of trails and locations.
We have not done the circuit, just the Woodland Walking Track. We will do the circuit at another time and update this story with further information and images, in due course.
How long it takes you to walk the Woodland Walking Track at the Earl Hill Conservation Park, all depends on your fitness levels. The signage at the start of the track recommends you allow 1 hour and 30 minutes return walking time. It did take us this long to do the track, walking at a comfortable and consistent pace. Some people may be faster than others, and some people did overtake us during the walk.
Yes, I think the Woodland Walking Track at Earl Hill Conservation Park is worth it. It’s a steady climb, so good for people wanting to stretch their legs and increase their fitness, with the added bonus of being able to take your dog. The path itself is relatively shaded with some sea breezes, and some lovely views along the way and at the top. In terms of walking in nature, this one ticks a lot of boxes.
The Woodland Walking Track at Earl Hill Conservation Park starts at the bottom of Earl Hill, near the corner of Roberts Drive and Flagship Drive in Trinity Park. There is signage to indicate the start of the trail and providing additional information about the walk, and associated tracks.
This is a good question, as there are no car parks near the start of the track. If you are wanting to do the Woodland Walking Track at the Earl Hill Conservation Park and you are driving to get there, then you should park your car at the public boat ramp car park, which is located on the left-hand side of Reed Road. It is about 150m before the Reed Road and Roberts Drive roundabout (look out for the ‘Property Shop Cairns Beaches’ as a dominant and visible building near the car park entrance). Once you have parked, take the sealed pathway (turning left) along Roberts Drive and it is about a 400m walk to the intersection of Robert Drive and Flagship Drive, which is where the walking track begins.
Please note the walk to and from the car park to the track is unshaded. As such, we highly recommend wearing sunsafe clothing and a hat, with sunblock.
Yes, the Woodland Walking Track at Earl Hill Conservation Park is dog-friendly and you can take your dog, as long as you keep it on a leash at all times. This is one of only a few Cairns dog friendly walking tracks to be located in a nature conservation park. You cannot take dogs on the Red, Yellow, Blue or Green Arrow walking tracks at Edge Hill, or in the nearby Centenary Lakes walking tracks.
No, there are no toilets on the Woodland Walking Track at Earl Hill Conservation Park. The closest public toilets are at the Half Moon Bay foreshore at the end of Reed Road, see the downloadable map for location.
This trail winds its way around and up Earl Hill, in Trinity Park. You will be surrounded by the woodland vegetation, which includes cycads, eucalyptus and stinging trees. You will also see granite boulders and keep your eyes peeled for orange footed scrub fowls and brush turkeys. This walking track also provides beautiful views, looking towards the Bluewater Marina and Green Island beyond, as well as Palm Cove and Double Island.
This is a tricky one to answer, as it all depends on your fitness. The track does take you to the summit of Earl Hill which has an elevation of 218m. It uses switchbacks and some stairs to wind around and up the hill, with a constant incline to the top. There are seats and places you can stop along the way, to catch your breath and enjoy the views. So is it difficult? Well it’s not a flat walk, but it’s not a massive mountain either, so I would say ‘no, not difficult, but a little strenuous’.
This walking track is open all year round and is suitable to do at any time. If you are driving to the walking track, then I suggest doing it in the early mornings or late afternoons, as the walk from the car park to the track is unshaded and can be hot.
No, access to and use of the Woodland Walking Track at Earl Hill Conservation Park is free.
When doing this dog friendly walking track, we highly recommend bringing lots of drinking water, for yourself and your dog. You should also wear a hat and sunsafe clothing and apply sunscreen and insect repellent. Good walking shoes / hiking boots are recommended, or shoes with a good grip.
We have created this map based on our Strava app on our phone so it meant to give you can idea of the route, from our car to car, the total distanced walked was 4.47km, the elevation gain was 205 metres , and the total time as 1h 19m. PS I am a technical geek and love this stuff, you can even see where we crossed the road to checkout the creek on the way back, if you zoom out a little you can also see the topographical lines.
The Earl Hill Conservation Park is located in Trinity Park, which is a part of the northern beaches suburbs. This is one of only a few Cairns dog friendly walking tracks to be located in a nature conservation park and there’s several tracks and trails. In this story we cover the Woodland Walking Track, which is a 3.2km return walk to and from the summit of Earl Hill. If you wanted to extend your walk and exploration of the conversation park and surrounding areas, you can link the Woodland Walk Track with the Rainforest Walking Track and Cycad Palm Walking Track, to create a longer circuit which includes some beach walking. Download this map for more details. This is a Cairns dog friendly walking track and dogs should be kept on a lead at all times. Please note some of the plants along the track, including cycads, are toxic to dogs (and people) so make sure you do not let your pooch eat or lick any seeds or fruits during the walk. Please clean up after your dog: penalties apply if you fail to do so.
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