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The Wangetti Trail officially opened on Wednesday 25 September 2024. This is Cairns’ newest walking track, taking you from Palm Cove to Ellis Beach on a 7.8km trail through sections of the Macalister Range National Park. This is Queensland’s first purpose-built dual use walking and mountain biking track in a national park, and the first stage of the trail, which when completed will be 94km long, traversing the mountainside between Palm Cove and Port Douglas. We walked the trail on Sunday 6 October and here’s all you need to know about Cairns’ newest track.
The Wangetti Trail is 7.8km (one-way) and takes you from Palm Cove to Ellis Beach. It’s a relatively gentle walk, which is mostly shaded and has a maximum elevation of 115m. As you are in a national park, dogs are not allowed.
The Wangetti Trail follows the ancient trails used by five Traditional Owner groups, being Djabuganydji, Yirrganydji, Nyagali, Buluwanydji and Guluy, and has been developed in consultation with them. The path ‘officially’ begins at the Palm Cove jetty, taking you through this beachside suburb, crossing over the highway and heading into the coastal bushland and rainforest beyond. For locals and anyone wanting to skip the walk through the suburb, you can start the trail at its connection point with the Captain Cook Highway, which is adjacent to Cedar Road in Palm Cove. While there’s no official Wangetti Trail car park as yet, you can park your car on Cedar Road, Terebra Street or Veivers Road. Please be mindful this is a residential area, so do not park across driveways or on people’s private property. There is a crossing on the highway, providing a safe passage to get over the road. The track itself is a ‘formed track’, which is mostly graded dirt, with some stone causeways and 17 bridges. It’s 7.8km long (one-way), which took us 90 minutes to walk from Palm Cove to Ellis Beach.
“The Wangetti Track is a lovely 7.8km walk from Palm Cove to Ellis Beach (15.6km return), which took us 90 minutes one-way. As we were unsure of the difficulty of the walk, we did plan ahead and had 1 car at Ellis Beach and 1 car at Palm Cove, giving us the option to walk one-way and drive the other. We started the walk around 8am and by the time we reached Ellis Beach it was quite warm, so we took advantage of the car, rather than walk return. There were lots of walkers, of various ages and fitness levels, enjoying and exploring the new trail. We probably saw around 4 mountain bikers. My feeling is that this is a better walking track than mountain bike trail, due to the tight switchbacks and sometimes narrow pathways. The vegetation varies from coastal bushland to rainforest, with the occasional ocean view. As a side note, I thought we would see a lot of the landslides from the January 2024 floods, but we only saw two of these during the walk.” – Julie Johnston
The first stage of the Wangetti Trail, which is between Palm Cove and Ellis Beach, is a 7.8km one-way (15.6km return) dual-purpose walking trail and mountain bike track. It was officially opened on 25 September 2024.
When completed (expected in late 2026) the Wangetti Trail will be around 94km long, connecting Palm Cove with Port Douglas. This will be a multi-day trail – with a 6 day / 5 night recommended itinerary – with camp sites and ecolodge / cabin accommodation along the way.
How long it takes you to walk the Wangetti Trail will vary according to your fitness levels. The signage at the start of the trail recommends you allow 3 hours hiking and 45 minutes riding time. It took us 90 minutes to walk one-way from Palm Cove to Ellis Beach. We’re of reasonable fitness – we walk our dog 5km every morning – but are not ‘athletes’ by any stretch of the imagination and we took it at a reasonably comfortable rate. People did pass us along the way, so some people would do the trail quicker and some might take it slower.
Yes, I think the Wangetti Trail is worth it. For us personally, we love nothing more than being outside exploring and enjoying nature and the beautiful part of the world we live in. I will always find a national park pathway a lot more appealing than a gym! The trail itself is easy to walk on, with no stairs. The first part is relatively flat, before you commence the climb – on switchback trails – to a maximum elevation of 115m. The trail is mostly shaded and there are some coastal views, including a lookout over Ellis Beach. We did the trail on Sunday 6 October 2024, during the dry season, so the trail was dusty with no water features. The signage says that during summer the gullies and creeks will sometimes have water, so we will go again then to see the difference – and keep this post updated accordingly.
Officially, the Wangetti Trail starts at the Palm Cove jetty. You follow the sidewalk pathways through the beachside suburb, until you reach the Captain Cook Highway. Here you cross the highway, around Cedar Road, and follow the signs to the start of the trail’s formed walking track. There is signage to indicate the start of the trail, providing additional information about the walk, including a map.
At this time there’s no official Wangetti Trail car park. Trail users should park their vehicles in Palm Cove, on Cedar Road, Terebra Street or Veivers Road. Please be mindful this is a residential area, so do not park across driveways or on people’s private property.
No, you can’t take your dog on the Wangetti Trail. The Wangetti Trail is in the Macalister Range National Park and as such, all of the usual national park rules apply.
If you are looking for dog friendly Cairns walking tracks, then Earl Hill Conservation Park is a great spot. This is also one of only a few Cairns dog friendly walking tracks to be located in a nature conservation park.
Yes, you can ride your bike on the Wangetti Trail. In fact this is Queensland’s first purpose-built dual use walking and mountain biking track, in a national park. For mountain bikers, the trail is graded as being Intermediate, suitable for skilled cyclists with basic off-road riding skills. It has a moderate gradient, obstacles and some steep sections. Please note the Wangetti Trail is a shared trail, with hikers and riders and as such, the following ‘rules’ apply (as per the on-site signage).
Mountain bikes and e-bikes up to 250 watts are welcome on the Wangetti Trail. However, there are no electric scooters or petrol-powered bikes allowed on the Wangetti Trail. The following ‘rules’ apply, as per on-site signage.
No, there are no toilets on the Wangetti Trail. The closest public toilets are on Williams Esplanade in Palm Cove and at Ellis Beach.
The Wangetti Trail between Palm Cove and Ellis Beach is a formed walking trail / mountain bike path with 17 bridges and water crossings. There will not always be water present along the trail (and there was no water when we walked it, in October 2024). You will see coastal woodlands and rainforest, with some ocean views.
The first stage of The Wangetti Trail opened on 25 September 2024. This stage is a 7.8km (one-way) trail between Palm Cove and Ellis Beach.
When it is completed The Wangetti Trail will be around 94km long, linking Palm Cove with Port Douglas. This is expected to happen in late 2026, pending weather and approvals.
No, The Wangetti Trail walk is not difficult. It is graded a 3 by national parks and should suit people of most ages and fitness levels. It took us 90 minutes to walk the 7.8km one-way journey from Palm Cove to Ellis Beach, at a moderate pace with time to enjoy the views.
The Wangetti Trail will be open all year round (pending weather) and I would think suitable to do at all times of the year. We went in October and enjoyed some stunning coastal views. Although we crossed gullies and bridges, there was no water along the trail. This will probably change once the summer rains arrive; I have seen photos of running creeks and streams, that were taken during construction. The path is mostly shaded, but I would recommend an early start to your walk in the warmer months. We left at 8am and were grateful for that, as it was quite warm by the time we arrived at Ellis Beach at 9.30am.
No, The Wangetii Trail is in a national park. It is free for all to use and enjoy.
No, there are no guided tours of the Wangetti Trail.
When doing The Wangetti Trail you should definitely take lots of drinking water. You should also wear a hat and sunsafe clothing. Good walking shoes / hiking boots are recommended, or shoes with a good grip. There is no water along the trail or toilets, so be mindful of this.
This map data, representing a return journey, was provided by Leo Schoepflin, who completed the one-way trip in an impressive 35 minutes. He praised the new trail as a fantastic addition to Cairns’ existing offerings, featuring beautiful scenery, great views, and accessibility for hikers of all fitness levels. Leo is excited to see the trail eventually extend all the way to Port Douglas. However, he feels it misses the mark as a dual-use path for both hikers and bikers due to its narrow design, tight switchbacks, and lack of berms, which pose safety concerns for cyclists, especially in wet conditions. He also suggests adding water taps at both ends to enhance its usability.
At the start of The Wangetti Trail there is lots of signage, which is good because it allowed us to see where we were going. I did the trail with my friend and family. During the walk I saw a lot of people riding bikes and walking. For me and my friend, The Wangetti Trail was about ‘medium hardness’, and we jogged most of the way. It had no stairs, as it’s a bike track too, and it was lots of fun running along the ‘swerves’. I really enjoyed The Wangetti Trail, it wasn’t too hard and at the end I had a milkshake.
The Wangetti Trail is 7.8km long and traverses the mountainside adjacent to Palm Cove and Ellis Beach. The formed track is a shared trail for hikers and mountain bikers, but it is in a national park, so dogs and pets are not allowed. There are no toilet facilities along the trail or water stops, so make sure you take plenty of drinking water to stay hydrated. It is a 7.8km one-way trail (15.6km return). It is mostly shaded and has no steps. Maximum elevation 115m. There is no official car park as yet, so you will need to park your car in Palm Cove. The closest locations to park are on Cedar Road, Terebra Street or Veivers Road. Please be mindful this is a residential area, so do not park across driveways or on people’s private property.
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