JoelWhere and How to Get There
Traveling along the Bruce Highway, north of Townsville and Rollingstone, you’ll take a turn onto Barrett Road, heading west. This will turn off at a weird intersection onto Mount Spec Road. It is a very windy journey – with a lot of sharp twists and turns, so long rigs are not recommended. This journey will last roughly 10km or so, when you will arrive at the car park for the creek. Be sure to park your vehicle in the first car park on your left as there is only space for one or two vehicles on the other side of the bridge.
What to Expect
Old stone bridge, waterfall, cascades, rock hopping, swimming, rainforest, stairs, toilets, picnic tables, narrow and windy drive.
Where to Stay
There is no immediate accommodation here, but if you keep driving to Paluma you will find the Mist Haven Holiday Units right near where the walking tracks begin. We will have articles on these hikes and waterfalls shortly.
Further along, down a long gravel road (high clearance recommended), you’ll reach Paluma Dam where you can book accommodation through the councils website.
If you don’t want to continue up the range, you can head back down and go across to the Big Crystal Creek campsites, and you can book this through the National Park website here. We did pass another campsite on the way to this one – it seems as if you can book it on Hipcamp – Crystal Creek Campsite.
Ultimate Aussie Bucketlist Experience
This was definitely a memorable highlight for us. The drive up there was slow going in our campervan, but it was exhilarating and there were some nice views along the way.
Reaching the car park, we got our swimming gear and headed over to the old stone bridge. Wow, it felt like we went back 100 years in time! The stone bridge which spanned over the creek just made the whole setting incredible. The waterfalls aren’t massive, but the whole landscape there is just perfect.
There’s multiple places to swim and sun bake along the creek. My wife and I decided to visit here on two occasions, and on the second time, we spent a fair bit of time exploring downstream. There were a few nice swimming holes along the way and some really exciting rock hopping. If you’re the adventurous type, it’s definitely worth the effort.
As with all the popular spots around Australia, if you’re wanting peace and quiet, go early, during the week – and not in school holidays. Regardless though, it’s still worth the trip. There stairs and paths around the creek are pretty steep, so take it easy.
This truly is a magical spot. Little Crystal Creek is a must do if you’re in the area, or even if you are passing by.
Paluma Range National Park is truly underrated. The entire National Park has an amazing network of hardly used trails, and some of them lead to some exciting places – plus you’ll get to swim at some beautiful swimming holes.
Check out this article on my personal experience hiking in Paluma Range National Park.
