If you live in Brisbane (or in Queensland, in general), there are a lot of options if you want to take advantage of the long weekend. One of these options is taking your 4WD vehicle to the bush and testing your off-road driving skills. Not only will this trip be exhilarating, but you will also appreciate the beauty of the lush forests and scenic views of Queensland’s national parks.

If you want to drive through 4WD tracks on your next trip, you should head to Expedition National Park. It is only about 8 hours away from Brisbane, and there are a lot of tracks which will keep you occupied. Aside from driving, you can also explore the sights inside the park and set up camp if you want to continue exploring it. 

Are you planning a trip to Expedition National Park? Do you know if there are campsites in the area? Read more to find out!

How Do I Get To Expedition National Park?

From Brisbane, you should get on M3 from Edward St and Alice St. From there, you can follow this route:

• Merge onto M3
• Keep driving on the right lane to stay on M3
• After 270 m, take the Little Cribb St exit that leads to State Rte 32/Milton Rd
• Turn left onto Milton Rd/State Route 32
• After 2.9 km, take the 2nd exit on the roundabout which leads to Metroad 5
• Use any lane to turn slightly left
• After 1.2 km, merge onto M4
• Use the right lanes to take the M7/Ipswich Mwy exit which leads to Ipswich/Toowoomba
• After 1.5 km, merge onto M7
• Continue onto M2 and M2/National Hwy 15
• Use the left lanes to get to M2/Warrego Hwy exit toward Esk/Toowoomba
• Continue onto Warrego Hwy/M2 and Warrego Hwy/A2
• After 66 km, keep right to continue on Toowoomba Bypass/Warrego Hwy/Warrego Hwy (East) Interchange/A2
• After 26.4 km, take the ramp to Warrego Hwy/A2
• Use any lane to turn right onto Warrego Hwy/A2
• Make a slight turn to the right onto Leichhardt Hwy/A5
• After 128 km, turn left onto Dawson St/Leichhardt Hwy/A5
• Turn left onto Broadmere Rd
• After 24.5 km, turn right onto Robinson Creek Rd
• Turn left onto Glenhaughton Rd after 1.7 km
• After 29.9 km, turn left onto Currajong Rd

What Should I Know About Expedition National Park?

Aboriginal peoples inhabited this area for millennia before the arrival of the Europeans, and aboriginal art sites have been spotted in the park. The sites are unmarked so keep an eye out for them. National Parks and Wildlife requests that if you do spot any 

of these art sites, please don’t vandalize them.

The area is part of Queensland’s sandstone belt. It usually has hot summers, and summer storms can brew up quite instantly from a previously clear sky. The winters are very cool and dry with cold nights and chilly mornings.

The base of Robinson Gorge has several grevilleas, wattles, and cabbage tree palms. There are also ferns and mosses found in the shady areas. Both rock and whiptail wallabies also reside in the gorge. Cattle tracks in the creek beds are a testament to the park’s former cattle station days.

The area at the top of the gorge is filled dry eucalypt forest and also has spotted gum, box and apple tree in vast numbers. She-oak, cycad, and wattle can also be found in these forests. 

How Are The 4WD Tracks in Expedition National Park?

Expedition National Park covers the Expedition range between Rolleston, Bauhinia Downs, and Taroom and is mostly inaccessible, except by adequately equipped and experienced bushwalkers. Also, there are two campsites on the eastern side of the park, near Robinson Gorge, and both of them are accessible only by 4WD. Also, there is no access to conventional vehicles or low clearance trailers and caravans.  

The sections are mostly spread out, and it will take a five to six-hour drive to reach Lonesome and Beilba if you’re coming from Robinson Gorge.

The Robinson Gorge section is located 90 km north-west of Taroom where it’s mostly gravel roads. From Taroom, head north and take the Leichhardt Way around 18 km and turn left onto Fitzroy Development Road. Continue for 1.5 km and turn left onto Glenhaughton Road and follow it for 55 km until you reach the boundary of the national park. From here, follow the signs leading to Robinson Gorge. From here, the park is accessible only by 4WD/AWD vehicles.

The Lonesome section is located 37 km north of Injune, and it is found along the Carnarvon Developmental Road. To reach it, turn right onto the 

Arcadia Valley Access Road and turn right again after 18 km (around 4 km of the track is gravel) to Lonesome. It is suitable for all vehicle types, but the toads may become slippery in the wet weather.

The Beilba section can also be accessed by taking the Carnarvon Developmental Road. Drive for 26 km before turning right to join Fairview Road and then left onto Beilba Road. From here, continue along 30 km of gravel road to the park. 4WD vehicles recommended during dry weather only. No access for larger cars or caravans.

What Are The Other Things That I Can Do in Expedition National Park?

The main draws of the national park are its scenery and solitude. But it’s not entirely dull as you can go bird watching, see the native fauna and flora, walk through the walking trails passing through natural bushland, drive through various 4WD tracks, and camp at the designated spots.

You can also head to these spots:

• Lake Murphy Conservation Park
• Lake Kolingngol

What Are Other 4WD Enthusiasts Saying About Expedition National Park?

“Just completed this trek today starting from Rolleston – what a great trek it is! With a variety of track conditions and some tricky parts. Although the worst of them can be avoided by coming into Starkey Camp via the 2nd road rather than the first. Also, a small section (3 or 4 km) you can no longer access ( locked gate) but once the detour is made you are back on the published trek again – definitely agree with the comment about avoiding this track if it is wet or is going to be wet.” -KiwiAngler (ExplorOz)

Where Should I Stay in Expedition National Park?

Expedition National Park offers a wide range of camping opportunities at Robinson Gorge on the east side of the park and Lonesome and Beilba on the west side of the park. There are three camping areas and several bush camping locations elsewhere in the park. 

Expedition National Park is remote and undeveloped. Visitors must be well prepared and self-sufficient. You should also bring at least 7 liters of water per person per day for drinking, cooking and washing as streams only flow seasonally, and water quality cannot be relied upon. Bring fuel stoves and rubbish bags to take your rubbish away with you. Rubbish bins aren’t provided in the national park.  

Camping permits are required, and fees apply. A camping tag that has your booking number must be displayed at your campsite.

You can camp at these following places:

• Starkville Bush Camping Area: This campsite is located 4 km south-east of Robinson Gorge lookout, Starkvale camping area can be reached from the main entrance to the park from Taroom. The campground is set in a forest that is close to several walking tracks. It can also be reached only by 4WD vehicles and high clearance off-road camper trailers, and it is not accessible for buses or caravans. The camps have pit toilets and a rainwater tank. 
• Lonesome Bush Camping Area: The campsite is found alongside the banks of the Dawson River, this camping area is a grassy area and surrounded by brigalow scrub and tall open forest. It is also located approximately 4km from the lookout, access to the camping area is via the Arcadia Valley Access Road and is about 500m from the road. Also, it can be reached by conventional vehicles, and it is accessible for trailers, campervans, motorhomes, and caravans.
• Beilba Bush Camping Area: The camp is in a shady open forest with stunning views overlooking a rocky gorge. It is located about 1.8 km away from the park’s entrance, and only 4WD vehicles and off-road camper trailers can access it. The roads are also impassable during wet weather. 

Related Questions

Do You Need A Permit To Drive On The Beach At Double Island?

Double Island Point can be reached around two or three hours either side of low tide from either Rainbow Beach or Noosa at the Great Beach Drive. You’ll need to secure a beach driving permit online from Queensland Parks before you leave and check the tide times carefully as the beach isn’t accessible at high tide.

Where Can I Get A 4×4 Beach Permit?

Permits are available at Jones Beach, Montauk Downs, Robert Moses, Sunken Meadow, and (beginning January 3rd) at the Long Island State Parks Headquarters in West Babylon. They can be used at the Hither Hills, Montauk Point, and Napeague: Year-round, 24-hr.