Top Things to do in Mareeba
What to do and see in Mareeba, Queensland: The Best Nature & Parks
Discover the best top things to do in Mareeba, Australia including Davies Creek Mountain Bike Park, Lambs Head (Kahlpahlim Rock), Granite Gorge Nature Park, Emerald Creek Falls, Davies Creek National Park, Mareeba Tropical Savannah and Wetland Reserve, Dinden National Park.
Restaurants in Mareeba
1. Davies Creek Mountain Bike Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By mazzaintazza - London, United Kingdom
Thanks to the Parks service for providing and maintaining this AWESOME set of trails. It's about 60km from Cairns, so a bit of an effort to get there, and the final 2km is unsealed but I was ok going slowly in my 2WD car. There are no toilet or water facilities on site, but a big car park through which you access the trail head. There are 3 connected green trails, between 2 and 10km in length. Very well signposted, just the colour and number, and no silly names or sections to confuse you! There are also a couple of blue trails. About 4km in to trail 1 there's a mobile phone reception point- v thoughtful idea. The Green trails are flowing and not that technical; some sections wide enough for a vehicle, some lovely single-track sections. Trails 5 and 7 in particular were a delight, fast and flowing through lovely trees and alongside termite mounds and the occasional large cow. I spent about 2.5 hours and didn't see anyone else. Heaven! Great stuff.
2. Lambs Head (Kahlpahlim Rock)
3. Granite Gorge Nature Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 428 reviews
At Granite Gorge visitors have a fantastic opportunity to get close with the wild rock wallabies in their natural habitat. You can hand feed them macropod pellets which we have available. The Mareeba unadorned rock wallabies (Petrogale inornata, Mareeba race) are rare and endangered and only seen up close here.The wallabies are unique to this area of Mareeba. They are known to be on the top of a couple of mountain ranges but this is the only place they can be seen up close and fed in the wild. Possums, 5 types of gliders, Frilled necked and other lizards, 2 types of quolls, turtles and echidnas inhabit the gorge and park area. On winter nights dingo howls can be heard way down the gorge.
Reviewed By WorldTravla7 - Cairns, Australia
A group of us came for a 2-night camping adventure in August 2020 and it was a perfect weekend away. It was my first time at Granite Gorge however the others had all camped here before several times and love the place. The facilities are good with a few kitchens (including fridge and electric kettle) and amenities (toilets & showers, 2 blocks that I saw) and the camping area is very large with plenty of room for everyone so that you have space and can have a campfire and drink and chat at night (which we did) without disturbing others too much. It was $16 a night for an unpowered site. The Park has plenty of things to do, with the most famous being the rock wallabies which are endemic to this area. It is a popular place to bring kids – you can buy a bag of feed for $1 and feed the wallabies and this is a must do. Some of the little rock wallabies are shy and run away but the bigger ones are very friendly and will come up to you for food (one wallaby actually jumped onto my friends pram with 6 month old twins and bounded off into the distance, which took us aback a little!). There are also some excellent walks (of varying difficulty) highlighting different aspects of the beautiful Gorge. I did the longer red trail which takes you through a section with dinosaur footprints, though there is a bit of rock hopping involved so good balance and mobility is essential. For those on a multi-night stay you can venture out of the Gorge and check out some other nearby activities (we did the Mareeba Markets & chocolate and liqueur tasting at Coffee Works, but there are a few boutique wineries/distilleries nearby and a heritage museum as well). The Gorge is easy to find and well signed from Mareeba. It was super windy the weekend we came, but it was raining all through Cairns and we got hardly a drop (Mareeba is notoriously dry!). Also watch out for peacocks, ducks, geese and chooks and a variety of snakes and reptiles on show at reception.
4. Emerald Creek Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 52 reviews
Reviewed By joniquelife - Australia, null
There is a car park at the bottom, 2.5km return walk, 2 trails that branch off in the middle. Lookout at the top, swimming hole at the bottom which is stunning. It is a dirt path and steps so make sure you have proper shoes on! “Jonique Life” Follow our journey around Australia on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube as we highlight wonderful experiences and magical places you can add to your ever growing bucket list.
5. Davies Creek National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 35 reviews
Reviewed By WorldTravla7 - Cairns, Australia
I did this beautiful circuit walk with a local bushwalking group one Sunday and it’s an excellent half day walk to try (allow 3 hours). In terms of distance, the sign from the trailhead indicates 8km but my Apple-watch showed 7.5km (though we did take a brief short cut). The first 2km heads uphill quite steeply but it’s manageable for the moderately fit. There is also a short rock scramble heading up which may be challenging for some - so make sure you go with others so they can give you a pull up if necessary. The summit sees you at Turtle Rock (yes, a rock shaped like a turtle) for some excellent views out over Davies Creek National Park. The trail includes diverse plant life, impressive rock formations, & a nice swimming area near the end where you can cool off. It rained the day we did the hike which actually brought out some beautiful bush scents of lemon & eucalyptus. The area is also a significant for the aboriginal peoples - nearby is Davies Creek falls & aboriginal rock art at Bare Hill. The trail is easy to find however you need to travel several kilometres on unsealed road along Davies Creek Rd.
6. Mareeba Tropical Savannah and Wetland Reserve
7. Dinden National Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1 reviews
