Thorsborne Trail hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Thorsborne Trail is a 32 km coastal walk along the wild east side of Hinchinbrook Island, off the north Queensland coast between Cardwell and Lucinda. It runs from Ramsay Bay in the north to George Point in the south, through rainforest, mangroves, open eucalypt woodland and a string of empty beaches, below the granite peaks of Mount Bowen (1,121 m) and The Thumb. There are no roads, huts or shops on the island. You arrive by boat, camp in Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) bush camps, carry all your food and leave by boat from the other end. Most hikers take 4 days and 3 nights, which is also the QPWS minimum.

Hinchinbrook is one of Australia's largest island national parks (39,900 ha), protected since 1932 and part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The Bandjin and Girramay peoples are its Traditional Owners and call the island Munamudanamy.

The route

The boat drops you at the Ramsay Bay boardwalk, which leads through the mangroves to a long beach. The trail climbs over the headland to Blacksand Beach and Nina Bay, then crosses rocky points to Little Ramsay Bay, the usual first camp. Day 2 is the longest: past Banksia Bay, along beaches and creek flats and through rainforest to Zoe Bay, with Zoe Falls and its pool a short walk from the camp. From Zoe Bay the trail climbs to its high point (about 260 m) with views back along the coast, passes the side track down to Sunken Reef Bay, crosses Diamantina Creek on boulders and reaches Mulligan Falls. The last day follows forest and then the long beach of Mulligan Bay, crossing Mulligan Creek, to George Point, where the boat to Lucinda picks you up.

This guide follows the route mapped on OpenStreetMap, walked north to south, and splits it into 4 stages, about 7.2 km each: Ramsay Bay to Little Ramsay Bay, Zoe Bay, Mulligan Falls and George Point. The mapped line is shorter than the official 32 km because it smooths the beaches and rough sections. Nina Bay, Banksia Bay and Sunken Reef Bay are extra QPWS camps you can use to shorten days or add a night.

When to go

The trail is open to independent hikers from 1 March to 31 December and closed every year from 1 January to 28 February. QPWS says April to September are the best months: drier, cooler and calmer. From October to March it is hot and very humid, heavy rain can make creeks rise fast, and water sources often dry up before the wet season. The trail can also close at short notice for cyclones, severe weather or planned burns, so check the QPWS park alerts the week before.

Permits and booking

Every hiker needs a Thorsborne Trail pass, booked online through QPWS for 2 to 5 nights. You book the trail as a whole, not single campsites. In a current trial only 12 independent hikers may start each day, and the maximum group size is 6. Camping fees are $7.75 per person per night from 1 July 2026. Permits for the whole 2027 season go on sale on 15 December 2026 at 10 am Queensland time, and May to September dates are expected to sell out within an hour, so have backup dates ready. From 2027 you must cancel more than 14 days before your start date to get a refund. You can stay only one night at Mulligan Falls. Book your boat as soon as your permit is confirmed.

Getting there and away

Cardwell, on the Bruce Highway, is the gateway for the north end; Lucinda, about 30 minutes from Ingham, serves the south end. Both are roughly 2 to 3 hours by road from Townsville or Cairns airports. Private boat operators run hiker transfers: they may drop you only at Ramsay Bay and pick you up only at George Point, and times depend on the tide. Absolute North Charters, based in Lucinda, lists a return transfer for $285 per adult, with your car left in Lucinda; Hinchinbrook Island Cruises runs transfers to Ramsay Bay from Cardwell and Lucinda.

Money and phone signal

There are no shops, bins or drinking taps on the island: buy all food and fuel on the mainland and carry out all your rubbish. Mobile coverage is unreliable on the trail, so carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) or EPIRB, or a satellite messenger.

What to pack

• Lightweight waterproof tent, light sleeping bag and a mat
• Gas or liquid-fuel stove and spare fuel: campfires are not allowed
• Food for your trip plus one or two extra days, in rat-proof bags
• Containers for at least 4 litres of water per person and a way to treat it
• Rain jacket, warm layer for cool nights, sun hat, sunscreen and sunglasses
• Insect repellent and long clothing against bites
• Sturdy shoes that can get wet, and a waterproof pack liner
• First aid kit with a space blanket, headlamp, compass and map
• A Lucinda tide table for the Mulligan Creek crossing
• PLB or EPIRB, trowel and biodegradable toilet paper

How hard is it?

QPWS grades every section of the Thorsborne Trail as difficult. Distances are short, but the walking is slow: there is rock-hopping around headlands, soft sand, roots and mud, steep short climbs, and several creek crossings on slippery boulders. Allow about 4 hours for 6 km. Heat and humidity are the main problem, even in the cooler months. Orange markers show the way north to south, but the trail is faint in places, especially across beaches and creek mouths.

Safety

• Crocodiles live in the creeks, mangroves and sea around the island. Be Crocwise: do not swim in tidal water, camp away from the water's edge and cross tidal creeks quickly.
• Marine stingers (jellyfish) can be present at any time, more often in the warmer months.
• Mulligan Creek at the south end must be crossed near low tide; tides range up to 4 m.
• Creek crossings at Zoe and Diamantina creeks are dangerous after heavy rain. Wait for the water to drop.
• Mulligan Falls is a restricted access area: deaths and serious injuries have happened on the slippery rock above and around the falls.
• Water is in creeks but scarce late in the dry season. George Point has none: fill up at Mulligan Falls.
• Rats and melomys chew through packs and tents. Take all food out of your pack at night, store it in rat-proof containers and use the pack racks and poles.

In an emergency call 000 if you have signal, or use marine radio on VHF channel 16, or activate your PLB.

History

The trail is named after Margaret and Arthur Thorsborne, local naturalists and conservationists. It follows the east coast that Bandjin and Girramay people have used for thousands of years. In 2023 QPWS began a Thorsborne Trail enhancement project with the Traditional Owners: new camp layouts, toilets and signs were built at Little Ramsay Bay, South Zoe Bay and Mulligan Falls, and works at Nina Bay, Banksia Bay, Sunken Reef Bay, George Point and the two trailheads are planned for 2026 to 2028.