The Gloucester Tops Circuit is one of the most magnificent walks in Barrington Tops National Park. In just over 8km you cover three of the parks most popular walking tracks and get to see the gorgeous Gloucester Falls, walk beside the river in sub alpine woodland and then finish with the most magical place of them all, the Antarctic Beech Forest.

It’s a walk which is full of variety and each stage is beautiful. If you’ve always wanted to wander through some of Australia’s last remaining Gondwana Rainforest this walk is for you. It’s also fairly easy with no long sustained climbs so it’s really relaxing, particularly if you take the time to stop and really take in all the incredible things to see along the way.

Here’s what to expect from the trail.

Gloucester Falls on the Antarctic Beech Forest

Gloucester Tops Circuit

The stats

Distance: 8.1km
Elevation: 273m
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of trail: Circuit

Starting the Gloucester Falls Track

As it’s a circuit you could technically start from several different points but we’ll go with Gloucester Falls which is where most people begin. The walk starts by heading straight into the forest and we were immediately serenaded by the sounds of two Whipbirds.

Rather than rainforest you’ll start by walking amongst the beautiful snow gums, on the predominantly flat trail.

After half a kilometre you’ll reach a turnoff for the Beech Forest walk, ignore this and carry on for a few hundred metres more to the Andrew Laurie Lookout.

We didn’t expect to get an expansive mountain view on this walk and the layers of peaks and blue haze reminded us of the Blue Mountains. It’s a gorgeous view, especially if you’re lucky enough to see it on a really clear day.

Onto the falls

As you head on to the second lookout of the walk, the narrow track begins to descend much more steeply. There are quite a lot of wet leaves along the path so it can get slightly slippery but it’s not too bad for the most part. The second lookout offers a view of the top of Gloucester Falls, it’s largely obscured by trees so I wouldn’t say it’s an incredible viewpoint but it’s definitely worth a look.

After the lookout it starts to get a little more rainforest-y with some large tree ferns and the odd mossy log and tree. Just 250m after the lookout there is an unmarked side trail to your left. It’s the only place where you can get a great view of the falls so I’m not sure why it isn’t marked, but it is an obvious path so you won’t miss it!

Head down the side trail which is a bit muddy after rain but easily passable - and there are trees to grab onto if it gets slippery - and then you’ll be at our favourite spot on this trail. If you’re here on a quiet day this would make a lovely picnic spot.

You can see several sets of cascades and if you follow the few stairs to your left you can get to the lower ledge which offers a view with two drops together which makes for a lovely photo.

Re-joining the main trail and it’s an easy, short stroll through the forest until you reach the turn off for the River Walk. Just after the signpost you suddenly hit a really mossy patch of forest with lots of tree ferns which was absolutely beautiful.

Onto the River Walk

Almost in an instant, the track has changed (an ongoing theme of this circuit). The mossy, tree ferns have been replaced with the long grass and eucalyptus trees of the sub alpine woodland. The forest is not particularly dense and you can see for quite a distance all around you - which is not always the case for the majority of the bushwalks we’ve done in Australia.

The start of the River Walk at Gloucester Tops

The trail is almost all flat and you follow the river for almost 1km before arriving at a car park. At this point we saw a few people turn around, thinking it was the end of the trail.

However, the circuit continues by crossing the car park and heading along the road for 150m before you reach a sign for the River Walk. We didn’t see anyone else on the next section of the track and the whole environment is incredibly peaceful and relaxing.

After the turning, the trail continues much as it was before with lots of white eucalyptus trees, ferns and tall grass. It’s known as a good place for spotting wildlife - kangaroos, wallabies and wombats - but unfortunately we were walking in the middle of the day and didn’t see anything. If you hit this section in the early morning you might be luckier.

Gloucester Tops Circuit - The River Walk section

The trail follows the river for 700m before veering away from it. At this point the sounds of the river disappeared and suddenly we heard the birdsong increase in volume! All around us we could hear the unmistakable calls of a whipbird as well as many other songs that we still can’t identify!

The end of the River Track at Gloucester Tops

Towards the end of the trail you’ll have to go round a massive fallen tree, but otherwise it’s a very easy going part of the walk and within 1km you’ll reach another car park. This is when you’ll start the most picturesque part of the whole circuit.

The Antarctic Beech Track

From the car park, the trail continues straight ahead, and within 100m you’ll see a sign with two choices: Long Trail - 90 minutes or Short Trail - 20 minutes. Make sure you take the long trail - you won’t regret it!

Almost instantly, you’re in another world. Gone are the eucalyptus trees and long grass, and in comes the most majestic rainforest! This whole area felt damp, and was dense with ferns, vines and beech trees.

The ferns on the Antarctic Beech - Gloucester Tops Circuit

This is part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, which are millions of years old and World Heritage listed. One step on the Antarctic Beech Track and you won’t question the fact that it is ancient, you can feel it. This is a very special section of the walk, and a truly unforgettable place.

Gloucester Tops Circuit - Ferns on the Antarctic Beech Track

The narrow trail undulates gently for much of the way, taking you through this wild rainforest before heading over a creek. There are rocks to hop across which make it easy, although the odd one is loose and ready to embarrass the complacent!

After the creek crossing you’ll start to hear the sounds of another waterfall. The trail descends towards it and whilst it’s not very steep, the huge amount of wet leaf litter can make parts of it a bit slippery. At first you can only see the top of the falls which is largely shrouded by ferns but it soon drops you down to the base and this is a real wow factor moment.

You’ll round a corner to find yourself at the foot of a three tiered waterfall! The waterfall itself is not huge but the view is astounding. Everywhere you look there is bright green moss, huge tree ferns and such lush greenery that you get the feeling you’ve stumbled into a scene from the jungle book.

The waterfalls on the Gloucester Tops Circuit

It was a sight so incredibly beautiful that we stayed just looking at it for ages, it was really hard to move on. It’s worth planning in a bit of time for this waterfall, as it shouldn’t be rushed. No photo can ever do this spot justice, you just have to see it with your own eyes.

After the waterfall there’s a steep uphill climb, it looks a bit overgrown in parts but it’s passable. It is the steepest part of the walk but it’s only 500m long, so it’s over quite quickly. At the top you’ll meet the junction for the Falls Track.

The Falls Track

At the junction, take a left turn. The rainforest disappears and is replaced by woodland - still quite nice, but not that incredible ancient forest you were just in.

The main thing to note here is that the track is easy to lose. It’s not that clearly marked, and you have to keep an eye on the beaten down path. It’s mainly downhill through the forest and nice and easy so you can relax after the climb up from the Antarctic Beech Forest.

After 1.3km you’ll reach a turning for “Car Park” or “Andrew Laurie Lookout”. This time follow the sign post to the car park, and you’ll make your way to the end of the track which is on a very gentle incline.

Essential information about the Gloucester Tops Circuit

Parking for the walk

We recommend parking at the car park for the Gloucester Falls Track (you can find the exact location here on Google Maps). If this car park is full, then try the car parks for the River Track or the Antarctic Beech Forest Track.

The trailhead is about 1 hour 15 from Gloucester, the nearest town. It is worth noting that the road to the circuit does not connect up with any other part of Barrington Tops National Park, even though it looks quite close to other hikes.

The road condition

We were really surprised with the lack of information online about the condition of the road to Gloucester Tops, especially when we found out that 29km of the road from Gloucester to the Gloucester Tops Circuit is unsealed, including six fords.

The good news is that you can drive on the road with a 2 wheel drive. At first is in good condition, and whilst unsealed, it’s pretty smooth. However, this changes at the boundary of the park, where instantly the smooth road becomes a bit rougher. It’s still not bad, but you will occasionally see a rock poking out of the road and it makes for a slower drive.

From the campground, the drive is almost entirely uphill and very narrow, so it is best to try to go with the flow of the traffic (uphill in the morning, downhill in the afternoon). This way you will avoid the 4 x 4s which drive really fast and won’t move for you.

The weather at Gloucester Tops

The weather can change quickly in this area and it’s generally colder than you’ll find at the nearest town (Gloucester), sometimes by as much as 10C. In winter you may even get a dusting of snow.

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