This walk follows a ridge down 500m (vertical) to the Colo River near Tootie Creek. There are great views from a couple of viewpoints, and it is very nice down by the river. I also enjoyed the grass trees, cycads, and wildflowers, including lots of wattles in August. Tootie Creek is also worth a look.
We once did the Bob Turner Track down to the Colo River many years ago. That isn’t on my blog because I’m unsure which photos are from that walk. Its an easier route than this one, but less spectacular. There are other routes down to picturesque spots on the Colo River, so I expect to be back. Track notes at the end.
T3 Track to Colo River & Tootie Creek: The Scenery
I actually descended from the ridge at this point, but in fact you are better staying on the ridge, and I took the ridge on the way back.
Track Notes
To get to the start, turn off Bells Line of Road near Bilpin onto Mountain Lagoon Road. Turn left onto Sams Way (I don’t remember this being signposted, so check your map). You’ll drive past the lagoon itself, and soon on the left is a signposted junction onto a fire trail. Continue to the very end. If you don’t fancy taking your 2wd on this somewhat rough trail then it is reasonably attractive as fire trails go, so you could walk it. (In fact, when I got home and checked an old book of trail notes we used in our early days, I realised we had actually done this section as a walk many years ago.)
From the turning circle at the end of the fire trail follow the foot track for views within the first minute’s walk. Continue all the way down the ridge to the river. If you ever lose the track then just stick to the ridge crest and you’ll pick it up again. The second and perhaps best viewpoint (depending on your taste) is about two thirds of the way down at the obvious switch back in the track, on the edge of a cliff. The steepest part of the track is probably the final descent to the river. You can explore up and down the river a bit, and have a look at picturesque Tootie Creek. Return the way you came.
Most notes estimate 4 hours return, which is reasonable, but you might want extra time for photos and a bit of exploring down by the river. I think the sign at the start estimated 4 to 6 hours. There’s almost 500m of change in elevation over 6km return.
