Conquer one of Australia's most thrilling canyon adventures on the legendary Bungonia Gorge Red Track in Bungonia National Park. This spectacular 5.8 km circuit rewards experienced adventurers with an unforgettable journey, plunging 250 metres into a dramatic limestone gorge to navigate an epic field of house-sized boulders. Delivering a fun, full-body physical challenge and awe-inspiring cliff vistas, this bucket-list loop is the ultimate playground for hikers looking to experience the raw, magnificent power of Australia's deep wilderness canyons.
The Red Track (Bungonia Gorge)
📍 BUNGONIA NATIONAL PARK
Distance6.1 km
Duration03:28 hrs
Elev Gain+487 m
Elev Lost-463 m
Date
13 June 2026
Starting Point
David Reid Car Park
Difficulty
Hard
Pace / Gear
1.7 km/h — Light day pack
Highlights
Bungonia Gorge
⚠️ SAFETY ADVICE
Bungonia Gorge Red Track SAFETY
Hike Registration: The Bungonia Gorge Red Track is a technical Class 5 route. All hikers should register their intentions at the park office before setting out and sign out immediately upon completion. Always check the official Bungonia National Park Local Alerts page for real-time track closures.
⚠️ Active Quarry Blasting (2:30 PM): The gorge sits adjacent to an active limestone quarry. Blasting operations (typically around 3:00 PM on weekdays) pose severe overhead rockfall hazards. While sirens sound prior to detonation, you must exit the canyon floor by 2:30 PM at the latest to guarantee safe passage.
Flash Flooding: Entering this deep slot canyon carries extreme risks from high water and sudden flash flooding. Creek levels can rise rapidly with periodic rainfall. If rain threatens, never enter the gorge.
Extreme Terrain & Navigation: This circuit requires a good degree of physical fitness.
Mobile Coverage: Phone reception is non-existent inside the canyon walls. It is critical that you carry a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), have offline maps downloaded, and pack substantial drinking water to manage this isolated environment. One day in 2020 saw the rescue of seventeen bushwalkers who had run out of water and supplies as temperatures reached 35 degrees.
🗺️ Interactive Route MapPinch or use wheel to zoom
It’s rare that I jump straight onto Blogger after a hike to get a write-up ready, but this was no ordinary day on the trail—it deserves a swift entry into the All Gear, No Idea archive. When a 5 km walk takes over three hours, you know there’s something serious to talk about. That something is the Bungonia Gorge Red Track, and you had better be prepared for one of the absolute best hikes in the state.
This adventure is centred within Bungonia National Park, a compact reserve of just 15 square kilometres tagged onto the edge of the much larger Morton National Park. Bungonia protects a stretch of the Shoalhaven River alongside the area's remarkable landscape—and it is this distinct limestone geology that carved out Bungonia Gorge, the deepest gorge in Australia.
Bungonia Gorge from Adams Lookout
Taking to the skies above the gorge
Bungonia Gorge
The magnificent Bungonia National Park
The Bungonia National Park Red Track, which goes in and out of Bungonia Gorge, is one of the most epic hikes in the state. Every description of the hike involves a brief disclaimer, and having completed this hike, my advice is to be mindful of the following.
The Red Track has a measured distance of 5 km; however, it will take much longer than a couple of hours, so give yourself plenty of time. It took us just over three hours to complete the circuit, with a few pauses to admire the scenery and plenty of route-finding.
The famous boulders are a physical and mental challenge but a lot of fun if you approach them with the right attitude. They require a decent amount of physicality to clamber over, slide off, slither under or squeeze through, but a calm, considered approach will always help you find a way through. Get high up often to survey the way ahead. There is no correct way through, just the safest one for you and your group.
Be vigilant, especially once you get through the boulders. It's tempting to switch off, but the 600m between the large boulders and the Red Track exit is very uneven and slippery, and you want to avoid turning an ankle. Slow and steady wins this race.
The weather will make a substantial difference to the route. Hot weather will make the long ascent arduous, while wet weather will make the boulders and tracks very slippery. We had an overcast, cool day which, despite the flatness of the light for photos, was ideal for tackling the Red Track.
Leaving the David Reid Car Park
The Red Track begins at the David Reid car park, named after a prominent landowner from the early days of Australian colonisation. Warning signs from the National Parks service greet you at every turn, and I couldn't agree more with their message: the Red Track should never be underestimated. But provided you're well-prepared, you're in for an unforgettable experience.
Following the signs for the Green and Red Tracks
Warnings before venturing down the Red Track
The initial stretch of the Red Track follows a wide trail shared with the Green Track—a much gentler 8 km loop linking the caves and lookouts above the gorge. After a brief climb, the routes diverge, with the Red Track bearing right. Keep an eye out for the wooden post markers painted with red or green icons; if your post only shows a green hiker, you’ve overshot the turnoff!
Descending Bretons Creek
A further warning sign and wooden post mark the beginning of the Red Track's descent alongside Bretons Creek. The initial drop is steep, with the track executing a couple of wide zigzags before taking a more direct route towards the canyon. The descent alternates between steep and relentless, where loose shale underfoot makes footing exceptionally slippery.
Beginning the descent
Adams Lookout ridge
Bretons Creek
Below the cliffs
Grass trees dominate the upper slopes of the gully
Below the interesting rock forms
There is a marked change in scenery as the dry eucalypt woodland gives way to more temperate, lusher vegetation which provides shade for the trail. Within this wooded area are the steepest sections of the descent, with a couple of awkward little scrambles over slippery rocks thrown in for good measure. However, you'll be closing on the gorge by this point, and you'll get some nice views.
Heading into the woods
Bretons Creek
Bungonia Gorge
Entering the gorge
The Slot Canyon
Before long, we hit the bottom of the gorge at Bungonia Creek, having plunged 400 vertical metres in just over a kilometre—an punishing average gradient of around 30%. From here, the Red Track bears right, stepping straight into the dramatic slot canyon of Bungonia Gorge.
Bungonia Gorge
Bungonia Creek
Bungonis Gorge
Bungonia Creek
By cutting straight through a thick band of ancient limestone, Bungonia Creek has forged vertical walls soaring 275 metres high above a gorge just 25 metres wide. Its extreme depth and sheer, towering sides make it arguably the finest example of a limestone gorge in Australia.
The first section is fairly easy to follow
Bungonia Gorge
Looking back along the gorge
Bungonis Gorge
Looking back towards the entry point
The view between the walls
Bungonia Gorge
As the preceding months had been very dry, there was no water in the creek, and we were able to follow the bed of the watercourse through the narrow slot. If the creek water levels are high, then you'll have to hang to the right and squeeze through some rocky tunnels before you reach the infamous boulders.
The Boulders
You'll see the boulders looming up ahead, but it's not until you reach them that their size and scale become apparent. Most are modest car-sized; however, some are real monsters as big as a house. It's pick-your-own-adventure from this point.
Entering the boulders
The boulders
It's pick your own route from here
The boulders
THe boulders below the Troy Walls
Approaching one of the beautiful blue/green ponds
You'll have to work your way over, around or underneath the stacks of gigantic boulders, avoiding pools of water and awkward drops. Most problems we encountered could be tackled with a bit of thought, some additional route finding or a bit of teamwork, but be prepared for this section to take time and quite a bit of effort. We trended towards the left of the gorge, but I have seen others work their way down the right-hand side. There really is no right or wrong way, but plenty of 'wow' moments as you carve a route through the boulders.
The boulders
The boulders
The boulders
This large pool appears among the lower end of the boulders
Bungonia Creek
Bungonia Gorge
Bungonia Gorge
Bungonia Creek
Bungonia Creek
Towards the end of the boulders
The Troy Walls
Bungonia Creek
It took us just over an hour to inch our way through the natural obstacle course, emerging into the valley at the base of the slot canyon. The valley opens up considerably from this point, but there is still no formed path, but the occasional red marker will keep you on the right track. Down at creek level, the green pools look picturesque, reflecting the gorge and surrounding trees, but up close they're rather slimy and still — not an ideal spot for a swim.
The first of the quarry warning signs
Bungonia Creek
Bungonia Creek
Bungonia Creek
Bungonia Creek
Bungonia Creek
Bungonia Creek
You'll pass some yellow signs within the canyon, warning against falling rocks caused by blasting from a nearby quarry. Though blasting near the canyon is uncommon, it typically occurs during weekday afternoons, so avoid the area after 3pm.
Exiting the Gorge
The way out of the gorge can be found at the third of the quarry warning signs, on the right-hand side of the gorge. There are some less-than-obvious red signs dotted around, and the route up is not immediately clear; however, soon after you scramble past the sign, you'll find the path.
The second sign marks the exit
The climb out of the gorge is a brutal, uninterrupted haul, clawing back all 400 vertical metres from the creek bed to the canyon rim. Once you're on the canyon floor, there are no easy escape routes or gentle side trails to bypass the climb—your only way out is straight up until you meet the White Track at Mount Ayre.
The Troy Walls
Bungonis Gorge
Bungonia Gorge
Bungonia Gorge
Mount Ayre Lookout
Nothing lasts forever, and the relentless uphill battle eventually tops out at the junction with the White Track. From here, you can take a well-earned breather and make an optional detour to the Mount Ayre Lookout for sweeping views across the Shoalhaven River, before taking the easy, level trail back to the David Reid car park.
Mount Ayre Lookout
Shoalhaven River
Bench at Mount Ayre Lookout
Back at the car park
Looking back at the stats, it’s easy to see why 5 kilometres took us over three hours. Between the knee-testing descent, scrambling through giant boulder fields, and the relentless 400-metre wall back to the rim, the Red Track demands your full respect from start to finish. It’s tough, technical, and absolutely exhilarating—a trail I’ll be recommending to any bushwalker ready for a real challenge.
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