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If you’re looking for a mountain hike near Brisbane or the Scenic Rim that combines variety, moderate challenge, and incredible views, the Mt Mathieson Loop is an excellent choice. We absolutely loved it as the trail has a bit of everything: varied forest, a touch of scrambling to keep things interesting, nice ridge views, and one of the best lookouts in the region.
Summary
Distance: 10 km
Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: moderate
How difficult is Mt Mathieson Loop
The hike is rated moderate. It’s achievable for most hikers with reasonable fitness, but there are some steeper sections that get the heart rate up and the calves burning. If you enjoy a trail that feels like an adventure without being extreme, Mt Mathieson hits the spot.
How to find the hike and do you need a 4WD?
Put “Pioneer Graves” on Spicers Gap Road in you GPS and it will lead you to the Pioneer picnic area where you can park your car, just after the Spicers Gap camping area. It has toilets and fire barbecues, but remember to bring your own drinking water and wood if you’re planning to use the barbecues. The hike starts on the other side of the dirt road, near the mango orchard.
The last 3km on Spicers Gap Road is along a dirt road signposted for 4WD only. With our AWD in dry weather, it was no problem – the road was well maintained – but conditions could change with heavy rain. We noticed other AWDs parked at the trailhead, so you don’t necessarily need a full 4WD. From what we saw, we believe most 2WD vehicles would probably manage the dirt road in the dry conditions we had.
Which way to hike the loop?
You can hike the loop in either direction, but I can’t recommend enough doing it anti-clockwise. Starting with the climb up Mt Mathieson Peak means you get the harder section out of the way first. After that, the loop takes you along a ridge with fun, easy scrambling and great views, before returning via a slow, gentle descent along a wide 4WD track.
As someone who’s not a big fan of steep descents, I loved that the downhill was on an easy gradient.
Highlights of the Mt Mathieson hike
- Mt Mathieson ridge walk. It took us about 35 minutes to reach the peak, where the view is decent but not the real highlight. For us, the best part came after, following the ridge. The trail offers varied scenery, playful little scrambles that aren’t difficult at all, and views opening up over Cunninghams Gap, including the well-known peaks of Mt Cordeaux and Mt Mitchell, both great hikes in their own right.
- Governors Chair lookout. This is a must-do detour. It’s only a 5-10 minute side trip and rewards you with spectacular views over the Fassifern Valley, Mt Barney, Mt Maroon, Mt Moon, Mt Greville, Lake Moogerah, and more. We thought it would be a perfect spot for lunch. I even found myself imagining how magical it would be to camp nearby at Spicers Gap (just next to where we parked for the hike) and come here for sunrise or even for a moonrise on a full moon night.
- Beautiful forest and vegetation. One of the things we loved most about this trail was the forest itself. The walk takes you through a mix of vegetation types, from tall trees to grass trees, with endless shades of green and moss adding texture and colour. The changing scenery gave the hike so much character and kept surprising us along the way.
- Wildlife. Keep an eye out for wallabies and pademelons plus plenty of birdlife along the way.
What we’d skipped
As you head down via the Heritage Trail (about 20 minutes) and then along the dirt road (another 20 minutes), you’ll also see signs about how the area was used by pioneers. Stopping to read them will stretch out the hike. Personally, I didn’t find them very engaging since heritage interpretation wasn’t what I was looking for on this walk, but others might enjoy it if that’s their interest.
We tried the detour to Moss’s Well and honestly found it underwhelming. It’s a very short side track, but it didn’t add much to the walk. The moss during the hike was full of stunning bright green colours, which raised our expectations – so it was a bit disappointing to learn the name came from a person, not the vegetation!
Practical tips for hiking Mt Mathieson Loop
- Time and distance: It took us just under 3 hours to complete the loop with both detours (Governors Chair and Moss’s well).
- Shoes: Expect a few muddy patches near the start, so wear good hiking shoes to progress faster.
- Weather: At over 700m altitude, it’s noticeably cooler on the trail. Pack a jacket if you’re hiking in winter or even during the shoulder seasons.
- Ticks: The trail was well maintained and easy to follow, but we brushed past vegetation a lot. Do a tick check afterwards (we always carry a tick removal tool just in case).
Have you hiked Mt Mathiesson Loop? Share your experience in the comments below.
Where is Mt Mathieson?
Mt Mathieson is in Main Range National Park, part of the Scenic Rim in South East Queensland. It’s about a 1.5-hour drive from Brisbane, which makes it a great day trip if you’re after a hike with variety and stunning views without travelling too far.
The drive there is beautiful, with mountain scenery from Flinders Peak in the distance to Mount Greville up close. Keep an eye out for wildlife on the road, especially early in the morning or late in the afternoon, as kangaroos and other animals often cross.
