Active project record

Originally reported: 2020
Last reviewed: 21 July 2026
Current status: Partly operational; further construction and commercial accommodation planning underway

This page records the development of the Wangetti Trail and its status when last reviewed. It is not maintained in real time. Significant later developments may be covered through Keep It Wild Australia’s Protected Areas Tourism Watch reports.

The original proposal

The Wangetti Trail was announced as a purpose-built walking and mountain-biking route extending approximately 94 kilometres between Palm Cove and Port Douglas in Far North Queensland.

The route was intended to pass through the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area and three national parks: Macalister Range, Kuranda and Mowbray national parks. It also crosses local government land, freehold land, reserves held in trust and areas associated with separate native title claims. (Parks and Forests)

The original project was divided into three broad sections:

  • Wangetti South, between Palm Cove and Wangetti;
  • Wangetti North, between Wangetti and the Mowbray River; and
  • Mowbray North, connecting the river area with Port Douglas.

The trail was promoted as a multi-day walking and riding experience supported by public campsites and privately operated eco-accommodation. Earlier government material referred to five overnight nodes, four of which could contain a combination of public camping and commercial eco-accommodation, with another providing public camping only.

Possible private accommodation included glamping and low-impact cabins, alongside communal facilities and service infrastructure. The model therefore went beyond constructing a public trail and licensing ordinary guided tours. It contemplated private investment and accommodation operations within or beside protected areas along the route.

Current status

The Wangetti Trail is now partly operational, but most of the proposed route remains incomplete.

The first 7.8-kilometre section between Palm Cove and Ellis Beach opened in September 2024. It is available to both walkers and mountain-bike riders and passes through Macalister Range National Park and the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. (Parks and Forests)

The Queensland Government is progressing the next section between Ellis Beach and Wangetti. During early 2026, procurement was divided into separate packages covering tracks and trails, bridges and boardwalks, suspension bridges and a public campground. Site inspections, geotechnical investigations and cultural heritage surveys were undertaken before construction. (Vision6)

The June 2026 project update said procurement and negotiations were continuing, including consideration of revised alignments, infrastructure requirements and delivery methods. The 2026–27 Queensland Budget allocated a further $31.2 million to the project, supporting delivery of the Ellis Beach to Wangetti section and continued planning for the northern route. (Vision6)

The complete trail between Palm Cove and Port Douglas is now expected to become operational in 2028, subject to weather, approvals and completion of planning for the northern alignment. (Parks and Forests)

The completed Palm Cove to Ellis Beach section

Construction of the first stage began in July 2023 and involved approximately 1.3 kilometres of local multi-use pathway and 6.5 kilometres of natural-surface shared walking and mountain-bike trail.

The works included bridges, gully crossings, rock armouring, drainage and treatment of numerous water crossings. The alignment was designed following ecological, geotechnical and cultural heritage investigations intended to reduce impacts on sensitive parts of the World Heritage landscape. (Ministerial Media Statements)

The completed section is graded as a Grade 3 walking route and a shared mountain-bike track. It can be completed in about three hours on foot or substantially faster by bicycle, although visitors must arrange transport or return along the same route. (Ministerial Media Statements)

Government monitoring reported more than 11,000 users between July 2025 and early 2026, averaging approximately 43 people per day. (Vision6)

Ellis Beach to Wangetti

The next section represents the most advanced part of the unfinished trail.

The Queensland Government initially indicated that construction would begin after the 2025–26 wet season. By March 2026, tender packages had been released and potential contractors had inspected trail, bridge and campground locations. Cultural heritage surveys were also undertaken with Djabugay Nation Caring-for-Country officers, archaeologists and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service staff. (Ministerial Media Statements)

The works are expected to include:

  • new dual-use trail;
  • bridges and boardwalks;
  • suspension bridges;
  • a public campground; and
  • supporting visitor and safety infrastructure.

The government has not yet published a final construction completion date for this section. The broader project target is for the entire Palm Cove to Port Douglas route to be operational in 2028. (Vision6)

Northern route and Twin Bridges Track

Planning remains less advanced between Wangetti and Port Douglas.

The northern alignment is still being refined, and the project team is considering how existing tracks can reduce the need for new construction within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The government states that the final alignment may continue to change in response to environmental, cultural and technical investigations. (Parks and Forests)

The Twin Bridges Track, following part of the former East Black Mountain Road between Wangetti and the Port Douglas hinterland, reopened in December 2025 after repairs. The government has said it is not a replacement for the proposed Wangetti Trail alignment, but it may form part of a future route. (Ministerial Media Statements)

The Mowbray River pedestrian bridge was completed earlier in the project and has become a visitor viewing point. Repair and stabilisation works were scheduled between July and September 2026 following damage associated with Tropical Cyclone Jasper. (Vision6)

Accommodation plans

The project continues to include commercial accommodation, although the details have become less settled than the original five-node concept suggested.

The current Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service project page says the completed trail will offer a choice of public camping facilities and high-end eco-accommodation. It also identifies private-sector investment as part of the intended economic model. (Parks and Forests)

However, the current government description no longer confirms five commercial accommodation nodes. It states instead that the government is seeking to establish an ecotourism experience over the northern portion of the trail, potentially involving small-scale eco-accommodation and guided tours.

A market-engagement process is expected to begin after further investigation and refinement of the commercial offering. No operator has yet been selected, and no lease, concession or detailed accommodation proposal has been publicly announced. (Parks and Forests)

This is an important change in emphasis. The original concept suggested an established chain of five accommodation nodes. The current position is more preliminary, with public camping proceeding as part of the Ellis Beach to Wangetti works while private eco-accommodation remains subject to further planning and market testing.

Public camping

Public camping remains part of the project and is more advanced than the private accommodation component.

The initial Wangetti South concept included a campsite with raised tent platforms, communal shelter, toilets and bicycle-storage facilities. Procurement documents released in 2026 confirmed that a public campground forms part of the Ellis Beach to Wangetti construction program. (Vision6)

The final capacity, platform numbers, fees, booking arrangements and management model have not been published.

It is also not yet clear how the public campground will relate to any future commercial accommodation farther north, or whether commercial operators will receive reserved campsite capacity for guided trips.

Traditional Owner involvement

The Wangetti Trail has been co-designed with Traditional Owners of the Djabugay Nation, including the Djabuganydji, Yirrganydji, Nyagali, Buluwanydji and Guluy peoples.

Government engagement began in 2018, and Cultural Heritage Management Agreements have been developed to guide construction and avoid damage to cultural places and artefacts. The project is also intended to create training, employment, land-management and business opportunities for Traditional Owners. (Parks and Forests)

In 2020, land at Wangetti was transferred to the Wangetti Aboriginal Land Trust. Government project material says Traditional Owners intend to use the land to support jobs and businesses associated with the trail. (Parks and Forests)

A trial Indigenous-led business has also been involved in maintaining the completed Palm Cove to Ellis Beach section. (Vision6)

Traditional Owner participation is therefore more developed than in many protected-area tourism proposals. However, the final ownership, governance and financial participation arrangements for any private eco-accommodation have not yet been announced.

Environmental approval and World Heritage setting

The Wangetti Trail is unusual because it proposes a long, dual-use trail through three national parks and part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

The route has been surveyed by ecologists, environmental planners, geotechnical specialists and cultural heritage practitioners. The government says alignments are being adjusted to avoid sensitive environmental and cultural areas and to use existing tracks where possible. (Parks and Forests)

The complete route has not yet received every approval required for delivery. The Queensland Government is still seeking approvals for parts of the trail and states that both the northern alignment and project completion remain dependent on environmental assessment and approval outcomes. (Parks and Forests)

This means the 94-kilometre alignment should still be understood as a developing project rather than a fully approved and fixed route.

Funding and cost escalation

The original project was promoted as a $47.1 million development, comprising $39.1 million from the Queensland Government and $8 million from the Australian Government’s National Tourism Icons Program. (Ministerial Media Statements)

By February 2025, the incoming Queensland Government stated that approximately $22.5 million had already been spent delivering the first 7.8 kilometres. It criticised delays, project management and cost escalation and announced that the wider trail would be reconsidered through stakeholder and Tourism Cabinet processes. (Ministerial Media Statements)

The government subsequently reconfirmed its intention to deliver the full route. The additional $31.2 million announced in the 2026–27 Budget supports the next construction section and northern planning. (Vision6)

The current total budget is therefore no longer adequately represented by the original $47.1 million figure alone. A consolidated whole-of-project cost, including expenditure to date and the new allocation, has not been publicly stated in the official material reviewed for this update.

What has changed

The project has changed substantially since Keep It Wild Australia first reported it.

The first section has moved from proposal to operation, opening between Palm Cove and Ellis Beach in September 2024.

The original 2026 completion target has moved to 2028. The project experienced delays, cost concerns, changes of government and a period of reassessment before the current government reconfirmed its intention to deliver the full trail. (Ministerial Media Statements)

The funding profile has also changed. The original $47.1 million allocation has been supplemented by a further $31.2 million in the 2026–27 Budget. (Vision6)

Most importantly for Protected Areas Tourism Watch, the accommodation model is less definite than it appeared in the original proposal. The earlier five-node model has been replaced in current government descriptions by a more general commitment to public camping and possible small-scale commercial accommodation on the northern portion of the trail.

The private operator market process has not begun, and the eventual number, scale, location and ownership of commercial facilities remain unresolved. (Parks and Forests)

Commercial tourism implications

The Wangetti Trail remains a significant commercial tourism development despite much of the trail itself being public infrastructure.

The government explicitly intends the project to generate new private-sector investment, guided experiences, accommodation services and long-term tourism opportunities. The planned public trail will create the platform on which those commercial products can operate. (Parks and Forests)

The main unresolved commercial questions concern the northern accommodation component:

  • how many accommodation sites will be offered;
  • whether they will be inside national parks or on adjoining Traditional Owner or other land;
  • whether they will be cabins, glamping sites or another form of structure;
  • whether an operator will receive exclusive leases or reserved capacity;
  • how the facilities will be serviced;
  • whether independent users can access them; and
  • how revenue and ownership will be shared with Traditional Owners.

At present, public camping and ordinary shared trail access are more clearly defined than the private accommodation model.

The project should therefore continue to be followed not only as a trail-construction program but as a potential model for combining public national park infrastructure with private high-end tourism investment.

Why this project matters

The Wangetti Trail is one of Australia’s largest current protected-area tourism infrastructure projects.

Its length, dual use by walkers and mountain-bike riders, World Heritage setting and crossing of three national parks distinguish it from most Great Walk developments. It is also intended to support an entire tourism corridor rather than a single trail or accommodation site.

The project could create significant Traditional Owner employment and business opportunities and provide a continuous walking and riding route between two established tourism destinations.

At the same time, its scale means that environmental effects are not limited to the width of the track. Bridges, campgrounds, service access, construction logistics, visitor growth and future commercial accommodation could collectively alter how the national parks and World Heritage landscape are used and experienced.

The change from five proposed accommodation nodes to a less-defined northern eco-accommodation concept is particularly important. It means the commercial component has not disappeared, but it is still capable of being reshaped before formal market engagement and approvals begin.

Confirmed

The Wangetti Trail is planned as an approximately 94-kilometre walking and mountain-biking route between Palm Cove and Port Douglas.

The route will pass through the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and Macalister Range, Kuranda and Mowbray national parks.

The first 7.8-kilometre section between Palm Cove and Ellis Beach opened in September 2024.

Procurement and planning are progressing for the Ellis Beach to Wangetti section.

A public campground forms part of that next construction stage.

The Queensland Government allocated a further $31.2 million in the 2026–27 Budget.

The complete trail is expected to become operational in 2028, subject to weather and approvals.

The project continues to contemplate public camping and high-end eco-accommodation.

The government plans future market engagement for small-scale accommodation and guided tourism on the northern section.

No private accommodation operator has yet been publicly selected. (Parks and Forests)

Not yet confirmed

The final northern trail alignment.

The complete whole-of-project cost.

The construction completion date for the Ellis Beach to Wangetti section.

The number, location and capacity of public campgrounds.

Whether the original concept of five accommodation nodes has been formally abandoned.

The number and location of future commercial accommodation sites.

Whether commercial accommodation will be located inside national parks, on Traditional Owner land or on other tenures.

The form of accommodation, including whether cabins or glamping structures will be proposed.

The identity of any private operator or investment partner.

The length and conditions of any future lease, licence or concession.

Whether commercial accommodation will be available to independent trail users.

Whether tour operators will receive reserved campsite or accommodation allocations.

The final ownership, revenue-sharing and governance arrangements involving Traditional Owners.

The approvals and environmental conditions applying to the incomplete sections.

Sources and documents

  • Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service: Wangetti Trail project
  • Queensland Government: Work starts on Wangetti Trail South
  • Queensland Government: First stage of Wangetti Trail to open
  • Queensland Government: Taking steps to get Wangetti Trail back on track
  • Queensland Government: Twin Bridges Track officially open
  • Wangetti Trail project newsletters, March–June 2026
  • Queensland Government budget material for the 2026–27 Wangetti Trail allocation
  • Relevant environmental, cultural heritage and trail-alignment documents