From the campground, its a short walk to the top of Chaelundi Falls. Much water was flowing noisily over the top when we visited, but its hard to get a good view of the falls as they tumble down the hillside. After heavy rain, the grassy path was wet underfoot in places too.
Beyond the falls, the walk heads out on the spur that is Chaelundi bluff, through lovely open woodland with some National Parks signs to help you identify trees. White Dorrigo Gum, New England Stringybark, a stately Grey Gum and a she oak with black furrowed bark. The lookout at Lucifers Thumb is superb, with a flooding Guy Fawkes River in the gorge far below.
Back on the Escarpment Walk, on a pleasant grassy path through Fattening Paddock, with occasional old fence posts. We cross Jordans Trail, enter a forest of she-oaks and climb a rocky hill to reach Banbai Lookout, before descending to Spring Gully picnic area for lunch at the picnic table.
From Spring Gully, it is 4.5km to Chaelundi campground. If you have two cars, organise a car shuffle and leave one at Spring Gully picnic area to avoid the road trudge. We walked, snacking on bright red ripe raspberries growing on the road verge, as we went.
The Park was badly impacted by the 2019 fires, and closed for two years after, but the bush is recovering, with new infrastructure at Chaelundi campground and new signage on the walks.
Don’t forget to stop at Misty Creek lookout on the road into the campground. Also nearby is Mount Hyland Nature Reserve with Vista Point lookout on Chaelundi Road and the 3 km summit walk on the other side.
