Mt Louisa Walking Track

The Mt Louisa track climbs a hill on the north side of Townsville by way of more than 1,700 stone steps, and it pays out with a 360 degree view over the city, Castle Hill, Magnetic Island and the northern beaches. The trailhead is not in Bohle itself: it sits about 10 minutes drive away, at the corner of Bayswater Road and Weston Street in Mount Louisa.

The walk

AllTrails measures the circuit at 3.7 km and rates it moderate, an hour to an hour and a half at a steady pace. That rating undersells the steps. Locals call it the stairway to heaven, and the surface alternates between cut stone, loose rock and steep uneven grades, with seating and interpretive signs spaced along the climb.

Leash status

Townsville City Council manages the track and dogs are welcome on lead, which stays on for the whole climb. Bicycles are not permitted, and camping, fires and four wheel driving are all prohibited. The marked track is the only place to be.

Watch-outs

Max: stone steps hold heat long after the air cools, and there are a lot of them here. Press the back of your hand flat to a step before you start. If you cannot hold it there, neither can your dog.

There is no water up on the track, no taps at the summit and no toilets either, so carry a bottle and a bowl. In the Townsville dry season that matters more than the distance does, and there is no shade worth counting on in the middle of the day.

Getting there

Free parking sits at the end of Weston Street, off Bayswater Road. It gets busy at sunset, which is the local ritual here, but there is usually a space.

Close by with the dogs

The Mount Louisa Dog Park is the obvious follow up and close by, and the Townsville Main Dog Park at Aitkenvale covers the bigger social sessions. For a post-climb coffee, Junction Cafe North Shore at Burdell is a short drive back towards the northern beaches.

When to go

Early morning, every time. Weekday mornings are quietest, weekend mornings and sunset afternoons draw the crowd, and the track has no lighting after dark. This suits fit dogs and fit owners: it is the wrong walk for seniors, short noses and hot afternoons.

More options are on the Queensland dog walks guide and the Bohle destination page.