Table Top Mountain

Table Top Mountain

Table Top Mountain
4.5
What people are saying
By WorldTravla7
Beautiful..but not for the faint hearted
5.0 of 5 bubblesApr 2023
I tackled Table Top as part of my 9 month training for Mt Kilimanjaro. It’s a short 2km return hike but it’s challenging & requires technique, concentration & reasonable fitness. The first 100-200m is straight uphill & will really get your heart pumping. From then there is a challenging section to navigate over large rocks where focus & strategic foot placement is essential (I’m sure people have twisted many an ankle here). The next section is uphill with thousands of small black rocks/pebbles underfoot for a few hundred metres - you need to take care here too as it’s easy to lose grip. Then the last section is sheer rock face that involves rock climbing/scrambling & you need to pull yourself up carefully with hands and feet - taking it carefully and ensuring four points of contact here is key as it would be easy to lose balance/placement & fall a considerable distance below! But for me I enjoyed the challenge & this was great training. I saw a family doing geocache on the way up. Once at the top the views are indeed spectacular. You can walk either side via tiny little clearings in the long grass and get views from both north & south. On the northern side there is a rock sculpture with nice views and I spent 15 minutes just chilling and looking at the sky and the mountains off in the distance. Hint - drive all the way to the end of the road if you just want to do the summit. I stopped at a car park further up the road which had an alternate starting point which required an extra 2km or so of walking.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles50 reviews
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rhrimmer
Toowoomba, Australia39 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2017 • Friends
Table Top is a noticeable landmark from Picnic Point viewing platform. It can be seen best from the corner of Rowbotham Street and Kara View Court. The walk to Table Top and back starts from the eastern end of South Street and will take 2-3 hours return.
Formerly this place was sacred to the local Aboriginal nation and was the scene of a fight which the Aborigines won against armed white settlers, but lost when the soldiers were sent in a few days from Moreton Bay colony to massacre the people they could find. Senator Neville Bonner's (1st Aboriginal person in Federal Parliament) great-grandfather, Multuggerah, was the spiritual defender of the sacred sites of this nation and is recognised as one of Australia's foremost freedom fighters.
Written 7 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rebecca C
Canberra, Australia99 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2018 • Couples
Described as a "little scramble" we were prepared with good shoes and ready for an adventure. What a climb it was!! The views from the top are absolutely stunning although the journey to get there is not for the faint hearted. The final climb was quiet challenging and I definitely wished I'd gone with a camelback or similar as climbing and holding the water bottle was quiet a challenge!!
We made it up and back in about 1.5 hours with a nice stop at the top to watch the sunrise. This was the first time I've done this hike and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it - SUPER keen to do this one again
Written 2 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael W
Toowoomba124 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2017 • Family
Table Top is that cool looking flat-topped hill to the left (south) of the highway when heading westwards as you're coming up to Toowoomba. Many years ago it was known as "One Tree Hill" - for reasons just as obvious as the name it is more lately known as. It has significant history ... and was unfortunately the scene of one of the last major bitter confrontations between the aborigines and settlers in the mid 19th century. Well worth researching for those interested.

Having lived in the general area since a lad I clearly recall the army aviation helicopters conducting exercises up there fairly frequently years ago. If you should find yourself on top, you will appreciate its worth in this respect.

Easily viewed from Toowoomba's iconic Picnic Point, you can access the base of the hill by following the tourist road around from Picnic Point. It passes several children's parks, then continues on as Heller St. Then take the first turn left onto South Street and simply follow it eastwards until it stops.

Those that aren't coming via Picnic Point can simply pick up South Street - it's a real long one - and follow it east until it stops. There is reasonable bitumen with 4 or 5 largish speed bumps, culminating in a dirt section towards the end, and this can get rutted out easily. Only just suited to low slung sedans in the dry season ... and not at all in the wet!

A couple of unmarked car parking areas at the end of the line ... with the final one being the dead end at the base of the little foot hill, which we affectionately call the "pimple". Don't be fooled by this first leg of the climb - it is just as steep in places as Table Top proper ... but it's just the entrée. You have to ascend it, then rock-hop along an arrangement of large pentagon/hexagon profiled basalt type rock formations ... which, interestingly, seem to have shifted and realigned over the years, then descend this into a small saddle between the hills before tackling the main climb up Table Top itself.

The climb will include steep dirt trails, the rocks I've described, and lots of smaller dark grey boulders of varying sizes all piled on top of each other - these shift easily underfoot, so be careful. Then ... right at the end is a very steep rock face you need to climb for 30 metres or so ... depending which of the several paths you choose ... to make the summit. Despite looking difficult, it's not as bad as it seems ... the embedded rocks of the face poke out randomly providing quite good foot and hand holds.

Be aware though ... that the majority of folks will end up shimmying along on their backsides at some point during the trek. There are plenty of spots along the way to have a break, or make way for others coming through. And thankfully nature has provided the occasional tree or tree root at JUST the right spot for a useful handhold!

So ... once you get to the top, you will see several paths branching off ... but it's impossible to get lost. We tend to follow the circuit round to the left (north) ... this winds its way around the peak, providing terrific views toward Withcott, Helidon, Ravensbourne, the Lockyer Valley, and back to Toowoomba and the range crossing. There's a little spot on the eastern side where you have a great view and a rock or two to sit on for a bit of a picnic.

There's a little thicket of low scrub at the south eastern edge, close to a couple of survey posts (or something ... not sure) to explore. The track goes through them easily. Then we rejoin the circuit and return to the start point following the track along the southern periphery. A couple of steep drop-offs in this area, and more beautiful views.

The walk is becoming way more popular, and it's very rare that you will have the place to yourself ... exercise junkies tend to fly up it all decked out in their lycra and monitors, but the place is just as popular with families ... and I've seen some stout parents carting babies in the little rucksacks that hang off the chest.

The walk is fine for all fitness levels, but I would ideally avoid it, or take it real easy if you have cardiac, mobility or severe asthma issues. Our climb generally takes around 40 minutes from car to peak, but this is an extremely general guide only. I prefer to wear stout boots with ankle support ... but the junkies just use the latest sexy sandshoes .... horses for courses. Nearest toilet facilities are back at picnic point, and you'll need to take sunscreen, drinking water and some snacks. Take your rubbish home obviously!!

It would help if a member of your party has some first aid knowledge. The area is known for snakes in the warmer seasons. There are regular medivac missions flown to Table Top for trauma of varying extents ... and if the fog's involved it's all on a stretcher by foot - not a nice way to leave the mountain! Having made this climb scores of times I've never encountered a tick ... but it is country that's known for them ... so have a look when you get home.

Overall it's difficult to imagine anybody not loving the great morning or afternoon sojourn this outing offers, but you'll need a good rest when you get back! If you go in the afternoon be aware that you may have the sun in your face for the descent back. The terrain and the views are terrific ... and I'd probably tackle it sooner rather than later ... before some killjoy decides to put fences everywhere!!
Written 5 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ali
Pittsworth, Australia4 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • Solo
I climbed Tabletop quite a few years back and didn’t find it as difficult as I did today, and I was 20kg heavier back then. I don’t ever remember having to practically rock climb the entire way. Initially very steep with lots of rock scrambling. The loose rocks and the steep, almost vertical climb at the end, have always been challenging. I managed to fall quite hard on the loose rocks on the way back down and will have the bruises to show for quite a few days I’m sure. The view from the top is spectacular as any view from the top of a mountain is. Overall I found the hike incredibly unpleasant and can certainly understand why people get into some troubles. It can only be described as dangerous and unsafe. I can honestly say I’ll never do it again.
Written 21 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Julie C
Brisbane, Australia204 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
Table Top Mountain is a fun climb and it's handy to Toowoomba.Its virtually on the edge of town.The views at the top are amazing,however the climb itself is a bit unsafe with all the very loose rocks.Would be so easy to roll an ankle
Written 19 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Oscar Smith
Newcastle, Australia2,303 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
Challenging walk which took around an hour. Very uneven surfaces and unfortunately there is a real lack of signage or guidance, so it's easy to get a bit off the track.
Written 23 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Benny Gauld
Gold Coast, Australia1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019 • Family
Me and my dad went today not sure of if it would be to hard or not but it turned out perfect for me and my dad I recommend bringing a bag to put a water bottle in because you use your hands to scramble a lot.I would also recommend not to go on a hot sunny day but besides from that it’s really fun and even though it’s challenging it’s still good and you feel like you have achieved something when you reach the top and on top of that you have a great view.
Written 19 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jerrythelab
Brisbane, Australia117 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2018 • Family
Used to do this walk as a child and teen way back in the 1980s, so gave it a go again with our children. The camel's hump hill prior to Tabletop is quite challenging to start. Big rocks, interesting climb, so precarious clambering parts. The infamous "gravel pit" section wasn't too bad, but the scramble directly up at the end was a bit freaky. Kids made it just fine, but wouldn't take young children, as hard to help them when you need your hands for climbing. Did part of the way down on my butt for safety. Also blew both my shoes - soles came right off! Check your shoes before you go. ;) I had to do half the way back in bare feet. Ouch. Rocks are very pointy. Lovely up on top of the mountain though. Nice views. Very peaceful. Lots of people hiking on the cold windy day. Wouldn't do it in summer at all! Exhausted now, but will do it again next winter.
Written 8 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Oscar Smith
Newcastle, Australia2,303 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2018 • Family
I am used to challenging hikes but this was ridiculous. No safety measures in place at any point. Extremely uneven and steep surface. Worst ever.
Written 27 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brad
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019 • Friends
Absolutely ridiculous no signs no rails, surely there's a easyer way up than the way we went, than the descent was b.s couldnt work out wich was the right safest way. I wonder how many people have died there? And to top it off saw a snake, don't do it views.Dont do it.
Written 30 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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