Mount Olive Trail

Starting from the Ironbark Picnic area, Glenworth Valley, this walk takes you on a journey through a eucalypt environment in Popran National Park, visiting Mount Olive Lookout along the way. This is a walk that can be undertaken with a bike and a horse as well. You can enjoy the views of Glenworth Valley through the walk and from the lookout, along with open views over the Hawkesbury River. Additionally, The wildlife in the area is pretty abundant; it is possible to see kookaburras and black cockatoos, along with sugar gliders. The vegetation is also diverse, including Gymea Lillies and smooth-barked apples. It is recommended that you visit the area with a 4WD vehicle due to the variations on the track. Furthermore, if you are mountain biking, there is a section where you should dismount your bike and continue on foot. Let us begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we travel today, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

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Safer Bushwalks Tips on staying safe on track
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.

Getting There Transport options and directions

Start	From the Ironbark Road (-33.3845696,151.18802)
Mode	Car (You'll need a vehicle with high clearance to get to the picnic area. Otherwise, you can start the walk about 1.17 kilometres back on Ironbark Road.)
Directions	From Pacific Motorway, M1, Somersby. Turn on to Peats Ridge Road Offramp then drive for 9.5 km Keep left onto Wisemans Ferry Road Exit and drive for another 235 m Keep right onto Wisemans Ferry Road Exit and drive for another 35 m Turn right onto Wisemans Ferry Road and drive for another 3 km Turn right onto George Downes Drive, 33 and drive for another 40 m Turn left onto Wisemans Ferry Road and drive for another 8.2 km Turn left onto Ironbark Road and drive for another 7.3 km

Track Notes Turn by turn instructions & maps

Turn map	Directions & comments
	From the Ironbark Road Start heading along Ironbark Road (a vehicle track). There is a toilet (about 20 m back from the start). Find the seat at the start. Find the picnic table at the start. Then head through/around the gate. Find the Ironbark Rd Picnic area at the start. Ironbark Rd Picnic area This picnic area is located at the end of Ironbark Rd, on the edge of Popran National Park. While this is not a special spot for a picnic, there are good facilities if you are doing a walk in the area. There is a picnic table, pit toilet (with a small rainwater tank for handwashing), information signs and track arrows at this point. Some of the tracks starting from this point are also horse trails. A section of Ironbark Rd may not be suitable for 2WD vehicles so you may have to walk the last section of road. Find the sign at the start.
	After another 4 m (from the Mount Olive Trail) continue straight, to head along Mount Olive Trail.
	After another 305 m (at the intersection of Mount Olive Trail & 248 Trail) turn left, to head along Mount Olive Trail.
	After another 25 m (from the Mount Olive Trail) continue straight, to head along Mount Olive Trail.
	After another 2.4 km (at the intersection of Mount Olive Trail & Hominy Creek Trail) continue straight, to head along Mount Olive Trail.
	After another 1.2 km (from the Mount Olive Trail) veer right, to head along Mount Olive Trail.
	After another 170 m (from the Mount Olive Trail) veer right, to head along Mount Olive Trail.
	After another 9 m (from the Mount Olive Trail) continue straight (a walking track). After another 25 m come to a viewpoint.
	Turn around here and retrace the main route for 4.1 km to get back to the start.

Terrain Know the Hills, grading & facilities

Mount Olive Trail

Grading

	Class 3/6 Moderate track
Length	8.3 km
Time	2 h 30 min to 4 h

Quality of track	Formed track, with some branches and other obstacles (3/6)
Gradient	Gentle hills with occasional steps (2/6)
Signage	Clearly signposted (2/6)
Infrastructure	Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
Experience Required	No experience required (2/6)
Weather	Weather generally has little impact on safety (2/6)

Some facilities on route

Toilet: There is one -18 m back from the start.

Seat: There is one 0 m from the start.

Order of key facilities on route

Item	From Start	Name & link to notes
Toilet	-18 m	[toilet]
Seat	0 m	[seat]

Articles Discover more details to thrive on track
Get more information
| Practice for Horse Riding in Parks | Mount Olive Trail | Mount Olive Trail - Map | Mount Olive Lookout | Mount Olive Lookout - Map | Popran NP | Popran NP - Map

Weather & Alerts Check forecasts & closures
Weather Forecast
- Gosford Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon
  
  Monday 28 April
  
  Shower or two.
  
  Mostly clear. Slight chance of a shower about the Lower Hunter, near zero chance elsewhere. Winds south to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light in the evening.
  
  Tuesday 29 April
  
  15°C → 24°C
  Showers.
  80% chance of rain
  0 → 10mm
  
  Partly cloudy. The chance of morning fog. High chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm in the late afternoon and evening. Light winds. Overnight temperatures falling to between 10 and 14 with daytime temperatures reaching the low to mid 20s.
  
  UV Alert: Sun protection 9:20am to 2:20pm, UV Index predicted to reach 5 [Moderate]
  
  Wednesday 30 April
  
  14°C → 21°C
  Showers increasing.
  90% chance of rain
  3 → 20mm
  
  Cloudy. High chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds becoming south to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning. Overnight temperatures falling to between 11 and 15 with daytime temperatures reaching between 17 and 20.
  
  Thursday 1 May
  
  13°C → 19°C
  Showers.
  95% chance of rain
  8 → 35mm
  
  Cloudy. High chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm along the coastal fringe. Winds south to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h tending south to southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h during the day. Overnight temperatures falling to between 8 and 13 with daytime temperatures reaching between 15 and 19.
  
  Friday 2 May
  
  12°C → 20°C
  Showers.
  90% chance of rain
  1 → 15mm
  
  Partly cloudy. High chance of showers. Winds south to southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h becoming light during the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 8 and 12 with daytime temperatures reaching between 16 and 20.
  
  Saturday 3 May
  
  13°C → 22°C
  Shower or two.
  70% chance of rain
  0 → 9mm
  
  Shower or two.
  
  Sunday 4 May
  
  14°C → 23°C
  Shower or two.
  60% chance of rain
  0 → 4mm
  
  Shower or two.
  
  Monday 5 May
  
  15°C → 23°C
  Possible shower.
  40% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Possible shower.
  
  Forecast data thanks to © Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Alerts
- Popran National Park alerts
  Closed areas: Area closed for maintenance
  Some parts of this park are closed for essential track and trail maintenance from Wednesday 5 March to 30 June 2025. The closed areas are:
  - Emerald Pool
  - Mount Olive lookout
  - Mount Olive trail
  - Ironbark picnic area
  - Hominy Creek walking track
  - 248 trail
  - Pipeline trail
  - informal walking tracks leading into Popran National Park west of Popran Creek. Includes Glenworth South Horse Track and Mailmans Walking Track
  Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, contact the local NPWS office on 4320 4200.
  
  Alert kindly provided by © NSW Nataional Parks and Wildlife Service

Weather Forecast

Alerts