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 Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed
  
  Wednesday 30 April
  
  Showers.
  
  Cloudy. High chance of showers along the coastal fringe, medium chance elsewhere. The chance of a thunderstorm early this evening. Winds southeast to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h.
  
  Alert: Large and powerful surf conditions for the rest of the day are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as rock fishing, swimming and surfing.
  
  Thursday 1 May
  
  12°C → 20°C
  Showers.
  90% chance of rain
  2 → 15mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Very high chance of showers along the coastal fringe, medium chance elsewhere. The chance of a thunderstorm near the coast. Winds southeast to southwesterly 20 to 30 km/h. Overnight temperatures falling to between 8 and 12 with daytime temperatures reaching between 15 and 20.
  
  Alert: Large and powerful surf conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as rock fishing, swimming and surfing.
  
  UV Alert: Sun protection 9:40am to 2:00pm, UV Index predicted to reach 5 [Moderate]
  
  Friday 2 May
  
  13°C → 21°C
  Showers easing.
  80% chance of rain
  0 → 8mm
  
  Partly cloudy. High chance of showers near the coast, medium chance elsewhere. The chance of a thunderstorm near the coast. Light winds becoming south to southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 8 and 12 with daytime temperatures reaching between 16 and 21.
  
  Alert: Large and powerful surf conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as rock fishing, swimming and surfing.
  
  Saturday 3 May
  
  13°C → 22°C
  Shower or two.
  50% chance of rain
  0 → 2mm
  
  Partly cloudy. The chance of morning fog. Medium chance of showers along the coastal fringe, slight chance elsewhere. Light winds becoming southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 8 and 12 with daytime temperatures reaching between 18 and 22.
  
  Sunday 4 May
  
  13°C → 23°C
  Possible shower.
  40% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Light winds becoming east to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 8 and 12 with daytime temperatures reaching between 19 and 23.
  
  Monday 5 May
  
  14°C → 23°C
  Partly cloudy.
  30% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy.
  
  Tuesday 6 May
  
  13°C → 25°C
  Sunny.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Sunny.
  
  Wednesday 7 May
  
  13°C → 25°C
  Partly cloudy.
  30% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy.
  
  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