Irvinebank to Boonmoo Rail Trail

Follows two connected private 2-foot gauge tramway formations (built 1901-1907, closed 1936) that once carried tin ore and firewood between the historic mining settlements of Irvinebank and Stannary Hills, and on to a junction with the government railway at Boonmoo, in the tin-mining hinterland west of the Atherton Tablelands. Heritage-listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. IMPORTANT - READ BEFORE RIDING: this trail crosses PRIVATE LAND. RTA states plainly that the section between Stannary Hills Cemetery and Boonmoo Station requires PRIOR PERMISSION from the owners of Boonmoo Station, the Gunderson family - this is not public access by default, and riders must contact the landowners before setting out. This is also a genuinely remote route: the same section has no services and limited-to-no mobile phone reception. Self-supported riders (or support vehicles) should carry a 1:50,000 Irvinebank topographical map, comprehensive first aid, ample water and food/fuel, and a reliable means of communication in case of emergency. Eureka Creek can be impassable in wet conditions - seek local advice at Irvinebank before departing. This is not a casual, drop-in ride like most trails in this app - proper trip preparation and landowner contact are essential.

Boonmoo to Stannary Hills area (approx. 22-24km): follows the old tramway formation south-east along Eureka Creek from the Boonmoo siding (where the alignment meets the former Cairns-Chillagoe railway) through remote pastoral land - THIS SECTION REQUIRES PRIOR PERMISSION from Boonmoo Station's owners, the Gunderson family. Passes historic mining features, cuttings and bridge ruins between Boonmoo and 'the 6 Mile'. Stannary Hills to Irvinebank (approx. 17-19km): the more established, easier end of the route - from the Stannary Hills historic town site (once home to 800 people and 8 hotels, now just a monument and scattered mine workings), the trail crosses Eureka Creek near historic mining cuttings, then continues via Weinert's Siding and Hales Siding Rd back into Irvinebank, initially following remnants of the alignment beside Gibbs Creek into town.