Johns Peak

Monday 14 March 2022: Johns Peak ! – L/E-M. Try the new-ish made track from the Camel Back Fire Trail to Johns Peak.

Summary

Distance: 14.6km | Climb: 755m | Time: 4hrs 7mins moving plus 20mins of breaks | Grading: L/E-M; M(11-).

Photographs

Photographs are available here.

gpx File

Download the gpx file recorded via AllTrails here (in AllTrails, activate …, Download Route, Select the file format GPX Track, OK).

Another version of the gpx file, recorded on my Garmin Oregon 650 GPSr, is available here. It has a few waypoints in it which the AllTrails version doesn’t.

Track Notes

AllTrails trip report.

I was last in this area on 31 Jul 19.

The new-ish track from the Camel Back Fire Trail to Johns Peak would have to be one of the best tracks I’ve done in my nearly 20 years of walking in the ACT and nearby NSW. It is superb! Now some walkers don’t like tracks opening up, believing that they ruin the navigational challenge of walks and bring too many folk into an area. My opinion is the opposite. This track is a more accessible route to Johns Peak and allows for fantastic views to be enjoyed as one walks along. The minor scramble to the top is not tamed; it provides a little challenge to go with the magnificent scenery. My only caveat would be to start early up the Camel Back Fire Trail to avoid the hot sun (although there is shade from the tall mountain trees recovered from the 2003 fires), or to walk it in Autumn-Winter.

The Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve gates open at 7.30am in Daylight Savings Time/Summer and I was up at the Mountain Creek car park and walking by 7.45am. The link track is a nicer route for a few hundred metres to join the Camel Back Fire Trail.

7.50am on the link track to join the Camel Back Fire Trail

I wasn’t sure how my ageing body would take the steep climb up the fire trail, the signage telling me I’d have to go up for nearly 5.6km.

Track signage where the track joins the Camel Back Fire Trail

It was a tortoise walk (slow and steady), but pleased I only needed to stop to take a quick photo and remove my jumper. The lovely tall mountain gums are looking good and there was plenty of shade on the fire trail due to time of day and season.

Walking the Camel Back Fire Trail

Signage at the top of the Spur 1 and Spur 2 fire trails broke the unending climb, as did the occasional call of lyrebirds. A few late flowers and a little colour beside the fire trail.

Dianella

Finally reached the new (to me) turn off signage.

Johns Peak turn off signage from the Camel Back Fire Trail

AllTrails showed the damage.

Alltrails screen shot at the Johns Peak turn off signage from the Camel Back Fire Trail

A couple of young ladies powered past me, no doubt heading for Camels Hump.

The old vehicle track is nice and clear, perhaps used by vehicles during the track clearing.

Old vehicle alignment at the start of Johns Peak track

It leads to the burnt out communications tower.

Burnt out radio transmitter

This is where the track/footpad proper begins and there is the first of six track marking arrows.

The track is truly delightful, skirting to the east of SH1322 before realigning to the original route.

Johns Peak track

It follows the crest of the Tidbinbilla Range which is also the border between TNR and Namadgi National Park. Eventually Johns Peak comes into view …

Johns Peak above the track

Track markers are bright, but minimal.

Track marker

… and gets a little closer …

Johns Peak gets a little closer

… and closer.

Johns Peak gets a little closer

Eventually the flat-ish ridge starts to climb.

Near the start of the scramble to Johns Peak

There are huge views back to Camels Hump and the ridge just traversed.

View back to Camels Hump from the north face of Johns Peak

Johns Peak is a little anti-climactic, flat after the rocky climb. But great views to the west. I didn’t notice the ‘Johns Peak’ sign at the time, but caught it in a photo.

View west from Johns Peak and signage

The track heads on towards Tidbinbilla Peak and, I understand, deteriorates a bit.

Some folk mistakenly call this hill ‘St Johns Peak’. It’s not named after the author of the biblical book of Revelation. Signage on the Church Rock Trail has the good oil:

“Johns Peak 1453m. Johns Peak was named after John McDonald, husband of Eliza Webb.”

With the hill south above the Tidbinbilla Visitors Centre named Mt Eliza, husband and wife gaze at each other across the valley they once farmed.

The return journey from the top has magnificent views to Camels Hump.

View to Camels Hump descending the north face of Johns Peak

Heading back down the Camel Back Fire Trail, there is one last view to Johns Peak.

Johns Peak from the Camel Back Fire Trail descent

The return down the fire trail was a little quicker than the ascent, the 5.7km covered in 1hr 8mins (1hr 40mins up).

Down near the link track there’s an old siren on a post just up in the bush.

Tidbinbilla warning siren

And on the drive out, just where the Mountain Creek car park exit meets the entrance, is the site of Rayners Sawmill.

A fabulous track!

Track Map

The AllTrails recorded track map is here, where you can pan and zoom. And here’s the track laid out on my old TopoView 2006 map segment.

Track Johns Peak

Here’s the slight variation around SH1322.

New track alignment (blue) and old (red) around SH1322

Party

Just moi.