The Sphinx and Turtle Rock

How to get there

1. Same Pyramids Road approach as the Visitor Precinct (New England Highway → ~9 km sealed).
2. Park at the visitor information building car park. The track starts on the southern side of Pyramids Road — same precinct as Castle Rock.
3. Screenshot directions. Official pages note mobile reception can be lost.
4. Castle Rock camping area is about 300 m south of the visitor building if you want a dawn start without a Stanthorpe hotel drive.

How to do it (step by step)

1. Start at the signed Sphinx and Turtle Rock track on the southern side of Pyramids Road.
2. Walk the Grade 3 return through woodland and granite to the named formations. The shapes are the reward — not a summit scramble.
3. Pack lunch and water before you leave the car. Official time is 3–4 hours for 7.4 km return. That is a half-day, not a lookout stroll.
4. Return the same way. Do not add Castle Rock or Mount Norman on the same legs unless you planned a very long day.

What to expect

The Sphinx and Turtle Rock walk is a southern Grade 3 return from near the visitor information building to two named granite formations. Official: 7.4 km return, 3–4 hours. That is longer than many people expect from a Grade 3 label.

You came for shapes, not a summit tick. There is no scramble in the Pyramid class. There is still plenty of granite underfoot, and the return is the same track you just walked.

How the day works

Same start precinct as Castle Rock: south side of Pyramids Road, visitor-building car park. Same sealed 2WD access. Return the same way. No car shuffle.

Treat this as the main walk of the day. A tidy plan is Sphinx & Turtle in the morning, picnic at the precinct, then nothing harder. Adding Castle Rock (5.2 km) or Mount Norman (11 km from the same start) because they share a car park is how groups finish after dark.

Hazards

Length first. 7.4 km on rocky ground in 3–4 hours official is a half-day. Heat, water and a turnaround time matter. Grade 3 is not a free pass.

Wet granite is still slick here even without a dome scramble. After rain, slow down on slabs and skip any side wandering for photos. Mobile coverage is not reliable — leave a plan with someone who is not on the walk.

Turning around

Turn around on the same track when time, heat or the group says so. You do not need both named formations for the walk to count.

If someone still wants a short finish after you reverse, Granite Arch is the 1.6 km circuit on the other side of the precinct — only if legs are honest. Do not “just pop up” Castle Rock afterwards.

Map (orientation)

Pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads, parking and track status on Queensland Parks before you drive.

Other walks from this area

Same arrival, different commitment. Open the guide that matches the day — do not stack them because they share a car park.

Castle Rock

5.2 km return (QPWS, re-checked 2026-08-16) · hard

Southern-side Grade 4 return walk from near the visitor information building: shady eucalypt woodland on rocky ridges, then a steep climb over exposed granite to Castle Rock’s summit lookouts. Official: 5.2 km return, 1.5–2 hours.

Open walk guide →

Creek trail

3.5 km circuit (QPWS, re-checked 2026-08-16) · moderate

Southern shared walking and mountain-bike circuit. Official: 3.5 km circuit, about 1 hour on foot or 30 minutes riding. Mountain bikes are permitted only on designated shared trails and council roads — not on walking tracks.

Open walk guide →

Peak trail

10.6 km return (QPWS, re-checked 2026-08-16) · moderate

Southern shared walking / intermediate MTB return trail. Official: 10.6 km return, about 2 hours walking or 1 hour riding. Open 24 hours. Bikes only on designated shared trails.

Open walk guide →