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Mount Sorrow Hike – Cape Tribulation Hiking Guide
Complete guide to achieving one of the best views Far North Queensland's incredible Cape Tribulation has to offer. The Mount Sorrow hike is a little more difficult than some of the other short hikes, but the views make it unmissable. For those visiting Cape Tribulation, the Mount Sorrow Ridge Trail is one of the most epic hikes you'll find. This steep and wet trail up the dense mountain range that towers over Cape Tribulation is a great way to get a real taste of the ancient Daintree rainforest in the heritage-listed Wet Tropics Region. Although the Mount Sorrow hike is often considered one of the...
Mount Sorrow Hike – Cape Tribulation Hiking Guide
Complete guide to achieving one of the best views Far North Queensland's incredible Cape Tribulation has to offer. The Mount Sorrow hike is a little more difficult than some of the other short hikes, but the views make it unmissable.
For those visiting Cape Tribulation, the Mount Sorrow Ridge Trail is one of the most epic hikes you'll find. This steep and wet trail up the dense mountain range that towers over Cape Tribulation is a great way to get a real taste of the ancient Daintree rainforest in the heritage-listed Wet Tropics Region.
Although the Mount Sorrow hike is often considered one of the most difficult hikes in Cape Tribulation, this short guide aims to help you conquer it!
How to get to the Mount Sorrow Trailhead
The Mount Sorrow Ridge Trail begins just off Ryker’s Road, about 100 meters after the Kulki Boardwalk turnoff. You'll find it just over the cape, at the end of Myall Beach.
On the right side of the road (heading north) there is a small clearing where you can stop and park your car. The Mount Sorrow hiking trail is across the street from this clearing. Just before you enter the dense rainforest and begin your climb, you will see a small signpost.
RELATED: Devil’s Thumb Hiking Guide
The Mount Sorrow hike
The Mount Sorrow hike is considered one of the more difficult hiking trails popular with adventure seekers in Cape Tribulation. However, for those with a bit of experience hiking in the Australian bush and a relatively good level of fitness, it shouldn't be too difficult.
The path is well marked and cleared throughout. However, you'll need to look for orange markers on the trees to make sure you're on the right path.
However, it is also a good idea to remember that Cape Tribulation is a tropical area. In the rainy season it can get very wet, sloppy (and bloody). Plan accordingly. I would recommend definitely bringing some Deet!
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Featured in: 20 Things to Do in Cape Tribulation
Mount Sorrow hike GPX map
Below is a GPX file that follows my route up. You can also view the same map on Strava.
GPX file: Download
My Strava: Visit
Part 1: First ascent
Immediately upon entering the rainforest at the starting point of the Mount Sorrow hike, you will be surrounded by towering rainforest trees and tropical ferns as far as the eye can see. The path is obvious, so keep going and you start the first climb.
This section is not too steep but is a good place to spot wild rainforest animals. We spotted a few Boyd’s Forest Dragons, but unfortunately they were too fast to take a photo.
After a short climb, the path levels out for a leisurely walk of about a kilometer.
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Part 2: Second Ascension
About 45 minutes after the start, the main climb begins on the Mount Sorrow Ridge Trail. This climb is fairly steep but does not involve any technical climbing. The steepest sections have ropes to pull you through the muddy rainforest terrain.
You have about 1.4 miles to climb nearly 500 feet of elevation, most of which is just a steady, leg-burning push. Just keep following the orange markings on the trees and avoid leaving the route.
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The Mount Sorrow Summit viewpoint
When you finally reach the top, you'll be greeted by a small, fenced-in platform from which you can enjoy the ocean views. Unfortunately, the high tree canopy blocks most of the view. Fortunately, however, there is an option to continue and follow the ridge to a much, much better viewpoint just a few hundred meters further.
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Tip: Keep going for better views
If you look down, you'll notice that there is a well-worn path that leads around and beyond the observation deck. This is not an official trail, but leads to a viewpoint along the ridge of Mount Sorrow that offers some of the best views of Cape Tribulation.
We certainly weren't very impressed with the official viewing platform, so we decided to move on. This well-trodden path follows a narrow and fairly steep ridgeline, so we took our time. Just a few hundred meters from the official viewpoint, we broke out of the forest on a cleared section of the ridge, which was a well-deserved reward after the wet, steamy battle on the Mount Sorrow Ridge Trail!
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The descent follows the same path we came up. So after enjoying the view and getting some great shots of where the rainforest really meets. We continued down the reef for a well-deserved break.
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How to get to Cape Tribulation?
For those still in the planning stages of their Cape Tribulation trip, you may still be wondering how to get here.
The vast majority of visitors to Cape Trib come from either Cairns or Port Douglas. The only way to get to Cape Tribulation is to take the Daintree Car Ferry or book a day trip.
Read more: Cairns to Cape Tribulation – A Guide to the Great Barrier Reef Drive
The Daintree Ferry
The Daintree Ferry is a vehicle ferry that operates at least once an hour throughout the day between 5am and midnight. The ferry ticket costs $25 round trip and is perpetual so you can return at any time.
You need a car to reach the ferry port. If you are looking for a car rental in Port Douglas or Cairns, I would recommend comparing dealers on RentalCars.com to get the best deals.
Tip: Right next to the Daintree Ferry Terminal is the world famous Daintree Crocodile Tour. If you have some time to kill between ferries, I highly recommend booking a crocodile watching tour with Solar Whisper for the best chance of spotting big salties in the Daintree.
Organized Daintree trip
Don’t worry, visitors to Cairns or Port Douglas without their own transport can still look forward to an epic Cape Tribulation trip! The best-rated and cheapest deal currently available is this full-day tour to Cape Tribulation from Cairns or Port Douglas.
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Overnight accommodation at Cape Tribulation
Regardless of whether you decide to hike the Mount Sorrow hike or not, I have put together some tips below on the best places to stay on your trip to Cape Tribulation. If you would like more suggestions with photos, check out my comprehensive Cape Tribulation accommodation guide.
Incredible Rainforest Stay: Wildwood Rainforest CottagesWildwood offers by far the most incredible rainforest stay experience available in Daintree. Located in the heart of Cape Tribulation, you will find Wildwood surrounded by a rare exotic orchard. Guests have exclusive access to the orchard and are free to explore the over 800 trees on the property and pick and taste the seasonal fruits. All rooms have access to a landscaped garden and fire pits for grilling under the stars.
Best hostel in Cape Trib: Daintree Crocodylus Hostel For backpackers and those on a budget who prefer a more raw Daintree experience, I would recommend Crocodylus hostel. In Cow Bay, closer to the ferry but just a stone's throw from Cape Tribulation and Myall Beach, this hostel offers wood and canvas safari tent-style rooms with high ceilings, fans and mosquito nets. All rooms have rainforest views and include access to their swimming pool!
Epic holiday home for groups: Cape Tribulation Holiday House With a group or would you rather have a large house in the rainforest all to yourself? This property is the highest rated holiday home in Cape Tribulation. Set on 5 acres of rainforest, it features a huge balcony, 2 bedrooms and a fully equipped kitchen!
More things to do in Far North Queensland
Enjoying this Mount Sorrow hiking guide on the Mount Sorrow Ridge Trail? If this is the kind of adventure you are looking for when visiting Far North Queensland, don't miss some of my other guides. I have written hundreds of adventure travel guides for this region. So be sure to check out some of the following.
Otherwise, if you're visiting Cairns, don't miss this epic guide to what to see in Cairns or this comprehensive Cairns waterfalls guide!
Read: The 7 Best Cape Tribulation Tours
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