Lorne Hill

Homer and Marge · Veteran Member

Lorne Hill

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Found this on Google - via Nat. Parks -

Road conditions

Unsealed roads in the area make access unpredictable. It is strongly recommended that visitors take precautionary steps by being well-equipped and self-sufficient, as there is limited communication and no mobile phone reception. Contact the Department of Transport and Main Roads to find out about local road conditions and the Bureau of MeteorologyExternal link icon for weather reports and forecasts.

During the wet season (OctoberApril) it is recommended that visitors travel by four-wheel-drive and carry an over-supply of food in case of becoming stranded. The wet season can bring dramatic rises in creek levels within a short time and with little warning, cutting off road access. Visitors may find themselves stranded for a number of days.

https://www.npsr.qld.gov.au/parks/boodjamulla-lawn-hill/about.html

Jan 24, 2018 - Sections of the roads can also be impassable for extended periods after rain. Photo: Mark Nemeth, NPSR. The unsealed sections of road can be rough, with patches of bulldust and corrugations. Photo: Tamara Vallance. Maps. Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park locality map (PDF, 157K) ...

-- Edited by jules47 on Thursday 26th of April 2018 11:34:48 AM

Meredith · Senior Member

During the dry season the road to Lawn Hill National Park via Gregory is usually fine for 2wd vehicles. Its a wide gravel road, some corrugations, but usually not at all bad if you drive to the conditions at a reasonable speed. If there has been rain it of course can change, so keep an eye on the weather and you may want to ring Adels Grove www.adelsgrove.com.au/ to check. There is also a road that comes in from further south nearer Cloncurry and goes past Riversleigh Fossil site, that road is also reasonable wide gravel, but has a few water crossings and when we were there was rougher than the road via Gregory, but still passible for 2wd with care.

Lawn Hill is a beautiful spot, well worth the bit of gravel to get there, and deserves a few days at least.

wendyv · Guru

The usual route for 2WD vehicles is via Burke & Wills Roadhouse and Gregory Downs. That is usually the route that locals from Mt Isa, going up there for long weelend etc, with 2WD, use.
I have seen any number of conventional caravans, motorhomes and cars at Adels Grove.
All that said, it did get quite wet up there, a while ago, and obviously the Shire can't grade all its roads at once - so, as suggested above, phone Adels Grove and ask them about the conditions.
Even if the road has been recently graded, there will be shallow dips where wet season creek runs have been smoothed out - you need to drive slowly enough to see these and slow down for them. Hitting these too fast is the major cause (along with being overloaded) for tyre damage up that way.
The road is sealed to Gregory and used to be sealed for 45kms beyond it - to the mine entry. Now the mine is closed, I think that sealing has broken down, so you are looking at maybe 90kms of unsealed or part sealed.
Consider camping at Adels rather than the National Park.

Ozzie_Traveller · Senior Member

wendyv wrote:

The usual route for 2WD vehicles is via Burke & Wills Roadhouse and Gregory Downs. That is usually the route that locals from Mt Isa, going up there for long weelend etc, with 2WD, use.
I have seen any number of conventional caravans, motorhomes and cars at Adels Grove.
All that said, it did get quite wet up there, a while ago, and obviously the Shire can't grade all its roads at once - so, as suggested above, phone Adels Grove and ask them about the conditions.
Even if the road has been recently graded, there will be shallow dips where wet season creek runs have been smoothed out - you need to drive slowly enough to see these and slow down for them. Hitting these too fast is the major cause (along with being overloaded) for tyre damage up that way.
The road is sealed to Gregory and used to be sealed for 45kms beyond it - to the mine entry. Now the mine is closed, I think that sealing has broken down, so you are looking at maybe 90kms of unsealed or part sealed.
Consider camping at Adels rather than the National Park.

+1 from here too

Your camper will have no issues at all getting in to Adels Grove unless there has been recent rains - and then way back at Burke & Wills they will advise you not to bother going to Gregory Downs

Adels Grove is a beaut place to stay, so enjoy yourselves !!

Phil

wendyv · Guru

Facebook post from Adels Grove today says both approach roads are passable, but not yet graded for the season. Grading expected in the next few weeks.