Protected area

thumb|On the path to the [[Summit (topography)|summit]]

The mountain is now protected by the surrounding Wollumbin National Park, and access is regulated by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service. Mount Warning is part of the United Nations World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia.

Walking track

Prior to the closure of the summit walking track, over 100,000 people a year made the , five-hour round-trip trek to the top from .

An ascent of the mountain takes approximately 1½ to 3½ hours (one way) and requires a good level of fitness. There are also viewing platforms at the summit. The total journey is 8.8 km (5.5 mi).

In March 2020 the summit track was closed by National Parks NSW citing safety concerns, to be reviewed in May 2021. However, in February 2021 documents obtained through Freedom Of Information revealed that the track and surrounding area has actually been secretly scheduled to be permanently closed. As of August 2022 park authorities had placed a barrier on the access road several kilometres from the trailhead. This would add a forty minute uphill walk to the ascent for anyone attempting to climb the mountain; and the path on the mountain itself had deteriorated badly in places.

In late October 2022 NSW authorities did go ahead and ban public access to Wollumbin National Park, to be enforced with heavy fines. This was soon followed by a video posting showing a hiker flouting the ban. There has been significant backlash in the community surrounding the closure. Many have argued that the track was closed primarily due to complaints from some in the Aboriginal community, not due to safety concerns and the track was in fact still usable.

In 2024, Libertarian politician John Ruddick led a petition to reopen the track which garnered over the required 10,000 signatures to trigger a debate in the New South Wales Legislative Council on 9 May 2024.

On 31 October 2024, the neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network posted to X boasting of their recent hike to the summit where while wearing balaclavas they unfurled a banner advocating for white supremacy. NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe described the actions as "vile" and "utterly disgusting". The matter has been referred to the police by the National Parks. No one has been charged over the incident.

Also see

  • Bundjalung National Park
  • List of volcanoes in Australia

References

  • UNESCO World Heritage Listing
  • Mount Warning National Park
  • Mount Warning Map includes driving directions.
  • Northern Rivers Geology blog Mount Warning.
  • [http://www.bigvolcano.com.au/natural/wollum.htm] The Caldera of the Tweed Volcano - original source.