Permits for the entire 2027 Thorsborne Trail hiking season will be made available on 15 December 2026 at 10am (Queensland time).

The 2027 hiking season is 1 March – 31 December. The standard annual seasonal closure period of 1 January – 28 February will remain in place due to the increased risk of unsafe conditions at this time of year.

12 self-sufficient independent hiking permits are available to start the trail each day. Starting with the 2027 season, the refund policy for the Thorsborne Trail is changing; customers must cancel permits more than 14 days before their start date to get a refund (previously this was 2 days). More information on the new refund policy will be made available in the coming months.

Some key reminders:

• Your permit start and end dates must match the dates you intend to hike. Penalties may apply for ‘ghost bookings’ where a permit is purchased but not used.
• Book your vessel transfers as soon as your trail booking is confirmed.
• If your plans change before your hike, please modify or cancel your permit (see booking page for details). Returning unused spaces back to the booking systems allows other hikers to book them and supports local businesses by utilising the available capacity.

Visit qld.gov.au/ThorsborneTrailHikingSeasons for information and updates about the 2027 season’s permit release. This page contains FAQs and information about how to be best prepared for the permit release.

Visit the Thorsborne Trail booking page to familiarise yourself with the process well before the permit release, as permits for the peak hiking season (May-September) will sell out within an hour of the release. Be prepared with backup dates if you are initially unsuccessful.