From Toowoomba head south along Ruthven Street (New England Highway - A3). Travel past the traffic lights at the intersection with Nelson Street and after about 1km carefully make a U-turn to the left where you will see the gate to a power station. Drive north for 80m, parallel to the bitumen road, and you will reach the park’s gate on your right. Park your vehicle out of the way.

The entrance will soon be open to the public and a park sign will be installed next to the gate.

Ruthven Reserve Circuit

Ruthven Street South Reserve trails map

Best for: Bushwalking

Classification: Grade 3

Distance: 2,000m return

Walking time: 55 minutes

Description: This walk starts at the entry gate and makes a big loop around the park. Travelling clock-wise, the track runs parallel to the fence line on the left-hand side. The undulating terrain includes some moderate climbs and some short steep sections.

The track continues north until it reaches a private property at the northern end of the park. It turns right and follows the ridge where it starts descending until reaching an intersection. To the right, the track goes back to the fence line forming a small loop at the north-west side of the park. To the left, it passes over a small creek and heads north again to reach another intersection, which is the start of another small loop on the eastern side of the park.

To the left, the track follows a creek line and then closes the eastern loop. From the track you can see different types of vegetation - mostly gum trees (Eucalyptus sp.), wattle (Acacia sp.) and broad-leaf privet (Ligustrum lucidum). To the right, the track takes a short cut and goes south, uphill, until it reaches a concrete water tank. It then turns right following the fence of the neighbouring power station and finishes back at the entry gate.