[1] It lies approximately 130 kilometres (81 mi) south-west of Brisbane, not far from the Queensland - New South Wales border, and forms part of the McPherson Range.

Mount Barney is the remnants of the central complex of the Focal Peak Volcano which together with the Tweed Volcano covered much of South East Queensland and North East New South Wales with lavas referred to as the Lamington Volcanics In 1947, the Mount Barney National Park was established to protect the natural heritage surrounding the peak.

[4] Mount Barney has held a special significance for local Aboriginal people for millennia, and it features prominently in a number of their stories.

[1] The first recorded ascent of Mount Barney was by Captain Patrick Logan, who reached the West Peak summit around noon on 3rd August 1828 during an exploring expedition.

[7] During the first decade or so of the 20th century, the peak became popular with a small number of self-styled 'mountaineers', such as Boonah school teachers Harry Johns (1877–1943) and William Gaylard (1880–1930), Ipswich Technical College Principal R.A. Wearne (1870–1932), and some of the selectors who lived close by, such as the Doherty family at 'Lilydale'.

[8] As a rough guide, a trip to East Peak via one of the more direct routes will generally take 8–9 hours return when carrying a day pack.

A free iPhone GPS App is available to aid hikers in keeping to hiking trails within Mt Barney National Park.

To date, Mount Barney has attracted only a relatively small number of rock climbers, perhaps due to the long walk-in times and access difficulties.

More recently, bouldering (ground-level climbing) has become popular in Mount Barney Creek upstream from the Lower Portals camping area.