Gold Coast Bushwalks

Burleigh Head National Park

With four major national parks to explore, the Gold Coast is an amazing location to go bushwalking with kids and is totally doable as a day trip! These are our picks for the most kid-friendly trails:

BURLEIGH HEAD NATIONAL PARK

Filled with coastal wildlife, Burleigh Head National Park is an area popular with locals for watching the humpback whale migration throughout winter and spring every year.

Oceanview Walk

• Length: 1.2km one-way (around 30 minutes walking time – double this if returning to your starting point) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 2 (Easy walk | Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Tallebudgera Creek | Ocean views |

Basalt columns

Rainforest Circuit

• Length: 2.3km return (around 1 hour walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 3 (Moderate walk |

Some inclines | Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Fantastic ocean views | Tumgun Lookout

Head to www.brisbanekids.com.au/kid-friendly-bush-walkson-the-gold-coast/ for more detailed information on these walks and more.

LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK

Divided into two main sections of bushwalking trails— Green Mountains (closer to O’Reilly’s) and Binna Burra— there’s a lot of natural beauty to enjoy in Lamington National Park.

Centenary Track (Green Mountains)

• Length: 1.8km return (around 30 minutes walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 1 (Easy walk | Sealed track | Wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Incredible birdlife | Historically significant trail

Rainforest Circuit (Binna Burra)

• Length: 1.2km return (around 30 minutes walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 2 (Easy walk | Flat, unsealed tracks | Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Relatively flat | Wildlife spotting

Rainforest Return (Green Mountains)

• Length: 1.4km return (around 30 minutes walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 2 (Easy walk | Flat, unsealed tracks | Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Birdwatching | 23 million-year-old boulders

Python Rock Track (Green Mountains)

• Length: 3.1km return (around 1 hour walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 3 (Moderate walk |

Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Lookout to Morans Falls, Mount Razorback and Castle Crag

Tullawallal Circuit (Binna Burra)

• Length: 5km return (around 1 hour 30 minutes walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 3 (Moderate walk | Some inclines & uneven track | Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Untouched cool temperate rainforest

Caves Circuit (Binna Burra)

• Length: 5km return (around 1 hour 30 minutes walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 4 (Moderate walk |

Some inclines & stairs | Possibility of unstable surfaces |

Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Kweebani Cave | Collins Chair |

Coomera Valley views

Binna Burra, Lamington National Park

TAMBORINE NATIONAL PARK

Tamborine National Park offers spectacular views sweeping from the coastline to the Scenic Rim, with the Cedar Creek, Joalah and MacDonald sections being most suited to families.

Cedar Creek Falls Track to Lookout (Cedar Creek section)

• Length: 500m return (around 15 minutes walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 1 (Easy walk | Sealed track | Wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Cedar Creek Falls and gorge from above

Cedar Creek Falls Track to Rockpools (Cedar Creek section)

• Length: 1.1km return (around 30 minutes walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 3 (Moderate walk |

Some inclines, stairs & slippery rocks |

Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Cedar Creek Rock Pools

MacDonald Rainforest Circuit (MacDonald section)

• Length: 1.4km return (around 30 minutes walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 3 (Moderate walk |

Some inclines & stairs | Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Lush rainforest | nature-spotting

Curtis Falls, Tamborine National Park

Curtis Falls Track (Joalah section)

• Length: 1.1km return (around 30 minutes walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 3 (Moderate walk |

Some inclines & stairs | Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Outstanding views of the falls and rock pools

Cedar Creek Falls, Tamborine National Park

Springbrook National Park

SPRINGBROOK NATIONAL PARK

Part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, Springbrook National Park is full of lush sections of rainforest and features three sections— Springbrook Plateau, Natural Bridge and Mount Cougal.

Goomoolahra Falls lookout track (Springbrook Plateau)

• Length: 200m return (around 5 minutes walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 2 (Easy walk |

Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: 2 lookouts over Goomoolahra Falls and out to Moreton Bay

Best of All Lookout track (Springbrook Plateau)

• Length: 600m return (around 20 minutes walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 2 (Easy walk |

Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Antarctic beech forest | Lookout to Mt

Warning and beyond

Natural Bridge Circuit (Natural Bridge section)

• Length: 1km return (around 30 minutes walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 2 (Easy walk |

Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Caves | Glow worm colony

Cascades Track (Mount Cougal section)

• Length: 1.6km return (around 1 hour walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 2 (Easy walk |

Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Currumbin Creek | Lookout over cascades

Purling Brook Falls Circuit (Springbrook Plateau)

• Length: 4km return (around 2 hours walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 3 (Moderate walk | Some inclines, steep cliffs & stairs | Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Gondwana rainforest | 2 lookouts to falls and over rock pools

Twin Falls Circuit (Springbrook Plateau)

• Length: 4km return (around 2 hours walking time) • Difficulty & Accessibility: Grade 3 (Moderate walk | Some inclines, steep cliffs & stairs | Not wheelchair accessible) • Highlights: Panoramic views from Springbrook Plateau to the canyon below