Must Do Nature Walks on the Gold Coast Hinterland – With 4 Easy Waterfalls to See

Want to see waterfalls and nature at its finest? You can find easy nature walks on the Gold Coast Hinterland very easily with these waterfalls and tracks to explore. Some are easy to get to, and some require a full day’s hike. This post has mostly waterfalls on it, but I did add a couple of other places just because the views are amazing, and it’s tranquil nature on the Gold Coast, so why not?

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If you plan on travelling around Australia, the best way to get around is by car. You get to see more, but you will find hidden gems that the average traveller doesn’t see.

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If you only have a short amount of time, I did all of this in one day, but you need a car to get around. You can do day tours to specific areas, and I have included links below.

Check out the Springbrook National Park website here to read more on the times and difficulty of the walking tracks. There are more tracks showing nature on the Gold Coast Hinterland than I have included. It’s also good to check out what the track conditions are like, especially after rainfall.

Remember, this is Queensland, the world’s capital for skin cancer, so bring sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. If it has been raining, you also may need insect repellent, as the mosquitos show no mercy and don’t forget your water.

Easy Nature Walks on the Gold Coast Hinterland

Springbrook National Park has many nature walks in the Gold Coast Hinterland. Quite a few of them require a full day’s walk, but the ones I have listed are easy, family-friendly, and won’t take long.

Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge is a magical place surrounded by nature. It’s located near the NSW/Qld border in the Gold Coast Hinterland. The 1km, easy track suits all ages.

The track is a circuit and sealed all the way, although there are some stairs to negotiate. As you walk to the creek and then back up, you go up and down a medium gradient.

I’ve been here twice, once during a drought and recently after rainfall. Both times, there was water, but if you want to see the full force of these falls, then after rain is best.

The Walk

When I was there the second time, the full circuit wasn’t open, as the track had been damaged by the rain. This allows you to go to the lookout and see Cave Creek fall into the cave.

There is a track off the main one that takes you down to the lookout. It’s only about 100m with some steps to the viewpoint.

Back on the main track, you will cross over Cave Creek via a bridge that takes you back down for another view of the falls before taking you further down to the cave.

The Cave

You can choose three views once you get down to the cave. Down the stairs takes you into the cave, which has bats and glowworms inside. You will probably see the bats, but the glowworms will only be seen at night.

The other viewpoints are at the top of the stairs, or you have a platform next to the creek.

Natural Cave is one of the premier spots in the Gold Coast Hinterland, and its large car park reflects that. It’s very popular on weekends, especially with families. Although I was there on a Sunday, even with the car park full, you had excellent views, and it wasn’t too crowded.

There are toilets here, and a cafe is back on the main road, turning right from the entrance.

Glowworms at Night

This part of the Gold Coast Hinterland has nature come alive at night. You can explore the area by night and see the glowworms shining in the cave. Make sure you bring a torch with you as there is no other lighting, but do not shine anything on the glowworms, as their lights will go out for up to an hour.

Best of All Lookout

Once again, the Best of All Lookout is on the NSW/Qld border, but this time, you get the view over Northern NSW, including Mt. Warning, and if it’s a perfect day, the views are all the way to Byron Bay.

You get to overlook all of nature at this part of the Gold Coast Hinterland.

It’s just over half a kilometre to walk on a good track to see the view from the platform. You travel through time in a forest of ancient Antarctic beech trees, the last of their kind, dating back to Gondwana.

Canyon Lookout

Just along the road before you get to Purling Brook Falls is the Canyon Lookout, which offers views of nature and the city across the Gold Coast Hinterland and the Gold Coast.

The lookout is a wheelchair and stroller-accessible viewpoint as it’s only 30m from the car park.

Purling Brook Falls

Purling Brook Falls is the longest walk, at 4km and two hours return, if you want to do the circuit and go to the bottom of the falls. You could also pick the Twin Falls circuit instead, as they are both the same distance, difficulty, and time. I haven’t done the Twin Falls circuit one, so I chose Purling Brook Falls.

From the car park, the first viewing platform of Purling Brook Falls, is only a short away, so you can still see the falls without doing the full circuit.

Even if you don’t want to do the whole circuit, you can have another chance to view the falls from a better perspective. If you take the left-hand track from the car park, it will take you around to the Western Lookout.

This track can be dangerous in places, especially after rain. It is steep and has steps as you go down to the valley floor and back up, but if you do it, you’ll be rewarded with views like this at the bottom. The easiest way is in a clockwise direction, as the steps are on the western side.

You could spend more time in this area and see more waterfalls, like the Twin Falls and Goomoolahra Falls, which are another short walk at 200m.

Mt. Tamborine

The following activities are at Mt. Tamborine and can be done another day if you wish. It’s an hour’s drive between Tamborine Village and Purling Brook Falls.

Once again, these nature walks on the Gold Coast Hinterland are easy, family-friendly, and don’t take all day to enjoy.

Tamborine Village – Gallery Walk

Tamborine Village is at the northern end of the Gold Coast Hinterland. This quaint village is a popular weekend attraction, as both locals and tourists enjoy the local fare.

Cafes, delicacies, treats, craft beers, and wineries are here for you to explore, as are walks in nature and the Botanic Gardens.

It also has nature walks on the Gold Coast Hinterland that you can enjoy.

Curtis Falls

The large car park at Curtis Falls, has an overflow, which may be useful on busy weekends. The falls lookout is only a 500m, 15-minute walk away. The track has a slight incline and some stairs to negotiate.

The lookout gives you an excellent close-up view of the falls and is large enough to accommodate quite a few people. This is a popular place for photographers, and you’ll find a few with tripods, which take up a bit more space.

Once you’ve seen the falls, you can carry on taking the circuit walk through the rainforest beside the river.

Rockpools further along the river are popular places to swim safely, especially on a hot summer’s day.

Another refreshing place to be after your walk is the Pavilion Garden Bar next to the car park. Here, you can enjoy delicious food and craft beers before visiting another attraction in the area.

Tamborine Mountain Rainforest Skywalk

Less than a 10-minute drive from Curtis Falls is the Tamborine Mountain Rainforest Skywalk.

This walk will take you through the rainforest’s many layers, from the forest floor to the canopy.

You will enter and exit the rainforest through the Eco Gallery with information on the flora and fauna in the area.

Upon going outside, you are straight onto the Skywalk, which will take you into the forest canopy.

I don’t like heights or walking on metal that I can see through, but I did get used to it after a few minutes. It is the best way to see the forest and the birds that inhabit it.

Most of the walk is a gentle slope down to the forest floor with markers showing you the way around.

After the creek, it’s back up to the Cantilever above the canopy. From the end, you have views back down to the creek below.

As the 40m cantilevers are suspended outwards, it can get bouncy, and I luckily had no one else on it.

Tamborine Mountain Rainforest Skywalk is a large car park, gift shop, toilets, and a cafe here, with views over the rainforest. Although there are a few steps in the park, a stroller can be taken around without much problem.

The walk is 1.5km long, and you can take as long or short as you wish as it is self-guided. The average time is 45 minutes to 1 hour, and it’s great for all ages.

If you only have time for one attraction in this area, the Tamborine Mountain Rainforest Skywalk is the one.

Hours

• Open Daily 9.30 am
• Last Walks at 4.00 pm
• Closed 5.00 pm

Prices

• Adults (17 Years & over) $21.50
• Concession (Senior cardholders, Student cardholders, YHA membership) $18
• Children (6-16 Years) $10.50
• Children 5 years and under are free
• 2 Adults + 1 Child $48.50
• 2 Adults + 2 Child $54
• Extra Children $5.50

For more prices, check out their website here.

Witches Falls

Witches Falls is one of the hardest tracks I have listed. This 3.6km track is steep, and after rain, it can be muddy and slippery.

The car parks aren’t large as you have parks just off the side of the road.

You need to be there after rain to see any water falling. The viewing platform is a short detour off the track, but you will be next to the falls.

Conclusion

The Gold Coast Hinterland is an excellent place to take nature walks and get away from the hustle and bustle of the high-rises on the Gold Coast.

There are cafes along these nature walks on the Gold Coast Hinterland, but taking up a picnic may be the way to go. There are so many places to enjoy your lunch on the picnic tables provided at most of the locations. Don’t forget to take all your rubbish if bins aren’t supplied.

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