If you’re looking for an easy hike with stunning rainforest scenery and rewarding views, the Moran Falls track in Lamington National Park is a great pick. I did this walk while recovering from a knee injury, and it turned out to be the perfect balance of gentle exercise, fresh air and nature immersion. If you feel like walking for a little bit longer, we added a return walk to Python Rock lookout for a 9.5 km hike in total.
Summary
Distance: 4.4 km
Time: 1hr10
Difficulty: easy
Important things to know about Moran Falls Track
Be ready to walk an extra 2 km
When you look at Lamington National Park walking track information, the distance for the Moran Falls Track is listed as 4.4 km. It officially starts from a small roadside car park (the first one as you head up the mountain), which has space for four vehicles plus one disabled spot. It’s often full.
If you can’t find a spot there, continue driving to the large car park at O’Reilly’s and walk the Centenary Track to reach the start of the Moran Falls Track. This will add 1.8 km return to your walk (about 20–30 minutes extra). It’s a lovely, easy forest walk (suitable for wheelchairs), and a great place to spot birds, so you may want to allow extra time to stop and listen. We heard a lyrebird singing very close to us, but couldn’t spot it!
Continue after the Moran Falls lookout
While the Moran Falls lookout was the highlight of the track for me, you should definitely continue to the end of the track. After passing the creek, the trail leads to Morans Clearing, where you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views of the Scenic Rim – including some of our favourite peaks like Mount Barney and Mount Maroon, as well as the dramatic silhouette of Mount Lindesay in the distance.
You can make it a longer hike by adding Python Rock Lookout
As we still had energy, we added Python Rock Lookout to our hike. This 3 km return track also starts at the same point as Moran Falls Track and took us about 25 minutes each way. You’ll get another great view of the Scenic Rim mountains, but from a better vantage point overlooking the Lamington gorge and Moran Falls.
In total, including all three tracks (Centenary, Moran Falls and Python Rock), we hiked just under 10 km in about 2.5 hours – a lovely half-day outing with lots of reward for relatively little effort.
Stay overnight if you can
If you have the time and budget, staying overnight at O’Reilly’s is absolutely worth it. The views are incredible and the whole area feels wonderfully remote. They offer cosy accommodation and also have a well-equipped campground if you prefer sleeping under the stars. The sunset views can be amazing.
Why we chose the Moran Falls hike and did it meet our expectations?
After a few weeks of rest, I was keen to get back out hiking but needed something short and not too demanding. Moran Falls ticked all the boxes – a well-formed 6 km return trail with only a gradual incline and a few steps here and there. I had to be careful going down and back up due to my knee, especially on some of the higher steps, but overall the track was very manageable. Hiking poles could help if you’ve got balance issues or joint pain.
The trail winds through the lush rainforest of Lamington National Park, and we were surprised to have it mostly to ourselves, even though it was a stunning winter day. I’ve always loved the atmosphere in this part of the park: the cool air, the deep greens, the sounds of the forest. It’s a peaceful and immersive walk that feels much longer than it is, in the best possible way.
It was a cold start to the walk, especially with little sunlight reaching the forest floor, so I was glad I’d packed warm clothes. We definitely warmed up on the way back up though!
Our hiking timeline:
- Centenary Track (900 m): 10 mins from O’Reilly’s to Moran Falls trailhead
- Moran Falls Track (4.4 km return – 1 hr 10):
- 30 mins to Moran Falls lookout
- 10 mins further to Morans Clearing (don’t skip it!)
- 30 minutes back
- Python Rock Lookout (3.1 km return – 50 mins): 25 minutes to reach the lookout and same on the way back
- Return to the car park via Centenary Track (900 m): 10 mins
Where is Moran Falls Track in Lamington National Park?
There are three sections of Lamington National Park. Moran Falls are located in the Green Mountains section of Lamington National Park (most often known as O’Reilly’s). It takes about two hours to drive there from Brisbane CBD. The last stretch winds up the mountain through dense rainforest – a beautiful but narrow road that’s all part of the adventure.
Responsible travel tip: Wildlife can be active near the roadside, especially at the end of the day. We spotted some adorable wallabies on our way down, so take your time and keep an eye out!
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