A visit to Springbrook National Park is one of my favourite day trips from Brisbane – when we choose not to go to the beach or underwater. There are many easy walk options with spectacular views of the rainforest and beautiful waterfalls. I’ve selected the best Springbrook National Park walks and the best Springbrook National Park waterfalls for you.

Just near the Gold Coast, a visit to Springbrook National Park can be a perfect opportunity for a weekend away: one day at the beach, one day chasing waterfalls in the forest!

Twin Falls Circuit, Springbrook National Park
Twin Falls Circuit, Springbrook National Park

Don’t want to drive? There are tours from Brisbane (click here to view*) and from the Gold Coast (click here to view*) that will take you to Springbrook National Park for the day.

The three Springbrook National Park walks you shouldn’t miss

Natural Bridge (1-kilometre circuit)

Springbrook Natural Bridge w
Springbrook National Park

Natural Bridge is the most popular walk in Springbrook National Park, and it’s easy to understand why. The short sealed circuit in the rainforest (one kilometre) is accessible to anyone who can walk up a few stairs. It leads to one of the most picturesque caves you will ever see. You may spend longer admiring the beauty of the cave than walking there.

If the track isn’t too busy that day, you may spot a few birds. During the warmer months, we often see big python snakes sleeping near the path.

And that’s not all. The cave becomes even more interesting at night: there’s a rare colony of glow worms living there!

Read more about Natural Bridge and the glow worms here.

Twin Falls Circuit (4-kilometre circuit)

Twin Falls Circuit Springbrook National Park Waterfalls

Twin Falls Circuit makes it to my list of the best Springbrook National Park walk as it is one of the most diverse 4-kilometre hikes I know in the region. 

You start from the top of the cliff with spectacular views up to the ocean to then go down through the rainforest from one waterfall to another, between rocks and caves. It’s incredible and fun how the track changes in such a short distance.

I enjoy it a lot every time I go there.

The hike is relatively easy on a well-maintained track and the only difficulty is to go back up. Be ready to go up and down. It only took us about 90 minutes with a group of fit people (whereas it was indicated 2 to 3 hours on the national park sign!) including short breaks.

You can start the Twin Falls Circuit from Tallanbana Picnic Area or Canyon Lookout. If you don’t want to do the full walk, you may opt for a shorter return walk from Canyon Lookout.

Best of All Lookout (700-meter return)

Springbrook National Park walks - Best of All Lookout

I almost didn’t include this one in the list because it’s so easy that it cannot be called a hike. It only takes a few minutes to walk the 700 metres to walk from the car park to the lookout. But it’s a great one to do, as the name suggests.

Not only does the path take you to a stunning view of the region from the coast to the mountains, but it also goes through the beautiful rainforest with impressive Antarctic Beech trees. It’s truly worth the short detour.

Springbrook National Park Walk Massive Antartic Bleech tree

Must-See Springbrook National Park Waterfalls

In case you needed an additional reason to hike the two circuits I mentioned above, two of my favourite Springbrook National Park waterfalls are actually on these walks. But keep reading, there are a couple more to discover. Good news for those who don’t want to walk more: the lookouts for the two last waterfalls are easy to access.

Natural Bridge Cave

This unique waterfall is the most accessible waterfall in Springbrook National Park, and it’s not to be missed. Access to the cave is limited to protect the glow worm colony, and it’s not allowed to swim in the pool.

Twin Falls

Sprinkbrook National Park Waterfalls - Twin Falls
Twin Falls

It only takes about 30 minutes to go down to the Twin Falls on the Twin Falls Circuit. You can return the same way in case you don’t want to hike the full circuit. However, I highly recommend walking the full circuit to see the other waterfalls on the way: Tamarramai Falls, Tallanbana Falls and Blackfellow Falls. 

As per other waterfalls in Springbrook National Park, the Twin Falls are really spectacular during the wet season, in summer. The track goes behind them (you may get a little bit wet so protect your electronic gear!), and it’s possible to swim in the pools.

Responsible travel tip: Did you know your sunscreen can pollute the water and harm animals? The best way to protect your body from the sun is to cover it with long sleeves and pants. If you do have to use sunscreen, choose a mineral one (like zinc) to avoid harmful substances (see the full list here) and apply it at least 20 minutes before entering the water. 

Purling Brook Falls

Purling Brook Falls Circuit - Springbrook National Park

With a 109-metre plunge, the Purling Brook Falls are one of the most impressive waterfalls in Springbrook National Park. It’s a short 300-metre walk to the popular lookout, but the rainforest canopy obscures the view from up there. The view of Purling Brook Falls is from the bottom, accessible via the Purling Brook Falls circuit. It’s not included in my list of the best walks to do in Springbrook National Park as it’s often too crowded to my taste. But if you manage to visit Purling Brook Falls after it has rained and when it’s not busy (see my tips here), you should definitely do the Purling Brook Falls Circuit and even push all the way to Warringa Pool. It is not allowed to swim at Purling Brook Falls, but you can swim at Warringa Pool.

Goomoolahra Falls (or Bilbrough Falls)

A short and easy walk (200-metre return on asphalt) will take you to a stunning lookout on the cascades of Goomoolahra Falls.

Cougal Cascades

Cougal Cascades is not on the same route as most other Springbrook waterfalls on this list. You can access Cougal Cascades via Currumbin Valley. The walk to the lookout is short and easy if you follow the bitumen path. You can make it more adventurous by coming back down via the creek.

Prepare your trip to Springbrook National Park

When is the best time to walk and chase waterfalls in Springbrook National Park?

Although it is when the falls are at their best, I always tend to avoid the heat of summer for hiking.

My favourite season to hike in Springbrook National Park is early Autumn. The waterfalls should still be full as the wet season has just finished, we usually get beautiful days but without the humid heat from summer, and the risk of rain is lower.

The waterfalls aren’t as impressive in Winter and Spring, but the weather is usually beautiful, so it’s still a great time to enjoy Springbrook National Park.

Resources to check before you visit Springbrook National Park

I highly recommend downloading a map of the Springbrook National Park walking tracks (click here). You may not have mobile network once you’re in the park, so it’s a good idea to also download the offline maps on your GPS.

The paths sometimes get closed after storms, especially during the wet season in summer. Before heading to Springbrook National Park, always check the official website to make sure the tracks are open and safe.

Looking to spend the night in Springbrook National Park? I haven’t tried it yet as, at this price, it’s for special occasions only, but I love the concept of the Lyrebird Retreat*. It’s a non-profit accommodation that redirects all its profit to rainforest restoration.

What are your favourite Springbrook National Park walks and waterfalls? Leave a comment below!

Where is Springbrook National Park?

Springbrook National Park is in the Gold Coast hinterland in South East Queensland (Australia). It takes about 1.5 hours to drive there from Brisbane and less than 1 hour from the Gold Coast. It’s one of the stops on my Australia’s East Coast road trip guide that you can download for free here.

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Springbrook Brisbane Day Trip - 02
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Eloise

Eloise is the creator and writer of MyFavouriteEscapes.com. She writes about her experiences exploring exotic destinations and finding hidden gems closer to home. Her goal is to share tips and stories to inspire and encourage others to go on their own adventures. She loves outdoor and nature-based activities like scuba diving, hiking, kayaking, and sailing. She grew up in France and has lived in England and Turkey before calling Australia home for the past decade. So let's get ready for another adventure!

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Sonja

    Perfect timing I’m headed to Binna Burra tomorrow for the night and walking during the day. These are the exact two walks I was planning to do!
    I’m hoping to go to Natural Bridge during the day and return at night to see the glow worms.
    Although you saying you saw a Python has me a bit nervous…

    1. Eloise

      You’ll love it Sonja! Don’t worry about the python, it was actually cool to see it. I am not at all a snake expert so I may misidentify it, but I don’t think it’s a dangerous one 😉
      I’d love to get feedback on how the glow worms were in Natural Bridge. I haven’t been there at night yet!

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