Tamborine Mountain National Park Walking Tracks
Walking tracks are provided in six sections of Tamborine Mountain National Park. Most walking tracks are short and can be walked within a few hours. The walks are relatively easy although some tracks have short, steep grades. If you are walking with young children, or if you are birdwatching or taking photographs, allow some extra time. You may view, print or download a PDF Map of the six main walking tracks in the Tamborine Mountain National Park
Wheelchair accessibility
The Cedar Creek walking track as far as the lookout is suitable for assisted wheelchair access. The toilets and picnic areas at Cedar Creek, The Knoll and Witches Falls sections are wheelchair-accessible.
Walking Track Classification
Each walking track is classified according to a system based on Australian Standards, so you can choose a track suitable for your needs. – See Table with Key to track standards below.
| Walking Track Class | Class details |
|---|---|
| Class 1 | Assisted wheelchair access. Handrails at lookout. |
| Class 3 | Gently sloping, well-defined track with slight inclines or few steps. Caution needed on loose gravel surfaces and exposed natural lookouts. Reasonable level of fitness and ankle-supporting footwear required. |
| Class 4 | Distinct track usually with steep exposed inclines or many steps. Caution needed on loose gravel surfaces and exposed natural lookouts. Moderate level of fitness and ankle-supporting footwear required. |
The classification system is based on Australian Standards. Please note that while each track is classified according to its most difficult section, other sections may be of an easier level.
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Tamborine Mountain - National Park - MacDonald Section
This precious tract of subtropical rainforest was named after Miss Jessie MacDonald, who generously donated part of this area to become a national park in 1933. |
1.4km return walk (allow 30 minutes)
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Tamborine Mountain - National Park - Witches Falls Section
Witches Falls is Queensland’s first national park, declared in 1908 |
4.6km return walk (2-3 hours)
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Tamborine Mountain - National Park - Joalah Section
Joalah is an Aboriginal word meaning “haunt of the lyrebird” |
1.5km return walk (40 mins)
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Tamborine Mountain - National Park - Cedar Creek Section
Great views & cool rock pools. |
1.4km return walk (45 minutes)
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Tamborine Mountain - National Park - Knoll Section
With spectacular views to Flinders Peak and Brisbane from the northern edge of the picnic area. |
2.6km return walk (1 hour)
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Tamborine Mountain - National Park - Palm Grove Section
Piccabeen palm groves and rainforest with emergent strangler figs and distinctively-buttressed yellow carabeens feature on this walk. |
7.1km return walk (2.5 hours)
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The Witches Falls section of the Tamborine Mountain National Park was declared in 1908, making it Queensland’s first ever national park. Over the years additional reserves have been declared and today the park is made up of 14 sections of land on the Tamborine plateau and surrounding foothills.
The park offers protection to the remnants of Tamborine Mountain’s plant communities and includes areas of rainforest with distinctive piccabeen palm groves, wet eucalypt forest dominated by tall flooded gums, open forest with bracken fern understorey and woodland. These plant communities provide essential wildlife habitat in a landscape almost entirely surrounded by urban and rural development.
The Tamborine Mountain escarpment hosts 85 percent of all animal species and 65 percent of all plant species found in the Gold Coast City area. Some common animals seen in the national park include brush turkeys, scrubwrens, pademelons and one of the world’s largest skinks, the land mullet. Catch a glimpse of the rare Albert’s lyrebird or hear it mimicking calls of other birds, particularly during the winter months. The Richmond birdwing butterfly and one of the rainforest’s most colourful birds, the noisy pitta, migrate seasonally to the park from nearby higher altitude rainforests.
Basalt columns, cliffs, rocky outcrops and waterfalls are a lasting legacy of volcanic eruptions 23 million years ago. Tamborine Mountain is the most northerly remnant of the flows from a volcano centred on Mount Warning-Wollumbin.
Opening hours
Tamborine Mountain National Park is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. For your safety, walk in daylight hours only.
Pets
Domestic animals (except for horses on designated forest trails) are not permitted in Tamborine Mountain National Park.
Mt Tamborine climate and weather
At more than 500m above sea level, Mt Tamborine is consistently cooler than the adjacent lowland, with average daytime temperatures at 17 degrees Celsius in winter and 25 degrees Celsius in summer. Rainfall averages 1,500mm per year, most of which falls between the months of December and April. Be prepared, take a raincoat and warm clothing at all times of the year.
Acknowledgment
Walking Track Maps used are © State of Queensland. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Department of Environment and Resource Management. MA262.
Walking Track and National Park information is based upon public information available at the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service web site.
