This coast is short on nature in one sense (it's a coast) and enormous in another: there are more than 70,000 hectares of national park within about an hour of the main strip. These six cover the lot — a headland, a creek, three big forests, and a remnant rainforest in a valley.
A Word on Entry Fees
Queensland national parks are free to walk into: there's no gate fee for a foot or a bike. Car entry runs roughly $15–30 depending on vehicle size (check current rates at Queensland National Parks). A 24-hour pass is per vehicle, and the big parks (Springbrook, Lamington, Tweed Range) sometimes sell a small number of day passes in high season — if you're going in a school-holiday week, buy one. Picnic and camping facilities in the parks are free or cheap; book camping ahead in summer.
Springbrook National Park
The big one: 22,000 hectares of subtropical rainforest, 60 minutes up the range. Key features: the seven hanging bridges (a 2.5km one-way walk over the gorge — book the time slot ahead in high season), Grummit Falls (a 50-metre drop, 118 metres in total, 10 minutes' walk), the Gorge Walk (an 11.5km return through the rainforest — a proper half-day) and Tallowwood Grove (180-year-old tallowwoods, some over 30 metres). Arthur's Seat is the summit at 765m: 134 steps, 20 minutes up, 360° views. Best time: April to October for dry tracks; late summer if you want the falls running. Entry: free on foot, about $15–30 per car. Springbrook National Park
Burleigh Heads National Park
The headland: 204 hectares of forest above the beach at Burleigh. Key features: Burleigh Head (the stone tower that looks like a lighthouse and isn't one), the short, steep tracks down to the beach, and the 360° view from the headland — the whole coastline in one look. The walks are 20–45 minutes and easy; the headland itself is a 10-minute walk from the car park. It's free (car entry where it applies is cheap). Best time: late afternoon — the light over the water is the reason to go. Springbrook National Park
Tallebudgera Creek National Park
The cove and the reef: 418 hectares around a tidal creek and a small protected bay. Key features: one of Australia's largest fringing reefs (visible from the sand on a clear day), the mangroves up the creek, and the 1.5km walking track that loops the cove. The snorkelling is the point — the water is calmer and clearer than any Pacific beach on the coast. Entry is free; parking is on the street and fills on weekend afternoons in summer. Best time: spring and early summer, 23–26°C water, before the school-holiday crowds. Springbrook National Park
Lamington National Park
The big forest: 15,000 hectares on the range, 75 minutes from the coast. Key features: Table Rock (1,068m, the summit walk from Mudgeeroo), Munganie Picnic Area (100-plus campsites and the fairy-penguin colony — the penguins come ashore at sunset) and Mudgeeroo (campsites and the track start). The walk to Table Rock is 2–3 hours return. Best time: April to October; go in winter if you want penguins on a clear morning, summer if you don't mind warm. Campsites sell out — book ahead. Car entry about $15–30. Springbrook National Park
Tweed Range National Park
The big, quiet one: 13,900 hectares — one of Queensland's largest national parks — mostly unbroken rainforest on the range above the Tweed. Key features: the 4WD track to Goobang Beach (a wild, wide beach that most visitors never see — it needs a high-clearance vehicle or a 4WD; no utes), the rainforest tracks, and the views down to the coast. Entry is free on foot; car entry applies where there's a gate. Best time: April to October for the walk; late summer for the water. Goobang wants a high-clearance vehicle or a guided 4WD trip. Springbrook National Park
Currumbin Valley (and Nicoll Scrub)
The remnant forest: to be straight about it — Currumbin Valley is a locality, not a national park. What it actually has: the Currumbin Valley Reserve (4 hectares of regenerating rainforest held by Bush Heritage Australia, a conservation buffer for the park), Nicoll Scrub National Park (remnant subtropical rainforest, habitat for the Richmond Birdwing butterfly), the Currumbin Rock Pools (a free swimming hole in a rocky creek) and the Nicoll Scrub National Park — the short, free national-park tracks. Entry is free. Best time: year-round; late summer for the water in the rock pools. It's the coast's “forest without the drive” — 20 minutes from the main highway. Springbrook National Park
Planning Notes
Book the Springbrook bridge walk and the Lamington/Mudgeeroo camping ahead — both are limited. A 4WD (or a guided 4WD trip) is needed for Goobang Beach; a normal car gets you to the rest. The Gorge Walk in Springbrook is an 11.5km return — it's flat in the main part but it's a half-day, not an hour. The headland and the cove (Burleigh Heads, Tallebudgera Creek) are free, easy and the two best “first forest walks” on the coast. Water in the rock pools and creeks runs 21–25°C in summer. And the fairy penguins at Munganie come ashore at sunset — plan the Lamington day around them if that's what you're after.
Last updated 2026-10-19