The best hikes in and around Brisbane

King Island is a tiny mangrove-ringed islet in Moreton Bay and just a sandy stroll off the coast of Wellington Point. At low tide, it’s linked to the mainland by sand flats. Two hours either side of high tide, and the link is a stunning, meandering causeway. Choose your walk time carefully, as the sand bridge to the mainland is submerged at high tide. (Check the tide times here.) You start and finish at Wellington Point Recreation Reserve, where there is a kick-ass playground under huge fig trees and calm water swimming. There’s even a handy coffee shop and a fish and chipper, plus toilets, a shower and great views of Moreton Bay. This is as easy as walks get, but timing is everything here – it’s busy on weekends and crazy on school hols, but if you can avoid these and get the tides and sunset just right, Wellington Point is amazeballs.

Where: Starts at Wellington Point Recreation Reserve, Redlands Coast
Drive time from CBD: 40 mins
Distance (return): 2–3km
Duration: 30–60 mins
Difficulty: Easy 

The boardwalk built around the North Gorge on Straddie allows easy viewing of this natural wonder. The elevated platform lets you get close to the cliffs and see the waves being funnelled into the spectacular gorge. There are several great spots to linger and watch the waves roll in. We’ve seen turtles, rays and dolphins from here, and it's a great spot to spot migrating humpback whales between June and November. Plus there’s a giant blowhole down in the rocks when the tide and waves are just right. You’ll need to get the ferry over to North Stradbroke Island either with your car or on foot (and catch a bus to Point Lookout). Ferries depart from Toondah Harbour, Cleveland, and access to the walk is on Moloomba Road at Point Lookout.  

Where: Starts at Mooloomba Rd, North Stradbroke Island
Drive time from CBD:  1 hr 40 mins, including ferry journey
Distance (return): 1.2km
Duration: 30 mins
Difficulty: Easy to medium

The summit of this volcanic dome has stunning 360-degree vistas up and down the Sunshine Coast, over to the Glasshouse Mountains and west out to the Blackall Range. The uphill track is well-maintained with some natural and person-made steps. Start your hike from Mount Coolum Car Park on Tanah Street West, via David Low Way. Take water and sun protection, stay on designated tracks and don’t try this mountain in wet weather. Keep your eyes peeled for peregrine falcons too. The hike is a good workout, and in a great spot where you can easily pop over to the magnificent beaches to wash off the sweat.

Where: Starts at Mount Coolum car park (56 Jarnahill Dr)
Drive time from CBD: 90 mins
Distance (return): 2km
Duration: 1 hr
Difficulty: Medium

These picturesque Sunshine Coast volcanic plugs are must-dos for bushwalkers, but the choice of which mountain to hike up is important. First-timers or those a little unfit would be advised to try Mount Ngungun – it's a moderately easy hour or so walk to the top. You get fabulous views of the other mountains, especially Mount Coonowrin and Mount Beerwah, which are lined up from here. By the time you get back to your car, you may still feel like another easy walk. Luckily, there are lots nearby, so try Wild Horse Mountain (700m up a fully concreted path for more great views) or do the circuit walk around the base of Mount Tibrogargan (3km through forests with mountain views) to fill your day. Those who are more capable could set their sights higher and go up Mount Tibrogargan or Mount Beerwah. 

Where: Starts at Fullertons Road car park, Glass House Mountains
Drive time from CBD: 70 mins
Distance (return): 2.8km
Duration: 90 mins
Difficulty: Easy to medium

The Springbrook Plateau, in the Gold Coast hinterland, is beautiful and the Twin Falls track is a corker. Park on top of the plateau at Tallanbana or Canyon Lookouts and follow the signs. The walk crosses creeks at the plateau top, then eventually loops back underneath them as they plummet 50 metres or so off the cliffs. The trail has been constructed so it actually goes behind the waterfalls for added photogenic bliss. There are the usual wicked rainforest figs and vines, as well as some crazy rock formations and crevices that the trail goes through. 

Where: Starts at Tallanbana Picnic Area or Canyon Lookout, Springbrook National Park
Drive time from CBD: 1 hr 40 mins
Distance (return): 4km
Duration: 90 mins
Difficulty: Easy

Lamington National Park is a World Heritage area famed for its amazing rainforest. The Binna Burra Section has many fantastic walks, but a great starter with lots of variety is the Daves Creek Circuit. Beginning and ending along the Border Track, you’ll walk through subtropical and temperate rainforests, windswept montane heath and patches of wet eucalypt forest. There are a couple of cute streams that the path hops over, some great lookouts and a rocky outcrop you can scramble up for views over the mountain heath. The Daves Creek Circuit is an excellent intro to Lamington and a readily repeatable wilderness sojourn. 

Where: Starts at Binna Burra upper day-use area, Lamington National Park
Drive time from CBD: 90 mins
Distance (return): 12km
Duration: 3–4 hrs
Difficulty: Medium to challenging

The popular Kondalilla National Park is near Montville in the scenic Blackall Range, 91km north of Brisbane. Walk past rock pools and little waterfalls to the top of the Kondalilla Falls with its chilly swimming hole, epic view and cheeky lace monitors (tree goannas) looking for food. Then follow the signposted track as it winds down the escarpment through lush rainforest to the spectacular base of the falls. The track passes huge eucalypts, palms, ferns, strangler figs, bunya pines and several great lookouts. Follow the loop track back uphill through more wondrous rainforest and over little feeder streams. There are more than 300 stairs on this circuit, so you’ll still want a degree of fitness, but if you go the signposted way, the grade is tolerable. Get there early or pick a quiet day, as many people frequent the top of the falls for a gander and a swim. 

Where: Starts at Kondalilla Falls car park, Kondalilla National Park
Drive time from CBD: 1 hr 45 mins
Distance (return): 4.7km
Duration: 1 hr 30 mins
Difficulty: Medium

Cunninghams Gap passes between Mount Mitchell and Mount Cordeaux, and both offer awesome walks to scale them. The tracks leave from the car park on the Cunningham Highway right at the top of the gap. Either mountain can be ascended by following a graded trail for an hour or three, depending on your fitness level. You won't be scrambling, let alone needing ropes, but you will be going uphill, there will be steps, and you are in a wilderness area, so don’t fall off a cliff! The view from both mountains is spectacular, both eastward, where the highway winds down the range towards the coast, and west, where the range extends into the farmlands of the interior. The trails have numerous vantage points and pass through forests varying from eucalypt and rainforest to semi-alpine at the peaks. 

Where: Starts at Crest car park, Cunninghams Gap Main Range National Park
Drive time from CBD: 90 mins
Distance (return): 12.4km
Duration: 3–4 hrs
Difficulty: Medium to challenging

The Greenes Falls Circuit is an easy walk through verdant rainforest and a palm valley. Start from Maiala Picnic Ground on Mount Glorious Road and head down a mix of boardwalk, steps and dirt track, past huge strangler figs towards a cascade waterfall. Keep your eyes peeled for weird and wonderful fungi. The path is not wheelchair or pram-friendly, but the walk is pretty easy for small kids who can enjoy exploring the rainforest trail. To extend your walk, branch off along the 350m Cypress Grove Circuit that weaves through a stand of native cypress trees. 

Where: Maiala day-use area, Mount Glorious
Drive time from CBD: 60 mins
Distance (return): 4.3km
Duration: 120 mins
Difficulty: Easy

Mount Greville is just off the Cunningham Highway past Aratula. This little gem of a volcanic plug is awesome, but the walk is more advanced than the others here. It is a very different sort of mountain hike compared to the Gap or the Glasshouses. There are three basic ways up the mountain: the Ridge Track, Waterfall Gorge and Palm Gorge. We've been lost on the Ridge Track as it crosses several stretches of bare rock, so stick to the more obvious gorge trails. Besides, the narrow, palm tree-filled gorges are just wicked. Go up either Palm or Waterfall Gorge and down the other. There’s a great view of Lake Moogerah just beyond the top of Waterfall Gorge from Slab Rock, and the summit has views of the range to the northwest. The main attractions are the fabulous shady gorges with their unique cool climate and vegetation. The trails in the gorges are strewn with boulders and palm fronds, so watch your step.

Where: Mount Greville car park, Moogerah
Drive time from CBD: 90 mins
Distance (return): 5.2km
Duration: 3 hrs
Difficulty: Challenging