Things to do
Enjoy a picnic or barbecue near a tranquil rock pool and explore forest roads in your high clearance four-wheel-drive.
You can walk, horse ride or mountain-bike ride on forest tracks unless otherwise signed. For these activities you need to be well prepared and self-sufficient. Be aware that mobile phone reception is limited in this area.
Camping and accommodation
Camping
Camping is not permitted in Bellthorpe National Park
Nearby parks and forests including Imbil State Forest, Beerburrum State Forest, Conondale National Park, D’Aguilar National Park and Bribie Island National Park and Recreation Area offer diverse opportunities for coastal and forest camping.
Other accommodation
A range of holiday accommodation is available in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. For more information see the tourism information links.
Stony Creek rock pool, Bellthorpe National Park.
Photo credit: Queensland Government
The log handling Gantry when it was still standing on the site of old Brandon's Mill. The Gantry was used for loading milled timber onto transport trucks.
Photo credit: Mark Lythall, Queensland Government
In 2010 the Gantry was placed on a timber plinth for display and preservation purposes after collapsing during a storm.
Photo credit: Mark Lythall, Queensland Government.
Crane pivot used to drag timber to the frame saw to be cut during the mill's operation. The frame saw was originally under cover in the main saw mill structure.
Photo credit: Mark Lythall, Queensland Government.
Day-use area
A beautiful place to stop and picnic is the Stony Creek day-use area in Bellthorpe National Park. You'll find a rugged landscape containing open forest and rainforest with many creek cascades and rock pools.
There are toilets, picnic tables and wood barbecues. Bring your own clean milled firewood. It is illegal to collect wood from the park.
Creek safety:
- The creek contains submerged logs and rocks. Serious injury or death may result from jumping or diving in this water.
- Take care on rocks, as they may be very slippery.
- Be aware, the creek lines contain large boulders that can be wet and slippery and considerable care needs to be taken to avoid injury if traversing these features.
Horse-riding, mountain-bike touring and bushwalking
Horseriding, mountain-bike touring and bushwalking is permitted on shared trails in the eastern section of the park—refer to park map for shared trail locations. Horseriding pictograms are placed on most intersections giving guidance on level of difficulty and permitted uses.
Horseriding is also permitted on horseriding trails in a western section of the park—refer to park map for horse trail locations. Pictograms are placed on most intersections giving guidance on level of difficulty and permitted uses.
When using these trails and tracks:
- walkers give way to horse riders;
- bike riders give way to both walkers and horse riders.
For both horseriding and mountain bike touring a special permit is not required unless it is a commercial activity, or an organised event.
Four-wheel-driving, dry weather only
Explore the park on forest roads lined with tall forests. The majority of roads within the park are dry weather only, four-wheel drive roads that require high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles and drivers experienced in low range, low speed forest road driving conditions. All vehicles must be road registered and operated by a licensed rider/driver.
- Refer to the Bellthorpe National Park map to plan your route.
At times roads within the park may be closed for visitor safety—check park alerts for current Bellthorpe closures. When you visit the park, look out for closure signs and do not enter closed areas or areas where vehicle access is prohibited. Access is not permitted on all forest tracks.
Read about driving safely on Bellthorpe's forest roads.