Cherry Plain picnic area
Park or picnic on a tiny grassland 'bald' surrounded by rainforest. From here you can head off for a scenic west-side walk to Burtons Well or Westcott.
Accessible by
- Conventional vehicle
- Bicycle
Attraction facilities
- Picnic tables
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![Cherry Plain picnic area is the starting point for walking tracks leading south to Westcott and north to Burtons Well.]()
Cherry Plain picnic area is the starting point for walking tracks leading south to Westcott and north to Burtons Well.
Photo credit: Robert Ashdown © Queensland Government
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![Cherry Plain picnic area is a peaceful spot that you will rarely share with others.]()
Cherry Plain picnic area is a peaceful spot that you will rarely share with others.
Photo credit: Robert Ashdown © Queensland Government
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![Picnic on a tiny grassland 'bald' surrounded by rainforest.]()
Picnic on a tiny grassland 'bald' surrounded by rainforest.
Photo credit: Robert Ashdown © Queensland Government
Enjoy the serenity of this peaceful picnic and roadside parking area surrounded by rainforest, well away from the main visitor area of the Bunya Mountains. From here, walk north on Cherry Plains to Burtons Well track or south on the Westcott to Cherry Plains track.
Look for shy black-breasted button-quails in the dry rainforest gully a short distance along the track from Cherry Plain. Spy fairy-wrens, finches and scurrying skinks in open grassy areas. Listen for the sounds of wonga pigeons, green catbirds and eastern whipbirds calling in the surrounding rainforest. In the evening, spotlight for bandicoots, wallabies and pademelons.
Getting there and getting around
The Cherry Plain picnic area is in the Bunya Mountains National Park, 200km north-west of Brisbane and 125km north-west of Toowoomba in the South Burnett region.
- The picnic area is 6km along Bunya Mountains Road from the south-eastern park entrance.
Several steep, narrow and winding routes, signposted as the Great Bunya Drive, lead to the park. The Bunya Mountains Road passes through the park from the south-east to the north.
From Brisbane via Toowoomba
- Drive 138km west along the Ipswich Motorway and Warrego Highway to Toowoomba.
- Continue 44km along the Warrego Highway to Jondaryan and turn right towards the Bunya Mountains.
- Travel 34km to Maclagan, turn left and follow the signs for about 31km to the park; 2km of this road is gravel.
From Brisbane via Yarraman
- Travel up the Brisbane Valley through Esk, or the D'Aguilar Highway through Kilcoy.
- Drive to Yarraman then turn left onto the New England Highway towards Toowoomba and travel 20km.
- Turn right to Maidenwell on Kingaroy-Cooyar Road, then turn left to the Bunya Mountains; about 3.8km of the road is gravel.
From Nanango
- Drive 30km to Maidenwell on Nanango-Tarong Road and turn right to the Bunya Mountains. This 55km route has about 4km of gravel road.
From Kingaroy
- Drive via Kumbia on the Bunya Highway and turn left onto Bunya Mountains Road and drive to the northern park entrance. This 56km route is sealed road.
From Dalby
- Travel 25km along Dalby-Cooyar Road to Kaimkillenbun, then drive 30km via Yamsion to Bunya Mountains Road and through to the south-eastern park entrance. These roads are sealed.
Wheelchair access
There are no wheelchair-accessible facilities.
Before you visit
Opening hours
Cherry Plain picnic area is open 24 hours a day
Check park alerts for the latest information on access, closures and conditions.
Visiting safely
For more safety information see Visiting Bunya Mountains safely.
- Mt Kiangarow track and Cherry Plain to Burtons Well walk closed - due to maintenance. 9 February to 14 July 2023
- Temporary closure of Paradise carpark - Bunya Mountains National Park 3 May to 30 June 2023
- The Bunya Bunya walking track is closed 29 January 2023 to 29 January 2024
- Burtons Well camping area closure 1 February to 30 June 2023