Things to do
Remote bush camping in south D'Aguilar section, D'Aguilar National Park.
Photo credit: Queensland Government
Camping and accommodation
Camping
D’Aguilar National Park has two formal camping areas in the northern section (Neurum Creek and Archer) and nine remote bush camp sites in the southern section.
- See South D'Aguilar shared trails map for approximate locations of camp sites.
- See the D’Aguilar National Park South D’Aguilar section topographic map, which can be purchased from the Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre, to assist in navigating your way to remote bush camp sites.
Camping permits are required and fees apply. A camping tag with your booking number must be displayed at your camp site.
- Find out more about camping in D’Aguilar National Park.
- Book your camp site online.
- If you cannot book online, see camping bookings for other options.
Other accommodation
Camping is also available at Blue Gum Flats located near the shores of Lake Manchester. To book a site, contact Seqwater.
There is a range of holiday accommodation in and around Brisbane, Mount Glorious, Samford and Dayboro. For more information see the tourism information links.
Take a bushwalk along one of the many walking tracks in D'Aguilar National Park.
Photo credit: Queensland Government
Enjoy a scenic 4WD drive in the northern section (Mount Mee section) of the park.
Photo credit: Queensland Government
Picnic areas and attractions
To find out more about picnic areas and lookouts in the park, please visit the Attractions page.
Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre is located at the southern gateway to the park. Visit the centre to find out more about Queensland’s national parks and wildlife.
Nearby Mount Coot-tha and Lake Manchester also provide picnic facilities and short walks.
Walking
- South D'Aguilar day-use areas and walking trails map
- Mount Mee forest drives and trails map
- Maiala walking tracks map
D'Aguilar National Park offers a range of walking tracks for beginner and experienced walkers. Each track is classified according to Australian Standards and suitable only for pedestrian use. Please note that while each track is classified according to its most difficult section, other sections may be easier.
Walkers can also access the many management roads throughout the park. These may be shared by horse and mountain-bike riders, four-wheel drivers and/or trail bikes. Walkers using management roads shared with other users need to be aware of the Give way code.
Please refer to the table below for a list of short, medium and longer walks in the park.
Also read the guidelines on walking safely and walking softly to ensure a safe, enjoyable and sustainable experience.
Walking in the southern section
- Short walks—less than 2hr walking time
- Medium length walks—2 to 4hr walking time
- Longer walks—from 4 to 19hr walking time
| Access point | Track name | Track grade | Distance/time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellbird Grove | Turrbal circuit | Grade 3 | 1.7km circuit; allow 45min |
| Bellbird Grove | Golden Boulder track | Grade 3 | 1.8km circuit; allow 45min |
| Jollys Lookout | Egernia circuit | Grade 3 | 1.5km circuit; allow 45min |
| Boombana | Pitta circuit | Grade 3 | 1km circuit; allow 30min |
| Manorina | Atrax circuit | Grade 3 | 750m return; allow 20min |
| Maiala | Rainforest circuit | Grade 3 | 2km circuit; allow 1hr |
| Maiala | Cypress Grove circuit | Grade 3 | 2.5km circuit; allow 1hr 30min |
| Maiala | Western Window track | Grade 3 | 1.2km return; allow 45min |
| Access point | Track name | Track grade | Distance/time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre | Araucaria track | Grade 3 | 5km return; allow 2hr |
| Jollys Lookout | Thylogale track | Grade 3 | 8km return; allow 3hr |
| Manorina | Morelia track | Grade 4 | 6km return; allow 2hr |
| Maiala | Greenes Falls track | Grade 3 | 4.3km return; allow 2hr |
| Maiala | Westside track | Grade 4 | 6.4km return; allow 3hr |
Longer walks—from 4 to 10hr walking time
Longer walks are suggested as loops along management roads. They can be completed in one long day, or walkers can camp overnight at one of the remote bush camp sites. Keep a look out for small road signs and take a D’Aguilar National Park South D’Aguilar section topographic map with you. These maps can be purchased from the Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre.
| Access point | Track name | Track grade | Distance/time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maiala | Aquila loop | Grade 4 | 24km return; allow 6–10hr |
| Mount Nebo transfer station | Cabbage Tree Range loop | Grade 4 | 17km circuit; allow 4–7hr |
| Bullockys Dam | Augies loop | Grade 4 | 16km circuit; allow 7hr |
Walking in northern section (Mount Mee section)
| Access point | Track name | Track grade | Distance/time |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Gantry | Piccabeen walk | Grade 2 | 1km circuit; allow 30min |
| Falls lookout carpark | Falls lookout track | Grade 2 | 1km return; allow 30min |
| From Neurum Creek camping area | Lophostemon walk | Grade 3 | 750m circuit; allow 20min |
| Access point | Track name | Track grade | Distance/time |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Gantry | Somerset trail | Grade 4 | 13km circuit; allow 4hr |
Horse and mountain-bike riding
A leisurely ride through the park on horseback or bicycle is a great way to experience the wonders of the bush. There is a network of shared trails throughout the park for horseriding and hundreds of kilometres of management roads for mountain-bike riding. A special permit is not required unless it is a commercial activity, or an organised event and/or competitive event.
Horse and mountain-bike riding is fun provided you stay safe.
Mountain-bike riding
Mountain-bike riding is permitted on all management roads in D’Aguilar National Park, unless otherwise signed. However, mountain biking is not suitable on some management roads due to very steep gradients and rough terrain. Mountain bikers share management roads with other users and need to be aware of the Give way code.
High levels of fitness and sound navigational skills are required to ride in the park. If you are a new rider to the area, you will need to carry a D’Aguilar National Park South D'Aguilar section topographic map, which can be purchased from the Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre.
For more details, see Mountain-bike rides.
There are no designated mountain-bike-only trails in the park, and bikes are not permitted on designated walking tracks.
Designated mountain-bike and shared trails can be found in Bunyaville Conservation Park, Samford Conservation Park and Daisy Hill Conservation Park. Sections of Mt Coot-tha Forest, managed by Brisbane City Council, also have mountain-bike and multiple-use trails. A mountain-bike trail map is available for Mt Coot-tha Forest—visit Brisbane City Council.
Horseriding
Horseriding is permitted only on specified marked trails in D’Aguilar National Park. Most of the horse trails are management roads shared with other users —be aware of the Give way code.
Many half-day and full-day rides can be enjoyed in the southern section of the park. See the horseriding trail network for more details.
To help reduce your impact on our natural areas:
- Do not allow horses to remain in the park overnight.
- Ride only on formed roads and trails designated for riding. Do not take shortcuts or form new tracks as this damages the environment and causes erosion.
- Do not allow horses to enter or remain in or near natural watercourses. Only allow horses to cross natural watercourses at designated crossing points on the trail to protect watercourses.
- Minimise damage to vegetation—do not allow horses to graze on any vegetation while in the park.
- Minimise soil erosion and compaction—tether horses at hitching posts or resting areas for short periods only.
- Avoid spreading weeds—ensure horses’ coats, hooves and equipment are free of seeds before park visits.
Driving and trail-bike riding
The northern section (Mount Mee section) offers three different opportunities for 4WD forest driving. Visit the Journeys page for the full details of the forest drives within this section of the park.
See the Mount Mee forest drives and trails map for roads accessible to four-wheel drive vehicles and trail bikes. Vehicles, including trail bikes, are permitted on the forest drives and unsealed roads in the northern section (Mount Mee section) unless otherwise signed.
Vehicle permits are not required; however, all vehicles (including trail bikes) must be registered and driven by a licensed driver.
Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended for driving on all unsealed roads. Road conditions are always variable, and they have features that can make them impassable in conventional (2WD) vehicles at any time. Most unsealed roads are accessible in dry weather only, and some require four-wheel drive vehicles with high clearance.
Please obey speed limits and road rules—the maximum speed limit is 40km/hr, and all Queensland road rules apply. Be aware of horseriders and walkers who might share or cross the roads.
Please obey all park closure notices. The northern section of the park (Mount Mee section) is closed after heavy rain—check park alerts before visiting for the latest information about park access, closures and conditions.
There are no four-wheel-driving or trail-bike riding opportunities in the southern section of the park. Sealed roads wind through the southern section of the park.
Mount Nebo Road
A beautiful scenic drive travels through the park to Mount Nebo and Mount Glorious townships. The sealed road winds through varied eucalypt forest types and passes several lookouts along the way. Return to Brisbane along the same road or via Samford–Mount Glorious Road.
The Northbrook Parkway
The Northbrook Parkway continues from Mount Glorious, linking D’Aguilar National Park with the eastern shore of Lake Wivenhoe. For an interesting round trip, travel back to Brisbane via Samford–Mount Glorious Road or the Brisbane Valley Highway.
Guided tours and talks
Ranger guided activities and talks are conducted from the Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre.
- Planned burn closures - Mount Nebo, Gold Creek and Mermaid Mountain areas 27 May to 6 June 2023
- Planned Manorina trailhead upgrade 14 April to 31 July 2023
- Diana's Bath Road - partial closure 12 December 2022 to 30 June 2023
- Camp Mountain access road closed due to landslip 5 July 2022 to 30 June 2023
- Temporary road closure Jacky Creek area Mount Mee Section 14 February to 30 June 2023
- Mt Mee - Mill Rainforest walking track closed due to storm damage 5 January 2021 to 30 June 2023