Lamington National Park Brisbane | Gold Coast

Wander under the green forest canopy. Photo credit: Nicholas Hill © Queensland Government

Lush rainforest, ancient trees and stunning waterfalls make Lamington National Park an outstanding place to visit! Photo credit: Nick Hill © Queensland Government

Be inspired: Long hikes in Lamington take you back through time

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step back in time, not hundreds of years but millions? Photo credit: Lightcapturer © Queensland Government

Be inspired: Meet Lamington’s iconic and elusive wildlife—let the show begin!

Roll up, roll up! You’re about to meet the show-stopping performers of our Gondwana World Heritage Area rainforest! Photo credit: Lightcapturer © Queensland Government

Be inspired: 7 accessible (wheelchair and stroller-friendly) parks close to Brisbane

There’s no need to feel like you’re stuck in the city with nowhere to go this weekend! Photo credit: © Queensland Government

Be inspired: 8 family-friendly walks around the Gold Coast

Calling nature enthusiasts of all ages! If you’re looking for nature therapy the whole family can enjoy, there’s no better place than Queensland’s biggest playground—Queensland National Parks! Photo credit: Anna Osetroff © Queensland Government

Be inspired: A magical history tour of Queensland’s earliest national parks

South-East Queensland is the cradle of Queensland National Parks. So let’s take a tour of 4 of our earliest parks to learn the fascinating stories behind their creation and find out how to best enjoy them today. Photo credit: Nick Hill © Queensland Government

Be inspired: Refresh in the ‘green behind the gold’—5 bushwalks on the Gold Coast

Queensland National Parks in the Gold Coast hinterland offer bushwalks where you can refresh in cool mountain air, immerse your senses in lush green forests and feast your eyes on breathtaking scenery. Photo credit: © Tourism and Events Queensland

Rainforest return

Take a trip back in time as you walk through 23 million years’ worth of Lamington's geological history.

Journey type
Walk
Distance
1.4km circuit The same start and finish point, but the traveller doesn’t return along the same path
Time suggested
Allow about 30min walking time.
Grade
Grade 2 walking track

Accessible by

  • Conventional vehicle

Journey facilities

  • Wheelchair access (may require assistance)
  • Walking

The first 700m of this track is accessible for wheelchairs with assistance.

This short walk is a journey through the geological history of this landscape. Step between the 23-million-year-old boulders and try to picture this landscape during Australia’s ice age. Imagine what it would be like to come face-to-face with the largest marsupial to have ever lived, and what this landscape would’ve looked like during the last lava flows from the Tweed Volcano.

The walk also offers excellent birdwatching opportunities. Watch for yellow-throated scrubwrens, Albert’s lyrebirds and Australian longrunners rummaging among the leaf litter.

This park is part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, famed for its ongoing geological processes, evolutionary history, and diversity (especially of rare, threatened and endemic species).

Getting there and getting around

The rainforest return track is in the Green Mountains section of Lamington National Park, 110km south of Brisbane.

  • The track starts at the trailhead in Green Mountains day-use area. and follows the Border Track for 700m. Return along the same track. Alternatively, follow the gravel track that connects the O’Reilly’s Botanic Gardens and Booyong boardwalk to return to the Green Mountains day-use area.
  • The Green Mountains day-use area is at the end of Lamington National Park Road, 5.7km from the park entrance.

For more details on how to get to Lamington National Park, please see getting there and getting around.

The first 700m of this track is accessible for wheelchairs with assistance. The remainder of the Border track is not wheelchair accessible. There are wheelchair-accessible toilet facilities available at the Green Mountains day-use area.

The Centenary track is a 900m universal access track that starts at the Python Rock and Morans Falls trailhead, and is located 125m back along the access road from the Green Mountains day-use area.

Before you visit

Opening hours

Rainforest return 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 Lamington safely and Walk with care.