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

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 30mins walking time.
Grade
Grade 2 walking track
Where
View map

Accessible by

  • Conventional vehicle
  • Bicycle

Journey facilities

  • Walking

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 offer excellent birdwatching opportunities. Watch for yellow-throated scrubwrens and longrunners 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.

Getting to Lamington

Lamington National Park is made up of two sections—Green Mountains and Binna Burra. Green Mountains section is located on the western side of the Lamington Plateau. The Binna Burra section encompasses the rest of the park to the east.

Getting to Green Mountains section

From Broadbeach, drive 40km to Canungra via Nerang. From the north, take Pacific Motorway exit 34 to Beenleigh, route 92 to Tamborine, and route 90 to Canungra. The 36km winding and often narrow bitumen road from Canungra requires care and takes at least 50min. This road is unsuitable for recreational vehicles (RVs) longer than 4m and vehicles towing caravans and camper trailers.

Getting to Binna Burra section

Allow 70min from Broadbeach. Drive 38km to Beechmont via Nerang. From the north, take Pacific Motorway exit 69 and follow the signs west to Lamington National Park—Binna Burra section. The final 1.8km of the drive is very narrow and winding.

There are many commercial tour operators that conduct tours to Lamington National Park. See the tourism information links for further details.

There is no public transport to the park and getting taxis and ride share operators to pick up from the park can be difficult.

Wheelchair accessibility

There are wheelchair-accessible toilet facilities at the day-use area in both the Green Mountains and Binna Burra sections of Lamington National Park. Binna Burra section also has wheelchair-accessible picnic tables.

At Green Mountains section there are two wheelchair-accessible walking tracks. The Centenary track is a 900m universal access track, and the first 700m of the Border Track is accessible for wheelchairs with assistance.

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.