Off the beaten track
There are many ways to experience Queensland’s parks and forests. Whether it’s in hiking boots, on two wheels or from the comfort of your four-wheel-drive, get into parks.
Four-wheel driving
It’s not a real four-wheel-drive until it’s covered in dirt. Photo courtesy of Deidre Windham.
From cool, shady forest trails to dusty outback adventures, you can enjoy four-wheel driving in Queensland’s national parks.
In the Sunshine Coast hinterland, explore gorges and magnificent forests in Conondale National Park. Enjoy stunning views from one of several lookouts as you traverse Booloumba Creek Road. From here, take a short walk to picturesque waterways such as Artists Cascades. Extend your stay by camping with your four-wheel-drive at Charlie Moreland or Booloumba Creek camping areas.
Discover amazing geological formations, fascinating history and Indigenous culture at Mount Moffatt in Carnarvon Gorge National Park. On the circuit drive you’ll see spectacular sights, from sandstone formations like Marlong Arch, to Kookaburra Cave with its Aboriginal rock art.
With waterholes, wetlands and river channels, Diamantina National Park is an oasis in an arid landscape. When you get there, check out the 87 km self-guided Warracoota circuit drive. See reminders of Queensland's pastoral heritage and discover the significance of the area to the local Aboriginal people. Strap a canoe to the roof racks or pack the fishing rods; these are great ways to explore Diamantina’s peaceful waterholes and seasonal lakes.
What seasoned four-wheel driver could resist the challenge of crossing the Simpson Desert? Visit Queensland’s largest national park, Munga-Thirri National Park (formerly known as Simpson Desert National Park), with its red sand dunes, ironstone pebbles, grey-green spinifex and clear blue skies. Spend a night under the stars before making the return trip, or continue on to South Australia.
If you’re heading out west why not do a round trip of the parks of Central West Queensland? Whether you're interested in birdwatching, bushwalking, canoeing, camping, mountain-bike riding or cultural history, there’s something for everyone in the central west.
The Cape York Peninsula features landscapes of unsurpassed beauty and immense diversity, rich with Aboriginal traditions and customs. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is a must to visit ‘The Cape’, so pack up the family for a four-wheel-driving adventure. See picturesque lakes carpeted in colourful lilies at Lakefield National Park, try fishing at Mungkan Kandju (Kaanju) National Park, go wildlife watching at Iron Range National Park and on your way up to the tip stop and camp at Eliot Falls in Heathlands Resources Reserve. The best time to visit is during the dry season (May to October) and remember to be croc wise in croc country.
To get even more out of your four-wheel-driving experience, contact Four Wheel Drive Queensland. Remember to drive safely and tread lightly.
Sand driving
Enjoy an island holiday. Photo courtesy of Tourism Queensland.
Sun, surf and sand—the quintessential Queensland holiday. If it’s an island escape you’re after, visit Moreton and Fraser islands. A four-wheel-drive is a must if you plan to take on the sandy inland roads and miles of beautiful beaches. Whether it’s a day trip to Fraser Island, or a week of camping on Moreton with the kids, our islands provide the perfect getaway.
Less than an hour north of Brisbane and connected to the mainland by road bridge, you couldn’t ask for a more accessible island than Bribie. Head up the sandy Northern access track, then stop and enjoy the Fort Bribie walk. You’ll discover coastal heath, fort remnants and gun emplacements, and learn about the men and women who served here in World War II.
For a sand-driving experience on the mainland, check out Cape Palmerston National Park, Byfield National Park and Conservation Park and the Cooloola section of Great Sandy National Park.
To get even more out of your four-wheel-driving experience, contact Four Wheel Drive Queensland. Remember to tread lightly and stay safe when driving on sand.
Mountain biking
Pump up the tyres and set off on a mountain-biking adventure. Photo courtesy of Ben Blanche.
Mountain biking in national parks offers you the challenge of traversing the wilderness, the rush of pushing your physical limits and never knowing what’s around the next bend.
Explore dry rainforest and open eucalypt forest on one of the designated mountain-bike trails at Nerang National Park in the Gold Coast hinterland. Or challenge yourself with a longer ride and lengthy hill climbs to subtropical rainforest in D’Aguilar National Park, north of Brisbane.
Daisy Hill Conservation Park is a popular mountain-biking location on Brisbane's south side. Its tracks can get quite busy, so for a trail with less traffic try one of our other parks.
For more mountain-biking places in the southeast corner, check out Beerburrum and Beerwah State Forests and Forest Reserves, Amamoor State Forest and Forest Reserve, Conondale National Park, Benarkin State Forest and Yarraman State Forest.
Around Cairns in our tropical north, try roads and trails in Kuranda and Mowbray national parks, including the historic Bump Track with its beautiful views of Big Mowbray Falls, or the multi-use section of the Goldfield trail in Wooroonooran National Park as it meanders along beside the Mulgrave River.
To get even more out of your mountain-biking experience, contact your local mountain-biking club. Ride smart, ride safe.
Hiking
Hiking options are plentiful in Queensland’s national parks. Photo: DERM.
Strap on your hiking boots and step into the wild. Discover hidden wonders along Queensland’s Great Walks and other challenging trails.
Southern Queensland
- Conondale Range Great Walk
- Cooloola Great Walk
- Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk
- Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk
- Carnarvon Great Walk
Central Queensland
North Queensland
- Misty mountains wilderness walking tracks
- Mount Sorrow ridge trail, Daintree National Park
- Manjal Jimalji trail, Daintree National Park
- Bartle Frere trail, Wooroonooran National Park
- Goldfield trail, Wooroonooran National Park
- Wet Tropics Great Walk
- Thorsborne Trail, Hinchinbrook Island National Park
- Dalrymple Gap walking track, Girringun National Park
Remember to walk safely and softly.
Last updated 8 November 2011