The best hikes on the Australian East Coast between Byron Bay and Rainbow Beach include Twin Falls in Springbrook National Park, Mount Cooroora near Pomona, Mount Barney in the Scenic Rim, Mapleton National Park in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, and the Glass House Mountains near Beerwah. Between them you get waterfalls, rainforest, and some of the best summit views in South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales.
Check out our JOEY Routes and plan your best hikes now.
If you’re bussing your way up the coast with JOEY, chances are you’ve got a few free days between beach towns and you’re wondering how to fill them. Hiking is one of the best ways to see a different side of the East Coast, the hinterland behind the beaches is full of waterfalls, volcanic peaks, and rainforest trails that most backpackers never bother with. Here’s our pick of the five best.
Twin Falls is part of the Warrie Circuit in Springbrook National Park, just inland from the Gold Coast. The walk takes you behind the waterfall itself, through a natural rock amphitheatre draped in moss and ferns, which is a pretty unreal experience if you’ve never walked behind a waterfall before. The full Warrie Circuit is around 17km and takes most of a day, but you can also do a shorter loop of a few kilometres if you just want to see the falls without committing to the whole track. Bring proper shoes, the rocks near the falls get slippery.
Mount Cooroora sits right behind the little town of Pomona, not far from Noosa, and it’s one of the steepest short hikes you’ll find on this stretch of coast. It’s only about 2.5km return, but the climb is relentless, expect around an hour up and a bit less coming down. The reward is a 360 degree view over the Noosa hinterland, the Sunshine Coast, and out to the Glass House Mountains on a clear day. It’s also home to the King of the Mountain race each July, where trail runners smash the climb in under 15 minutes, so don’t feel bad if it takes you a while longer.
Mount Barney is the serious option on this list. It’s a proper mountain in the Scenic Rim, southwest of Brisbane, and the main routes to the summit are unmarked, exposed, and genuinely tough, this one is for experienced hikers with a full day and good navigation skills, not a casual add-on to a beach day. If that sounds like your kind of thing, the views from the top over the Border Ranges are some of the best in South East Queensland. If you’re after something a bit more manageable, there are shorter walks around the base and lower slopes that still get you into the national park without the full summit effort.
Mapleton National Park is tucked into the Blackall Range behind Nambour and Maleny, and it’s an easy add-on if you’re already spending time around Noosa or the Sunshine Coast. The park has a network of walking tracks through tall eucalypt forest and rainforest, with lookouts over the Mapleton Falls and out across the hinterland to the coast. It’s a gentler option than Barney or Cooroora, good for a half day walk without needing to be an experienced hiker, and there are a few cafes in Mapleton village worth a stop afterwards.
The Glass House Mountains are the volcanic peaks you’ll spot from the highway as you head between Brisbane and Noosa, and they’re worth pulling off for. There are several individual peaks you can climb, Mount Ngungun and Mount Tibrogargan are the most popular, with Ngungun being the easier of the two and a good option if you want a shorter walk with a big payoff view. The summits look out over the whole cluster of peaks and the coast beyond, and it’s one of the more distinctive landscapes you’ll see on the East Coast.
All of these hikes sit inland from JOEY’s coastal route between Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosa, and Rainbow Beach, so they’re easiest to fit in as day trips from whichever coastal stop you’re based in rather than direct stops on the bus route itself. Talk to your JOEY driver guide or check in with the crew when you arrive in town, they’ll know the best way to get inland to whichever hike takes your fancy.
Check out all of our JOEY routes here.
Mount Ngungun in the Glass House Mountains and the shorter Mapleton National Park walks are the most manageable options on this list, both are well suited to hikers without much experience or a full day to spare.
Mount Barney is by far the toughest, with unmarked, exposed routes to the summit that require a full day and solid navigation skills. It’s not recommended for inexperienced hikers.
Yes. Mount Cooroora and Mapleton National Park are both close to Noosa, while Mount Barney and the Glass House Mountains are easier to reach from Brisbane or the Gold Coast.
If you’re planning your first trip up Australia’s East Coast, chances are you’ve come across the term “hop-on hop-off bus pass” and wondered what you’re actually paying for. Is it just a bus ticket? Do you need to book everything...
The top things to see on K’gari are tubing down Eli Creek, the Maheno Shipwreck on 75 Mile Beach, the crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie, and sunset at Lake Wabby, the deepest lake on the island. Together they cover...
Quick answer: If you’re short on time in Noosa or coming up for a day trip from Brisbane, JOEY’s picks are coffee and breakfast at The Coffee Noosa, a morning dip and walk at Noosa Main Beach, lunch at the...
