I recognize the people of Kapi Kapi and Jinibal as the custodians of the tradition whose land and waters we now share on the Sunshine Coast.
It took me a while to figure it out, but the Sunshine Coast has a lot going for ita short walk, perfect for an hour in the fresh air outside.
ali sahinterland of the Gold CoastThe Sunshine Coast seems to offer a steady stream of footpaths of all sizes, but is a little more limited in the long-haul sections.
That said, there are some slightly longer hikes to choose from, including overnight hikes, you just have to know where to go!
content
Forests, rainforests and parts of the coast: long walks
Most of the longer bushwalks are in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast, but if you want a coastal experience (rather than bushwalking), there are several other tracks in and around Noosa National Park.
Most of the longer Sunshine Coast walks are half-day walks, taking around 1.5-3 hours. But I think there are also full-day options, or if you combine hiking with a picnic, it would be a good day. 🙂
Here are some of my favorite long walks, those longer than 5km from north to south.
1. Circle of grid points | Recreational area Kourula
Basic information about the route
distance:A loop of 5.1 km
difficulty:single
Start of the trail:Elanda Point Car Park (Mill Point Road, via Lake Flat Road)
The walk is just over 5 km and is actually more of a short walk than a long one. But there are several other walks in the area, so if 5 km is too short for you, you can easily extend the route.
The Mill Point Circuit is a very easy walk that is completely flat and takes you through lush areas to Lake Cootharaba at Mill Point.
You can still see some of the mill's history at Mill Point, but when you're standing on the shore of the lake it's hard to imagine that in the late 19th century there was an entire complex of workshops, schools, hotels, shops and houses that supported Erlanda Point Sawmill.
2. Noosa Coastal Walk | Noosa National Park
Basic information about the route
distance:10.8 km round trip or round trip (via Tanglewood Track or Noosa Hills Track)
difficulty:some-middle
Start of the trail:Parking in the day use zone, next to Noosa Parkway; alternative: Sunny Beach
The Noosa Coastal Track is a popular promenade. Almost every day on a sunny day you will encounter a lot of people on this trail, and for good reason.
Noosa National Park is a picturesque place with a winding coastal walk that takes you along the cliffs and across the beaches.
If you want to go all the way, I recommend starting in Sunny Beach, up the stairs for good cardio and a little less trouble finding a parking space.
You can walk along the coast and return the same way, or take the Tanglewood or Noosa Hill trail and follow the connecting trail back to the Sunshine Beach starting point, turning the walk into a loop (and vice versa).
More details in the post below.
Read more: Noosa Wanderreut Coastal Path
3. Loop of coastal comfrey | Moolooula River National Park
Basic information about the route
distance:Approximately 7 km round trip/loop
difficulty:some-middle
Start of the trail:Parking is on Claymore Road, at the end of Sippy Downs or along Kawana Way (where you will see signs for "Mooloolah River NP")
The Boronia-Littoralis Loop on the Mooloolah River (no, it doesn't actually follow the river) is not a very popular walk, but I keep coming back because I love the beautiful heather and bush.
That's what you'll find here.
You can either start at the trailhead and turn off from the Boronia Trail onto the Littoralis Trail (which becomes the Aemula Trail) or vice versa.
Unfortunately, sometimes you can hear traffic noise from the nearby highway, but I really enjoyed walking, breathing in the fresh air and exercising.
The trail is very exposed, so avoid the summer heat (plus the trail can be quite muddy in the wet).
4. Giroul Waterfalls | Mapleton National Park
Basic information about the route
distance:11 kilometers round trip
difficulty:easiness
Start of the trail:Parkiralište Leafy Lane (Mapleton Forest Road)
Gheerulla Falls are accessible from various vantage points and can be a quick hike or made into a longer loop.
For a longer walk, start from Leafy Lane car park and follow the signs for the Sunshine Coast Hinterlandgreat walk. After participating in the Great Walk, just follow the signs all the way to Gheerulla Falls.
Ubajee Viewpoint is a great place for a break/lunch just behind the Ubajee Walking Camp.
Return by the same route.
Alternatively, you can participate inTaxi to pick upAfter passing the Ubajee walker camp, head back down Leafy Lane.
This walk is perfect for sunny days as you will be walking through the woods most of the time. As you descend the cliff into the Girula Valley, there is a downhill on the way to the Girula Falls. Of course, that means a decent bit of uphill when you get back.
For an easier option, follow Delicia Road from the gate entrance (YesAt the start of the Delicia Road Trail! Continue until you see a (small) sign for Gheerulla Falls/Great Walk on the right; no real parking, just park on the side of the road). The return from here is about 3 kilometers and is relatively flat.
4. Curilpa Falls Raceway | Mapleton National Park
Basic information about the route
distance:8.5 km loop
difficulty:easiness
Start of the trail:Mapleton Day Use Area (Mapleton Forest Road)
The Kureelpa Falls Circuit is one of Mapleton National Park's shared trails, which means you'll be sharing the trail with mountain bikers and horseback riders.
It's not the most scenic trail as you hike through dry sclerophyllous forest, but it's worth it for the beautiful Curelpa Falls on the way!
The falls after a light rain are spectacular, but even in dry weather you can climb and explore the creek, giving you a chance to take a break from the trail. Just be careful around the rocks because the canyon is quite steep.
The hiking trails themselves are rough and mostly resemble firefighting trails or maintenance roads. It's not steep, but there is some elevation drop to the falls.
Additional note:If you just want to see Kureelpa Falls, you can take a short cut from Kureelpa Falls Road, park at the end and take the goat trail across the stream.
5. Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk: Walking muligheder
The entire Sunshine Coast Hinterland Trail is 59 kilometers long and takes 3-4 days. But with multiple access points available, you can easily complete part of it, be it a night hike or a half day/full day hike.
A full walk through the Blackall Ranges, from Baron Lake, Condalilla National Park to Mapleton National Park, including a loop through the Giroula Valley.
You can split this amazing walk in many different ways, it all depends on where you want to start and how far you want to go.
Here are some suggestions to get you started.
5.1 Part of the circuit | Mapleton National Park
Basic information about the route
distance:34.7 km loop
difficulty:easiness
Start of the trail:There are several options, but an easy one is Maple Lane Car Park, Mapleton National Park (Mapleton Forest Road)
If you want to take a short walk into the night, a very good option is to just take the circular part of the Great Walk, from the Leafy Lane car park (or from the Mapleton day-use zone if you want to walk the extra 1km).
You pass the Ubaji walkers' camp before descending into the Gheerulla Valley. Drive along Gheerulla Creek and climb back up to the ridge, where Thilba Thalba Camp is (eventually).
If 35km doesn't mean anything to you, you can do it in one day, but if 35km sounds like a lot to you (and it does to me), camp at Thilba Thalba Walkers Camp as an overnight trek.
The view at camp seemed like a pretty nice reward after the tough climb up the ridge!
5.2 Viewpoint of Giroula Valley | Mapleton National Park
Basic information about the route
distance:About 10 kilometers round trip
difficulty:easiness
Start of the trail:Depart from the Gheerulla Falls entrance to Mapleton National Park (along Delicia Road)
If you don't have time or want to hike overnight, you can trek to Gheerulla Valley Lookout.
A good option is to follow Delicia Road from the entrance (of Mapleton National Park). There are no real parking lots here, so just keep an eye out for the gates and some national park signs. Note that thisNot a car park along Delicia Road (M4)But keep going after the road turns to gravel.
From there you go to Thilba Thalba Trekking Camp and don't pass the Gheerulla Falls gate or you will be walking almost the whole loop and it will take you a long time to see the view point!
The road is hilly, but some uphill for the view.
Gheerulla Valley Viewpoint is a great place to have lunch as you can enjoy a picnic while enjoying the beautiful view of the valley. Just be careful around the rocks, the area is not fenced.
5.3 Mapleton Falls to Ubaji Lookout | Mapleton Falls / Mapleton National Park
Basic information about the route
distance:14.2 kilometers round trip
difficulty:easiness
Start of the trail:Parkingsplads for daily use Mapleton Falls (Mapleton Falls Road)
Another good option for a day hike is to hike from Mapleton Falls (entrance M3) to Ubajee Lookout and back.
This is a mostly flat hiking trail and easy to find. Simply park in the Mapleton Falls day care area, follow the Wompoo Circuit and then follow the Great Walk signs to Ubajee Walker Camp.
The viewpoint is only a few hundred meters from the camp.
Return by the same route.
6. Evan Maddock Dam Main Track
Basic information about the route
distance:7.7 kilometers in one direction
difficulty:single
Start of the trail:Parkiralište Maddock Park (Mooloolah Link Road)
The Evan Madoc Women's Main Course starts at Madoc Park, runs mostly along the lakeshore and ends just north of Gympie Street.
The trail is a shared trail with a fair amount of riding and mountain biking, so keep an eye out for others.
As this is a one-way trail, you will need to arrange transport by car at the other end or walk back the same way. Of course, you can also run less than 7.7 kilometers and turn around faster.
If you want to hike longer, you can also add side loops (up to 1 km each). In fact, a good option is to go to one of the loop trails and use it as your turning point.
7. Ružina race track | Duracha National Park
Basic information about the route
distance:8 km loop
difficulty:Very
Start of the trail:Car park at the end of Mooloolah Paget Street (north entrance); Beech Road Park, Landsborough (South Entrance)
The Roses Circuit is a great uphill (or downhill) fitness walk.
Part of the tunnel is straight and level, but once you get onto Rose Raceway it goes uphill until you reach the Old Maleny Road exit. You then hit a flatter section before descending all the way down to the old railway tunnel.
The hike through the dry sclerophyllous forest isn't particularly scenic, but in terms of exercise and getting your heart rate up, it's unbeatable.
Note that all the trails in Duralchi are shared trails and there are plenty of mountain bikes here, so be careful (even if they give way to you).
8. Rough circle | Glass House Mountains National Park
Basic information about the route
distance:5.7 km loop (about 9 km if you add Tibrogargan)
difficulty:some-middle
Start of the trail:Tibrogargan car park (Baars/Marsh Road)
Both the Tibrogalgen and Trachyte courses have gone through some changes over the past few years. Part of the trachyte loop has been redirected so that it is now slightly shorter than before.
This is a fairly easy trail with only a few hills, but mostly flat and easy trail.
Vidikovac Jack FerrisIt is a high point with a fantastic view of the Birwa and Tibrogalgan mountains. On a clear day you can even see Caloundra in the distance.
If you want a longer walk, you can mark the Tibrogargen path at the finish line (or start from it). This can add about 3 km to your hike and you will end up walking about 9 km. Tibrogargan is the more popular of the two trails, so expect more traffic on this trail.
I actually prefer the Trachyte Circuit as you have a great view of Mount Tibrogargan and the view seems to be a bit more interesting.
More hiking options
There are also a few coastal walks longer than 5km, but they wouldn't necessarily be my first choice. Of course, it's also good to try different places.
- Pickup Cabin Raceway (6.7 km loop)|Mapleton National Park:A shared path through Blackbutt Forest. You will have to cross Giroula Creek several times.
- Staza Li Yanwan (13.4 km south)|Nacionalni park Glass House Mountains:uFifth gradeWalk from Tibrogargan car park to Beerburrum car park. You can use the shared path for cycling on the way back.
- Lake Baroon to Kondalilla Day Area (11.4 km one way)|Condalilla National Park:This walk follows the first (or last) section of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland Trail and includes a fairly steep section up to Obi Obi Creek. Apparently you don't have to go to the day part of Condalilla, you can turn around whenever you want.
- Jianjian Village Loop (14 km loop):The trail is part of the Noosa Walk network, which of course starts at Kin Kin. The elevation profile seems pretty flat, so if you have knee problems or just want a light hike, this might be a good hike.
- Booloumba Creek to Mount Allan (11 km downstream)|Cornondale National Park:This walk starts from the Booloumba Creek day use area and follows the Conondale Great Walk to Mt Allen Fire Tower, which offers stunning views across the valley.
Vandresti location map
put together
At first glance it may seem like there aren't many hiking trails on the Sunshine Coast, but once you start looking around, there are actually quite a few.
Most of the longer walks on the Sunshine Coast are inland, but there are also a few walks around Noosa. I'm still researching most of them, so I'm not sure how they're signed, rated, etc. You can find more info atWeb stranica Noosa Trails Network.
Let me know in the comments if I've missed a particularly great coastal walk and I'll be happy to check it out!
More posts about hiking on the Sunshine Coast
If you don't have the time or desire to go for a longer walk on the Sunshine Coast, I doSuggestions for short walks, all are under 5 km.
Alternatively, you canVisit some coastal viewpoints, some of which can be easily reached by car or on foot for a few hundred meters.
If you want more detailsCoastal walk in Noosaor quicklyA walk on the top of Mount Coolum, I have posts about that as well.
PIN with me
Australiawalking toursQueenslandSunny beach