Snapshot
| Where | Glass House Mountains National Park, Sunshine Coast hinterland, Queensland — About 70km north of Brisbane, roughly one hour's drive via the Bruce Highway and Steve Irwin Way · 45km from Sunshine Coast Airport at Marcoola, about 35 minutes' drive · 72km from Brisbane Airport, about 1.5 hours' drive · Trailheads are signposted off Steve Irwin Way between Beerburrum and the Glass House Mountains township |
|---|---|
| Getting there | 2WD is all you need — Steve Irwin Way off the Bruce Highway is sealed, and the Ngungun, Tibrogargan, Beerburrum and Beerwah trailheads each sit on a short sealed side road with a car park · Coochin Creek's camping and day-use area in Beerwah State Forest also suits 2WD, with a short section of unsealed road on the approach · The surrounding state forests are open 24 hours but Queensland Parks recommends travel in daylight hours · There is no public transport or rideshare service to the trailheads, so you need your own vehicle |
| Best time | April to October — dry, mild days of about 18 to 25°C, firm tracks and clear views across the plain; Tourism Australia nominates late autumn and winter, May to August, as the most enjoyable weather for hiking |
| Worst time | December to February — hot and humid, with summer days over 35°C possible, February the wettest month at about 169mm over 14 rainy days, and afternoon storms that leave the rock treacherous; haze can reduce the peaks to silhouettes by mid-morning |
| Time needed | One day covers the Mount Ngungun summit walk (2.8km return, 2 hours), the Tibrogargan circuit (4.1km return, 1.5 hours) and a lookout; two days adds the Trachyte circuit and the Mount Beerburrum fire tower walk; three days allows the Grade 5 Yul-yan-man track |
| Cost | No entry fee is listed for the park — walking tracks, lookouts and picnic areas are free · Camping at Coochin Creek in Beerwah State Forest: $7.75 per person per night or $31.00 per family per night (one or two adults with children under 18, up to eight people), children under five free, GST included, at the rates set on 1 July 2026 · Book at book.parks.qld.gov.au or on 13 QGOV (13 74 68) |
| Facilities | Toilets and picnic tables, some sheltered, at the trailhead day-use areas, with wheelchair-accessible facilities at the Glass House Mountains lookout and the Coochin Creek day-use area · No showers, no campfires, no generators, no dogs and no trail bikes; the lookout day-use area barbecue is closed until 21 February 2027 · Fuel, food and water in Beerwah, the Glass House Mountains township and Landsborough, a few minutes off Steve Irwin Way · Mobile coverage drops at the trailheads, so download maps before you leave town |
| Best for | Day-trippers from Brisbane after a short, steep walk with a big view, Sunshine Coast visitors adding an inland day to a beach week, and photographers working the peaks at sunrise and sunset |
| Difficulty |
2 of 5 — Moderate
The everyday walks — Ngungun, the Tibrogargan circuit, the Trachyte circuit and Beerburrum — are steep but short and well trafficked; the exceptions are the Grade 5 Yul-yan-man track with its exposed scrambling, and the summit routes on Beerwah and Tibrogargan, which demand rock-scrambling and climbing skills and are not for casual walkers. |
Driving there? Car hire and what to check →
The Glass House Mountains are volcanic plugs — the solid cores of volcanoes that pushed up through the coastal plain about 25 to 27 million years ago, molten rock setting into trachyte and rhyolite. Erosion has since stripped away every trace of cone and sandstone, and DCCEEW calls what remains the best example of an eroded central volcano complex in Australia, with vertical cooling columns visible at Mount Beerwah and Mount Ngungun. At least twelve peaks stand on the flat, from Mount Elimbah (Saddleback) at 109m in the south to Mount Beerwah at 556m, and the Glass House Mountains National Landscape was inscribed on the National Heritage List on 3 August 2006. This is the Country of the Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) peoples, who know the peaks as sacred places; burial grounds, axe-grinding grooves, quarries and old campsites are recorded here, and the mountains were a gathering place for bunya nut festivals.
Visitors work around the peaks on signed side roads off Steve Irwin Way: the 2.8km Ngungun summit walk, the 4.1km Tibrogargan circuit, the Beerburrum fire tower track, and lookouts that ask nothing of your knees.
Go if…
- You want a summit view within an hour of Brisbane — the Mount Ngungun walk is 2.8km return and about 2 hours of walking
- You are travelling with mixed abilities — the park describes the 4.1km Tibrogargan circuit as a great walk for families, while the ridgeline tracks give stronger walkers their day
- You are into volcanic geology — cooling columns in the rock at Beerwah and Ngungun, and the finest eroded central volcano complex in the country
- You are based on the Sunshine Coast and want an inland day between beach sessions, within an easy drive of Caloundra and Nambour
Skip it if…
- You want to climb the summits — Mount Coonowrin is a declared restricted access area with public access prohibited, and the Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) peoples ask that the peaks not be climbed at all
- You want to camp in the park — there is no camping in Glass House Mountains National Park; the nearest bookable camping is at Coochin Creek in Beerwah State Forest
- You plan to walk in rain or straight after it — tracks and rock surfaces are dangerously slippery when wet, and access routes on Mount Beerwah close after heavy rain because of rockfall risk
- You are relying on public transport or rideshare — Tourism Australia states that neither serves the area, so a vehicle is essential
What to expect
Reviewed
You come in on Steve Irwin Way, the old highway running north between the peaks and the coast, and turn off at whichever plug you have chosen. Each of the main ones — Ngungun, Tibrogargan, Beerburrum, Beerwah — has its own signed side road and car park, and there is no gate and no entry station to pass. Everything is sealed and 2WD is all you need; the only unsealed stretch most visitors meet is the short approach to Coochin Creek's camping and day-use area in Beerwah State Forest. The state forests here open 24 hours, but Queensland Parks recommends travelling in daylight, and no public transport or rideshare reaches the trailheads. Fuel, food and water are in Beerwah, the Glass House Mountains township and Landsborough, all a few minutes off the highway, so there is no reason to arrive unprepared.
From any lookout you can see what the geology is doing. These are volcanic plugs — the solid cores of volcanoes that pushed up through the plain about 25 to 27 million years ago, molten rock setting into trachyte and rhyolite. The cones and the softer sandstone around them have eroded away completely, leaving the plugs standing alone on the flat, and DCCEEW describes the group as the best example of an eroded central volcano complex in Australia. Vertical cooling columns show in the rock at Mount Beerwah and Mount Ngungun, and the slabs underfoot on the Ngungun summit are the same columnar rock. At least twelve peaks stand here, from Mount Elimbah (Saddleback) at 109m to Mount Beerwah at 556m, the highest. The upper slopes hold montane heath, an uncommon Queensland coastal plant community, and the park counts 20 plant species of conservation significance. The landscape went onto the National Heritage List on 3 August 2006.
The walks are short and honest. Mount Ngungun takes 2 hours for 2.8km return, which tells you the grade straight away; the park warns the track passes close to sheer cliff edges and is slippery when wet. The Tibrogargan circuit runs 4.1km return in 1.5 hours, with the first kilometre to Mountain View lookout taking about 20 minutes, and the park calls it a great walk for families. The Trachyte circuit, 5.7km return in 2 to 3 hours, follows the ridge past Jack Ferris lookout. Mount Beerburrum is 3.5km return at Grade 3, climbing a steep concrete track to the fire tower at 280m. At the hard end is the Yul-yan-man track, Grade 5, which means exposed and slippery rock and genuine scrambling — the name means walk slowly in Kabi Kabi language, and that is the advice.
You see more than the small car parks suggest. Koalas, lace monitors, echidnas and eastern grey kangaroos all live here, and at dawn and dusk the greys and whiptail wallabies graze in the open forest at the feet of the peaks. Around 170 bird species occur in the landscape: kookaburras, cockatoos, lorikeets and rosellas in the timber, peregrine falcons working the cliffs of Mount Tibrogargan, and blue-faced, scarlet and white-cheeked honeyeaters feeding on heath wildflowers. The glossy black-cockatoo, vulnerable to extinction, is recorded in the area, so keep an eye on the casuarinas. The Tibrogargan circuit threads casuarina and melaleuca forest where yellow-tailed black-cockatoos and birds of prey turn up. Bring binoculars and walk slowly at the edges of the day, when the animals are moving and the light on the rock is at its best.
The peaks matter far beyond their geology. This is the Country of the Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) peoples, for whom each mountain is individually important in tradition and story, and the recorded cultural sites include burial places, rock art, axe-grinding grooves, quarries and signs of past camping places. Before European settlement the area was a meeting place for ceremony and trade, with bunya nut festivals drawing gatherings of hundreds to thousands of people. Access reflects that respect: Mount Coonowrin (Crookneck) has been a declared restricted access area since 1999, with public access prohibited and penalties for entering, and Queensland Parks closes access routes on Mount Beerwah after heavy rain when rockfall risk rises, reopening only when it is safe. Come to look and to walk the low tracks, and leave the summits to their traditional custodians.
Where to stay
Most people day-trip from Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast; the overnight options are a camping area in the surrounding state forest and a small cluster of cabins, motels and farm stays around the Glass House Mountains township, Beerwah and Peachester.
When bookings open: There is no camping in the national park itself, so overnighting under canvas means Coochin Creek in Beerwah State Forest. Queensland Parks runs a 12-month booking window for its camping areas and advises booking at least six weeks ahead for popular times; you must book and pay before arrival and display your permit tag at your site. Official booking page. Checked 7 November 2026. Booking dates for every state.
| Stay | Guest rating | Best for | Distance | Style | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coochin Creek camping area | Not rated | Tent, camper trailer and campervan campers who want to be within a short drive of the trailheads | Beerwah State Forest, in the state forest between the mountains and the coast — 2WD access with a short section of unsealed road on the approach | Queensland Parks camping area with picnic tables and toilets, including wheelchair-accessible facilities at the day-use area; book and pay through the Queensland National Parks Booking Service before you arrive and display your permit tag at your site | Book now |
| Glasshouse Mountains Caravan and Camping Park | 4.4 / 5 (5 reviews, Tripadvisor) | Budget travellers and campers who want to walk each morning without a commute | 2001 Old Gympie Road, Glass House Mountains — minutes from the peaks and about 2 minutes' drive to the mountains | Caravan and camping park with cabins and sites; reviewers on the platform cited rate the bathrooms highly | Check rates |
| Glasshouse Mountains Ecolodge | 4.7 / 5 (490 reviews, Tripadvisor) | Couples and families who want somewhere characterful to sleep between walks | 198 Barrs Road, Glass House Mountains — on the road that leads to the Tibrogargan trailhead | Sleep in restored Queenslander train carriages, a 125-year-old restored church or a Balinese-door bungalow; pet-friendly, with a shared jacuzzi, fire pits, a birdwatching telescope and coffee picking in season | Check rates |
| Glass On Glasshouse | 4.9 / 5 (158 reviews, Google) | Couples and small groups wanting a self-contained stay with a pool | Glass House Mountains township — at the foot of the peaks, minutes from the trailheads | Self-contained accommodation with a pool, spa, free Wi-Fi, parking and breakfast included, rated 9.8 out of 10 from 276 reviews on KAYAK | Check rates |
| Seven Peaks Farm Stay | 9.8 / 10 (43 reviews, KAYAK) | Families and groups who want space, animals and a farm base near the mountains | 191 Old Peachester Road, Beerwah — 34 acres of bushland about 10 minutes' drive from Australia Zoo | Six luxury cabins plus a family cottage, including spa cabins with outdoor baths and fireplaces, king cabins with laundry, and bushland to walk through on the property | Check rates |
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What to do here
8 walks & sights
Mount Ngungun summit walk
The park's signature walk climbs 2.8km return from the Ngungun trailhead, about 3km from the Glass House Mountains township via Coonowrin Road and Fullertons Road, and Queensland Parks allows 2 hours. That works out at barely more than a kilometre an hour, which tells you the grade: a steady rocky push that passes close to sheer cliff edges and becomes slippery when wet. From the top you stand among boulders and columnar rock with Mount Tibrogargan, Mount Coonowrin and Mount Beerwah laid out in front and the plain running away behind. It is the busiest walk in the park and the small car park fills on weekends and in school holidays, so start early. Carry water, keep to the formed track, keep children back from the edges, and turn back if rain sets in.
Tibrogargan circuit and Mountain View lookout
The park describes this as a great walk for families, and it earns that: a 4.1km loop through open forest and over rocky sections, with the first 1km out to Mountain View lookout taking about 20 minutes. From the lookout, Mount Beerwah and Mount Coonowrin fill the view and the farmland runs off toward the coast. Allow 1.5 hours for the full circuit and treat the rock steps with respect in wet weather.
Trachyte circuit
From the same Tibrogargan trailhead, the Trachyte circuit runs 5.7km out and back in 2 to 3 hours along the Trachyte Range, passing Jack Ferris lookout at the northern end of the ridge. It threads between Mount Tibrogargan and Mount Tibberoowuccum and gives the sense of the plug field at ground level rather than from above. Allow the full 3 hours if you stop for the views, and carry water — there is none on the track.
Mount Beerburrum summit walk
A short, sharp climb to the fire tower. After 750m of steep concrete track, which can be slippery, the route becomes a very steep paved path to the tower at the 280m summit. Queensland Parks grades it 3 and allows 1.5 hours return, and recommends ankle-supporting shoes with good grip. The tower top is the payoff: the whole plug field laid out in one direction and the coast in the other.
Glass House Mountains lookout track
This is the view to come for if you are not climbing anything. The lookout track starts at the day-use area on Glass House–Woodford Road, 2.7km from the Old Gympie Road junction, and runs 800m one way at Grade 3 in about 45 minutes through Beerburrum West State Forest to a viewing platform over the national park's peaks. The access roads are sealed and 2WD is fine, the day-use area has picnic tables and toilets including wheelchair-accessible facilities, and the state forest is open 24 hours — though Queensland Parks asks you to walk in daylight. Note that this lookout sits in state forest rather than the national park itself. Barbecues at the lookout day-use areas are periodically out of service for maintenance, so check park alerts before you plan lunch around one.
Yul-yan-man track
The big link between the two trailheads, and the only Grade 5 walk in the park. Yul-yan-man means walk slowly in Kabi Kabi language, and you will want to: expect exposed and slippery rock, rock scrambling and sheer cliff edges. Queensland Parks says plainly not to start when rain is predicted, when a fire is visible or on an extremely hot day, and to take extra water, a charged phone and to consider a personal locator beacon. An alternative return via the Trachyte circuit and the Soldier Settlers trail from Beerburrum is 8.8km, or 12.1km via the Shared trail from Tibrogargan.
Mount Beerwah view track
The sanctioned way to see the highest peak up close: a 15-minute, 200m return walk from the Beerwah car park to a view of Mount Beerwah's face. Queensland Parks does publish a summit route for Beerwah, 3 to 4 hours of high-fitness rock scrambling with a designated no-waiting zone because of rockfall, but access changes with the weather and the Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) peoples ask that the peaks not be climbed. Take the view track, and check the park alerts before you drive out here.
Beerburrum to Tibrogargan shared trail
A shared trail for walkers, runners and mountain bike touring that links the two main trailheads across the flat between the plugs, marked Intermediate at Grade 3. Walk one way in 2 to 3 hours and arrange a car shuffle, or make it an out-and-back. Pause at the Beerburrum Cemetery on the way: the Soldier Settlers section is named for returned soldiers who settled near Beerburrum in 1916.
Glass House Mountains National Park itineraries: 1, 2 or 3 days
3 plans
One day: Ngungun, Tibrogargan and the lookout
- Morning. Drive in from Brisbane — about 70km, roughly one hour via the Bruce Highway and Steve Irwin Way — and walk Mount Ngungun from the Ngungun trailhead, about 3km from the Glass House Mountains township via Coonowrin Road and Fullertons Road: 2.8km return, 2 hours.
- Early afternoon. The Tibrogargan circuit from the Tibrogargan trailhead off Marshs Road and Barrs Road: 4.1km return in 1 hour 30 minutes, with the first 1km to Mountain View lookout taking about 20 minutes.
- Late afternoon. The Glass House Mountains lookout track in Beerburrum West State Forest: 800m one way, 45 minutes, Grade 3, from the day-use area on Glass House–Woodford Road, 2.7km from the Old Gympie Road junction. Sealed access, 2WD.
About 7km on foot and no nights, based in Brisbane or on the Sunshine Coast. No entry fee is listed, and fuel, food and water are in Beerwah, the Glass House Mountains township and Landsborough, so fill up before the trailheads. Walk in daylight and check the park alerts first — rock surfaces are slippery when wet.
Two days: add the ridges and camp in the state forest
- Day 1. Mount Ngungun (2.8km return, 2 hours) in the morning and the Tibrogargan circuit (4.1km return, 1 hour 30 minutes) after lunch, then drive to the Glass House Mountains lookout track (800m one way, 45 minutes) before dark.
- Day 2, morning. The Trachyte circuit from the Tibrogargan trailhead: 5.7km return, 2 to 3 hours, out along the ridge to Jack Ferris lookout.
- Day 2, afternoon. Mount Beerburrum summit walk from the Beerburrum trailhead beside the state school car park: 3.5km return, 1 hour 30 minutes, Grade 3, up the steep concrete track to the fire tower at 280m.
About 16km on foot over two days with one night at Coochin Creek camping area in Beerwah State Forest ($7.75 per person or $31.00 per family per night, children under five free). Book and pay at book.parks.qld.gov.au before you arrive and display your permit tag at your site; the access road in has a short unsealed section but suits 2WD. No camping is permitted in the national park itself.
Three days: the Yul-yan-man track
- Day 1. Mount Ngungun (2.8km return, 2 hours) and the Tibrogargan circuit (4.1km return, 1 hour 30 minutes), then the Glass House Mountains lookout track (800m one way, 45 minutes) in the late afternoon.
- Day 2. The Trachyte circuit (5.7km return, 2 to 3 hours) in the morning and the Mount Beerburrum summit walk (3.5km return, 1 hour 30 minutes, Grade 3) in the afternoon, then a second night at Coochin Creek.
- Day 3, morning. The Yul-yan-man track from the Beerburrum trailhead: 9km return, 3 to 4 hours, Grade 5. Start at first light and be off the rock well before the heat of the day.
About 25km on foot over three days and two nights at Coochin Creek camping area ($7.75 per person or $31.00 per family per night, children under five free), booked at book.parks.qld.gov.au before arrival. Day 3 is the Grade 5 Yul-yan-man track — exposed and slippery rock, rock scrambling and sheer cliff edges — which Queensland Parks says not to start when rain is predicted, a fire is visible or the day is extremely hot; take extra water, a charged phone and consider a personal locator beacon.
Experiences worth booking
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Suggested gear for Glass House Mountains National Park
17 items
- Water bottles or a hydration bladder Carry at least 2 litres per person on the walks.
- Water treatment tablets or a filter Treat creek and camping-area water before drinking.
- Sun hat, sunscreen (SPF 50+) and sunglasses
- Sturdy, broken-in walking shoes or boots
- Day pack (20–30 L)
- First aid kit, including blister care
- Insect repellent
- Head torch with spare batteries
- Lightweight rain jacket
- Personal locator beacon Mobile coverage is unreliable in remote parks.
- Two to three litres of water per person, more in summer Queensland Parks tells every visitor to carry water and a mobile phone, summer days can exceed 35°C and the summit tracks are largely exposed with no water on them.
- Electrolyte sachets or salt tablets Humidity on the plain is high from December to February and the steep, unshaded climbs cost more sweat than the distances suggest.
- A charged phone and, on Yul-yan-man, a personal locator beacon Queensland Parks names both for the Grade 5 track, which crosses exposed rock and sheer cliff edges, and mobile coverage drops at the trailheads.
- Binoculars Around 170 bird species occur in the landscape, including the vulnerable glossy black-cockatoo and peregrine falcons that work the cliffs of Mount Tibrogargan.
- The Queensland Parks Glass House Mountains walks map saved to your phone Coverage drops at the trailheads and the park has several interconnecting tracks and trailheads, so the official map and grade notes are worth having offline.
- A long-sleeved sun-protective shirt and a neck covering The summit and ridge tracks run across bare rock and low scrub with little shade, and the park's heat advice is to start early and finish before dark.
- A light fleece for winter dawn starts Winter nights on the plain average about 10°C in July and the exposed summits are breezy at first light even when the day warms up.
How this compares
Glass House Mountains National Park vs D'Aguilar National Park
D'Aguilar National Park spreads over the forested ranges north-west of Brisbane, with roadside lookouts, rainforest pockets and creeks within an easy run of the city. It is cooler, greener and quieter walking with no volcanic skyline and no chain of named plugs to work through. Choose D'Aguilar for shaded forest walks and solitude; choose Glass House Mountains for volcanic peaks, short steep climbs and views across the coastal plain.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- Sealed mountain roads from the northern suburbs; 2WD reaches the main day-use areas
- Best for
- Forest walks · lookouts · weekends from Brisbane
Glass House Mountains National Park vs Main Range National Park
Main Range is the Scenic Rim's heavyweight, with World Heritage Gondwana rainforest and cliff-edge walks along the rim of an ancient shield volcano above the Fassifern Valley. It is a more committing day of walking in cooler, wetter forest, and it has none of the roadside lookouts and short family circuits that line Steve Irwin Way. Choose Main Range for escarpment walking and rainforest; choose Glass House Mountains for volcanic plugs, short walks and an easy day trip from Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5 — Challenging
- Access
- Sealed highways and park roads from the Cunningham and New England highways; day-use areas suit 2WD
- Best for
- Escarpment walks · World Heritage rainforest · full days on foot
Glass House Mountains National Park vs Springbrook National Park
Springbrook holds a rainforest plateau on the eroded flank of an ancient shield volcano behind the Gold Coast, with waterfall circuits, a glow-worm cave and air several degrees cooler than the coast. It is wetter and greener than the dry forest around the Glass House plugs, and it takes more driving on steep, winding mountain roads. Choose Springbrook for waterfalls, rainforest and glow worms; choose Glass House Mountains for volcanic peaks, open forest walks and a one-hour run from Brisbane.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- Sealed but steep and winding mountain roads from the Gold Coast; 2WD suitable
- Best for
- Waterfall circuits · glow worms · cool-plateau escapes
Before you go
- There is no camping in the national park — book the Coochin Creek camping area in Beerwah State Forest before you arrive at $7.75 per person per night or $31.00 per family per night, children under five free, and display your permit tag at your site
- Book through book.parks.qld.gov.au or on 13 QGOV (13 74 68); Queensland Parks runs a 12-month booking window and advises at least six weeks ahead for popular times
- Fill up before the trailheads — fuel, food and water are in Beerwah, the Glass House Mountains township and Landsborough, and there is nothing at the car parks
- Carry water and a phone on every walk; there is no water on the tracks and mobile coverage drops at the trailheads
- Wet rock is the main hazard — tracks and rock surfaces are slippery after rain, and access routes on Mount Beerwah close after heavy rain because of rockfall risk, reopening only when Queensland Parks considers them safe
- On hot days, start early and plan to finish before dark; Queensland Parks says not to enter the forest if the weather is extremely hot or you can see a fire
- Respect the cultural rules: the peaks are sacred to the Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) peoples, Mount Coonowrin is a restricted access area with public access prohibited, and the mountains should be looked at rather than climbed
- No dogs, no campfires, no generators and no trail bikes in the park; check the Queensland Parks alert page before you leave, as lookouts and day-use facilities close at times for maintenance
When to go
seasons & the hard months
April to October is the comfortable window. Dry, mild days of about 18 to 25°C keep the rock reliable and the views clear across the plain, and Tourism Australia nominates late autumn and winter, May to August, as the best hiking weather. Winter is the high season for a reason — nights average about 10°C in July, mornings are crisp on the summits, and the light sits low behind the plugs. Spring brings wildflowers around the bases of the peaks and jacarandas in the paddocks below, and the summer crowds have thinned by then.
December to February is the park at its most uncomfortable. Daily temperatures run about 18 to 30°C with days over 35°C possible, February brings about 169mm of rain across 14 days, and afternoon thunderstorms leave the rock treacherous just as the haze turns the peaks to silhouettes. Walking uphill in that heat on exposed tracks is a slog, and rockfall risk closes routes on Mount Beerwah after heavy rain. If summer is when you can come, start at first light, carry more water than you think you need, and keep to the lookouts when the rock is wet.
Questions
6 answers
About 70km, roughly one hour's drive north of Brisbane via the Bruce Highway and Steve Irwin Way. Sunshine Coast Airport at Marcoola is 45km away, about 35 minutes, and Brisbane Airport is 72km away, about 1.5 hours.
No entry fee is listed for the park — the walks, lookouts and picnic areas are free. The only park fees are camping permits at Coochin Creek in Beerwah State Forest, $7.75 per person per night or $31.00 per family per night at the rates set on 1 July 2026, children under five free.
Mount Coonowrin (Crookneck) is a declared restricted access area with public access prohibited and penalties for entering. The traditional custodians, the Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) peoples, ask that the peaks not be climbed at all. Queensland Parks publishes a summit route for Mount Beerwah for experienced scramblers, but it closes after heavy rain because of rockfall risk. The Ngungun summit walk and the lookouts give you the views without any of that.
Not in the national park. The nearest bookable camping is Coochin Creek in Beerwah State Forest, with 2WD access including a short unsealed section, picnic tables and toilets. Book and pay before you arrive through book.parks.qld.gov.au and display your permit tag at your site.
Mount Ngungun — 2.8km return, about 2 hours, steep and rocky with the classic view of Tibrogargan, Coonowrin and Beerwah. If you want something flatter, the Tibrogargan circuit is 4.1km return in 1.5 hours and the park describes it as a great walk for families.
No. The roads to the trailheads are sealed and 2WD is fine everywhere, including the Glass House Mountains lookout day-use area. The only unsealed stretch most visitors meet is the short approach to Coochin Creek, which also suits 2WD.
Nearby & next
Official information
Always check current alerts before you travel.