Snapshot
| Where | Lamington National Park, McPherson Range, Scenic Rim, Queensland — About 110km south of Brisbane, roughly 2 hours' drive · 100km to the Binna Burra section, about 1 hour 30 minutes' drive · 70km from Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta, about 1 hour 15 minutes' drive · 40km from Broadbeach to Canungra via Nerang, then 36km of winding road to Green Mountains |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Two sealed approaches, both narrow and winding in the final climb: from Canungra the 36km to Green Mountains takes at least 50 minutes, and the day-use area sits 5.7km inside the park entrance · From Nerang it is 38km to Beechmont for Binna Burra, where the final 1.8km is very narrow and winding and the upper day-use area is 3.5km from the entrance · The two sections are about 90 minutes apart by road even though both are in the park · 2WD is enough on every road, but the Canungra road is unsuitable for recreational vehicles longer than 6m and for vehicles towing caravans or camper trailers · Roads are slippery after rain and can close after storms and for repairs, so check park alerts before you leave |
| Best time | April to October — the drier, cooler months, when regular walkers report fine weather, clearer views and fewer leeches; July and August average rain on only about 8% of days, and the plateau sits about 5°C cooler than Brisbane |
| Worst time | November to March — the wet season, when most of the park's 1,600mm of annual rain falls, creeks swell, tracks turn slippery, leeches are at their worst and track closures become more likely; December alone brings rain on about 27% of days |
| Time needed | One day covers Python Rock and Morans Falls at Green Mountains or Tullawallal and Gwongoorool at Binna Burra; two days adds a full-day circuit such as Box Forest at 10.9km; three days allows the 21.4km Border Track between the two sections with a night in between |
| Cost | No entry fee or vehicle access fee is listed for Lamington National Park · Camping permits cost $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 · Remote walk-in bush camps cost the same, and permits must be booked online in advance for all weekends, public and school holidays · Book at www.qld.gov.au/Camping or phone 13 QGOV (13 74 68) |
| Facilities | Green Mountains has an information centre, toilets, picnic tables, barbecues, a pay phone and QldParks-Wifi at the information centre, and O'Reilly's Campground beside it adds a camp kitchen, shared ensuite pods and safari tents · Binna Burra has day-use areas with toilets and a privately managed campground at the park boundary, plus the lodge and Tea House · No fuel anywhere on Lamington Plateau — fill up at Canungra or Nerang · Mobile coverage is unreliable; the bush camps have no toilets, showers, barbecues, picnic tables or power, so carry the water you need |
| Best for | Multi-day trekkers walking the Border Track between the two sections · Day walkers after Grade 4 waterfall and gorge circuits from sealed-road trailheads · Birders listening for Albert's lyrebirds, bowerbirds and green catbirds |
| Difficulty |
3 of 5 — Challenging
The easy loops are Grade 1 to 3 and fine for families, but most of the park's signature walks are Grade 4 — 10 to 22km on rough, steep and often wet ground — and the Illinbah circuit is Grade 5, which Queensland Parks says requires a high degree of fitness and experience. No technical skill is involved, and every trailhead sits on a sealed road. |
Driving there? Car hire and what to check →
Lamington National Park protects 21,176ha of the McPherson Range on the Queensland–New South Wales border, declared in 1915 and now part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. The plateau is a remnant of two shield volcanoes that erupted about 20 to 23 million years ago, and the cliffs south of the park mark the edge of the Tweed erosion caldera. These mountains are Woonoongoora — sacred and spiritual places to be nurtured and respected — to the Yugambeh peoples, including the Wangerriburra and Kombumerri family groups.
Walkers get two bases and one ridge. Green Mountains, at the end of 36km of winding road from Canungra, is the waterfall side: Python Rock, Morans Falls and the Box Forest circuit. Binna Burra, reached via Beechmont, is the gorge and geology side: the Caves track, Gwongoorool and the Coomera circuit. The 21.4km Border Track joins the two along the crest in a seven-hour day, and Albert's lyrebirds, satin and regent bowerbirds, green catbirds and crimson rosellas are the birds to listen for.
Go if…
- You want World Heritage Gondwana rainforest with real walking — circuits from 1.2km to 22km, mostly Grade 4, all leaving from sealed-road day-use areas
- You are walking the Border Track: 21.4km one way between Green Mountains and Binna Burra, listed as open 24 hours, with remote walk-in bush camps available on permits
- You want birdlife with your rainforest — Albert's lyrebirds on the tracks in cooler months, satin and regent bowerbirds, green catbirds, crimson rosellas and king parrots
- You are happy to drive slowly: 36km of narrow winding bitumen from Canungra to Green Mountains takes at least 50 minutes, and there is no fuel on the plateau
Skip it if…
- You are towing a caravan or camper trailer, or driving an RV longer than 6m — the Canungra road is officially unsuitable for both
- You want an easy waterfall stroll: even Morans Falls is Grade 4, and the circuits that define the park run 10 to 22km on rough, steep and often wet ground
- You need phone coverage, fuel or shops at the trailhead — coverage is unreliable, there is no fuel on the plateau, and supplies are at Canungra and Nerang
- You are visiting in the wet season and dislike leeches, mud and stepping-stone creek crossings — November to March carries most of the 1,600mm of annual rain
What to expect
Reviewed
You drive in from two directions and they feel quite different. From the north it is the Pacific Motorway, exit 34 to Beenleigh, route 92 to Tamborine and route 90 to Canungra; from Broadbeach it is 40km to Canungra via Nerang. Either way, the last 36km to Green Mountains is narrow, winding bitumen that takes at least 50 minutes, and the Canungra road is officially unsuitable for recreational vehicles longer than 6m and for anything towing a caravan or camper trailer. For Binna Burra you leave from Nerang, 38km to Beechmont, and the final 1.8km is very narrow and winding, so allow 70 minutes from Broadbeach. Then the road ends at a day-use area — 5.7km inside the park entrance at Green Mountains, 3.5km at Binna Burra's upper day-use area, with the lower day-use area 1.7km from the entrance — and you are standing in subtropical rainforest with buttressed trees, tree ferns and signposted tracks running out past the car park. This forest grows on the eroded flanks of two shield volcanoes that erupted about 20 to 23 million years ago, and it belongs to the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, which holds the most extensive areas of subtropical rainforest in the world.
The park grades its walks under the Australian Walking Track Grading System, and the grade reflects the most difficult section of a track, not the average. Queensland Parks asks you to allow 15 to 20 minutes per kilometre if you are of average fitness and bushwalking experience and wearing correct footwear, and the listed times are return times; ankle-supporting footwear is strongly recommended. It also distinguishes a 'platform lookout' — a built platform with handrails — from a 'natural lookout', where there is no structure at all, which matters when you are walking with children on cliff-edge tracks such as the Caves track or the south side of the Border Track. The park is always open, but you walk only in daylight and finish your walk one hour before sunset, because the rainforest darkens quickly.
Green Mountains is the waterfall side. From the day-use area at the end of Lamington National Park Road, the Python Rock track runs 3.1km return in about an hour to a platform lookout, and the Morans Falls track reaches a second platform lookout 4.4km from the trailhead, a Grade 4 walk the park allows 1.5 hours for. The Rainforest return (1.4km, 30 minutes, Grade 2) and the Centenary track (1.8km, 30 minutes, Grade 1, starting 125m back along the access road) are the warm-ups. Then the circuits: Box Forest at 10.9km and four hours, West Canungra Creek at 13.9km and 5.5 hours — walked clockwise because of the gradient, joining the Border Track for about 600m before it drops to several creek crossings on stepping rocks — Toolona Creek at 17.4km and six hours, and the Albert River circuit at 21.8km and seven hours. This is araucarian vine forest country with hoop pines, and higher up, Antarctic beech.
Binna Burra is the gorge and geology side. The Rainforest circuit (1.2km, 30 minutes, Grade 2) starts at the upper day-use area at the end of Binna Burra Road, and Tullawallal climbs to Antarctic beech in 5km return (1.5 hours, Grade 3). The Caves track is 7km return and two hours, Grade 4, with a natural lookout; Gwongoorool leaves from the lower day-use area 1.7km from the park entrance and drops about 200 steep rock steps to the pool, which Queensland Parks calls the best geology walk in Lamington for the layers formed over 26 million years. The big loops are Daves Creek (12km, four hours), Coomera (17.4km, seven hours, with a platform lookout), Lower Bellbird (10km, 3.5 hours) and Ships Stern (21km, eight hours), all Grade 4. The Illinbah circuit is Grade 5 — 16.6km and eight hours, requiring a high degree of fitness and experience — and you do not cross the Coomera River during floods or after heavy rain.
The Border Track is what joins it all up: 21.4km one way along the crest of the McPherson Range between the Green Mountains and Binna Burra trailheads, Grade 4, seven hours one way, open 24 hours, with an extra 600m if you add the Mount Merino track. South-facing lookouts along it look over the Tweed erosion caldera — the edge of the old Tweed shield volcano, which Queensland Parks describes as the largest and best example of its age in the world. The forest changes as you climb: subtropical rainforest, ancient Antarctic beech, hoop pines, eucalypt forest and montane heath. Listen for Albert's lyrebird in the cooler months — the male's song imitates sounds from nature and sometimes human activity — and look for satin and regent bowerbirds, green catbirds, crimson rosellas and king parrots. Red-necked pademelons feed at the picnic areas early and late, and the park protects about 58 plants and more than 22 animals classed as vulnerable, rare or threatened.
Where to stay
Most people base at one of the park's two ends: Green Mountains, where O'Reilly's Campground, the retreat and the day-use area sit together at the end of the mountain road, or Binna Burra, where the lodge and a privately managed campground sit at the park boundary; Beechmont and Canungra are the lower, cheaper bases.
When bookings open: Camping books on a 12-month rolling window, and QPWS advises at least 6 weeks ahead for popular spots in peak periods. Remote bush camp permits must be booked online in advance for all weekends, public and school holidays, and all bush camping areas close from 1 December to 31 January. Official booking page. Checked 6 November 2026. Booking dates for every state.
| Stay | Guest rating | Best for | Distance | Style | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O'Reilly's Campground (Green Mountains camping area) | Not rated | Walkers who want to camp at the Green Mountains trailheads with proper amenities | Green Mountains day-use area, 5.7km inside the park entrance at the end of Lamington National Park Road | The former Green Mountains camping area, rebuilt with the Queensland Government and O'Reilly's: 24 tent sites, 21 campervan sites (some powered) and 17 safari tents sleeping up to 5 people, 2 of them wheelchair accessible, plus shared ensuite pods, a communal camp kitchen and fire pit, a new amenities block and a meeting room | Book now |
| O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat | Not rated | Walkers who want a bed, a restaurant and guided walks at the trailhead | 3582 Lamington National Park Road, O'Reilly — at the Green Mountains day-use area | Lodge rooms and 48 architecturally designed villas on the plateau, with a restaurant, a spa and an infinity pool; guided walks run from the door and the Tree Top Walk canopy boardwalk is next to the retreat | Check rates |
| Binna Burra Lodge | Not rated | Walkers wanting lodge comfort at the eastern trailheads, plus a campsite and safari tents | 1040 Binna Burra Road, Beechmont — at the Binna Burra park boundary | Sky Lodge apartments built from local slate, stone and reclaimed hardwood, plus a campsite and safari tents, a Tea House café and the Groom's Cottage Bushwalker's Bar; established in 1933 and reopened in September 2020 after the 2019 bushfires | Check rates |
| Nightfall Wilderness Camp | Not rated | Couples wanting an adults-only rainforest escape between walks | 3009 Christmas Creek Road, Lamington — beside the Christmas Creek headwaters, at the edge of the rainforest | Luxury glamping in hand-built permanent safari tents with fireplaces and kitchenettes and fire-cooked cuisine; adults only, a maximum of 6 guests at a time, with a 2 to 3 night minimum stay | Check rates |
| Beechmont Estate | Not rated | Walkers who want a hatted meal and guided walks from a rural base | 422 Binna Burra Road, Beechmont — about 6km from the Binna Burra entrance | A family-owned 75-acre Wagyu cattle and polo farm with a hatted restaurant and a day spa; its guided Lamington walks meet at the Teahouse at the Binna Burra entrance | Check rates |
| Clouds on Beechmont | Not rated | Families and groups who want self-contained stays with pets in tow | 1805 Beechmont Road, Beechmont — on the Binna Burra approach | Five accommodation options on one property, including a converted church, a chalet with a vegetable garden, a modern house with a sauna and Indian- and African-themed glamping tents, all with Numinbah Valley views and pet-friendly | Check rates |
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What to do here
8 walks & sights
Green Mountains short walks and the Tree Top Walk
Two easy loops introduce the rainforest at Green Mountains: the Rainforest return runs 1.4km and 30 minutes (Grade 2) from the Green Mountains trailhead, and the Centenary track is 1.8km and 30 minutes (Grade 1) from the Python Rock and Morans Falls trailhead, 125m back along the access road. Guided day tours from Brisbane and the Gold Coast include the Tree Top Walk canopy boardwalk at O'Reilly's beside the day-use area, which gets you above the canopy without a full circuit.
Python Rock track
A steady Grade 3 walk of 3.1km return in about an hour, from the Python Rock and Morans Falls trailhead to a platform lookout — a built platform with handrails. It is the most family-friendly of the Green Mountains Grade 3 walks and pairs easily with Morans Falls from the same trailhead. The grade reflects the hardest section of the track, so expect some rough ground and short pinches.
Morans Falls track
From the same trailhead, 4.4km return and 1.5 hours, Grade 4, ending at a second platform lookout. Take the park's timing seriously and allow 15 to 20 minutes per kilometre if you are slower than average fitness, and remember the listed times are return times. It works well after Python Rock, but leave enough daylight to finish an hour before sunset.
Box Forest circuit
The classic full-day loop from the Green Mountains trailhead: 10.9km of Grade 4 rainforest walking that the park allows four hours for. Expect rough surfaces and short steep sections, and treat the surface with care after rain, when the track turns muddy and slippery. Carry water, keep to the formed track and finish an hour before sunset — the rainforest darkens fast.
West Canungra Creek and Toolona Creek circuits
West Canungra Creek is 13.9km and 5.5 hours of Grade 4 walking from the Green Mountains trailhead, walked clockwise because of the gradient. It joins the Border Track for about 600m before dropping to the creek, with several crossings on stepping rocks that are a different proposition after heavy rain. Toolona Creek is the longer loop at 17.4km and six hours, also Grade 4.
The Border Track
The spine of the park: 21.4km one way along the crest of the McPherson Range, Grade 4, seven hours, linking the Green Mountains and Binna Burra trailheads. The two trailheads are about 90 minutes apart by road, so a through walk needs a car shuffle or a lift, and some walkers break it with a night at a remote walk-in bush camp, booked online in advance. South-facing lookouts look over the Tweed erosion caldera. The track is listed as open 24 hours, but the park asks you to walk only in daylight and finish an hour before sunset.
Gwongoorool track
A short, hard walk from the Binna Burra lower day-use area, 1.7km from the park entrance: 6km return, two hours, Grade 4, with about 200 steep rock steps down to the pool. Queensland Parks calls it the best geology walk in Lamington, for the layers formed over 26 million years that the track passes through. Take the steps slowly on the way back up and walk it in daylight.
Binna Burra day circuits: Tullawallal, Caves and Coomera
Tullawallal climbs to the Antarctic beech in 5km return (1.5 hours, Grade 3) and is the gentlest way to reach the cool temperate forest at the top of the park. The Caves track is 7km return and two hours, Grade 4, with a natural lookout — no handrails, so keep children close. The Coomera circuit is the big Binna Burra loop at 17.4km and seven hours, Grade 4, with a platform lookout.
Lamington National Park itineraries: 1, 2 or 3 days
3 plans
One day: Python Rock and Morans Falls at Green Mountains
- Morning. Leave Brisbane early — it is about 110km and roughly 2 hours' drive, and the last 36km from Canungra is winding and slow, taking at least 50 minutes. Walk the Rainforest return (1.4km, 30 minutes, Grade 2) to loosen up, then the Python Rock track (3.1km return, about 1 hour, Grade 3) to its platform lookout.
- Afternoon. Walk the Morans Falls track (4.4km return, 1.5 hours, Grade 4) from the same trailhead to the second platform lookout, then drive back down to Canungra. The park asks walkers to finish an hour before sunset.
About 9km on foot and no nights — a day trip from Brisbane or the Gold Coast. There is no entry fee, and no fuel on the plateau, so fill up at Canungra before you climb; the Canungra road is unsuitable for caravans and recreational vehicles longer than 6m.
Two days: add the Box Forest circuit
- Day 1. The Rainforest return (1.4km, 30 minutes, Grade 2), the Python Rock track (3.1km return, about 1 hour, Grade 3) and the Morans Falls track (4.4km return, 1.5 hours, Grade 4), then camp at O'Reilly's Campground at Green Mountains.
- Day 2, morning. The Box Forest circuit from the Green Mountains trailhead: 10.9km, four hours, Grade 4. Carry water and treat the surface with care after rain.
- Day 2, afternoon. Drive down to Canungra and out, with fuel and supplies at Canungra or Nerang before you reach the highway.
About 20km on foot over two days, with one night at O'Reilly's Campground. Camping is $7.75 per person per night or $31.00 per family per night (children under five free), booked through the Queensland National Parks Booking Service before you arrive, and your camp tag must be displayed as soon as you set up. There is no fuel on the plateau.
Three days: the Border Track between both sections
- Day 1. Python Rock (3.1km return, about 1 hour, Grade 3) and Morans Falls (4.4km return, 1.5 hours, Grade 4) at Green Mountains, then a night at O'Reilly's Campground.
- Day 2. The Border Track one way to Binna Burra: 21.4km, seven hours, Grade 4, along the crest of the McPherson Range with south-facing lookouts over the Tweed erosion caldera. The two trailheads are about 90 minutes apart by road, so leave a car at Binna Burra first, or break the walk at one of the park's remote walk-in bush camps, booked online in advance.
- Day 3, morning. The Tullawallal circuit from Binna Burra (5km return, 1.5 hours, Grade 3) before driving out.
About 34km on foot over three days, with two nights: one at O'Reilly's Campground ($7.75 per person per night or $31.00 per family per night) and one at Binna Burra, where a lodge and a privately managed campground sit at the park boundary. Walk only in daylight and finish an hour before sunset, and note that all bush camps close from 1 December to 31 January.
Experiences worth booking
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Suggested gear for Lamington National Park
18 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.
- Gaiters or long socks you can tuck trousers into Leeches are at their worst in the wet season from November to March, and regular walkers report the drier months as the time they are uncommon.
- A warm fleece or insulated jacket, even in summer The park averages about 5°C cooler than Brisbane, winter days peak near 21.6°C with overnight lows around 5.7°C, and extreme winter temperatures drop below 0°C with frosts on the high ground.
- A fuel stove and enough fuel for the trip No open fires are allowed anywhere in the park — fuel stoves only — and firewood brings pathogens, fire ants and cane toadlets into the forest.
- A small trowel Away from toilets you bury faecal matter and toilet paper 15cm deep, well away from tracks and campsites and 100m from any watercourse, and carry out nappies and sanitary products.
- A clear weatherproof bag and a marker Your camp tag — permit number, camping area, dates, number of people, surname and vehicle registration — must be displayed conspicuously from the moment camping starts, and handwritten details in a weatherproof bag are accepted.
- Offline maps downloaded before you leave the highway Mobile coverage is not reliable and is patchy to non-existent on the trails, and the tracks branch across two sections that are 90 minutes apart by road.
- Binoculars Albert's lyrebirds, satin and regent bowerbirds, green catbirds and crimson rosellas are all recorded in the park, and red-necked pademelons feed at the picnic areas at dawn and dusk.
- Motion sickness tablets The Canungra road climbs 36km of winding mountain bitumen with frequent hairpin bends and blind corners, taking at least 50 minutes.
How this compares
Lamington National Park vs Springbrook National Park
Springbrook National Park is the neighbouring Gondwana park on a 900m plateau about 100km south of Brisbane and 1.5 hours' drive, with the Purling Brook Falls circuit (4km return, 1.5 hours, a 106m waterfall), the 17km Warrie Circuit and the glow-worm cave at Natural Bridge on a separate approach through the Numinbah Valley. It is easier to fit into a short Gold Coast trip and its sections are about 45 minutes apart by road, but it has nothing like Lamington's 21.4km ridge link or its long Grade 4 circuits. Choose Springbrook for glow worms and waterfall circuits close to the coast; choose Lamington for World Heritage rainforest, the Border Track and days of Grade 4 walking from two established bases.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- Sealed roads to the plateau and to Natural Bridge; the two sections are roughly 45 minutes apart by road
- Best for
- Glow worms at Natural Bridge · waterfall circuits · short visits from the Gold Coast
Lamington National Park vs Border Ranges National Park
Border Ranges National Park continues the McPherson Range into New South Wales as part of the same Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area, and Lamington's southern cliffs run on into it in the great circle that marks the edge of the Tweed erosion caldera. It shares the ridge, the Antarctic beech and the volcanic story but sits on the other side of the state border with its own access and its own park authority. Choose Border Ranges for the same World Heritage country with fewer visitors on the NSW side of the ridge; choose Lamington for the established trailheads, lodge bases and the 21.4km Border Track between Green Mountains and Binna Burra.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5 — Challenging
- Access
- Across the Queensland border on the same McPherson Range crest; access and road status are published by NSW National Parks
- Best for
- Quiet World Heritage ridge country · Antarctic beech · walkers crossing the border
Lamington National Park vs Main Range National Park
Main Range National Park is the western Scenic Rim's Gondwana park, with views over the Fassifern Valley and wildlife including brush-tailed rock wallabies, greater gliders and Albert's lyrebirds, close to Aratula, Kalbar and Boonah. The western side has farm gates, camping, water, lower prices and better short-notice availability than the eastern side where Lamington sits. Choose Main Range for escarpment country and easier camping availability on the western Scenic Rim; choose Lamington for subtropical rainforest, waterfalls and gorge circuits on the McPherson Range.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5 — Challenging
- Access
- Sealed highways to Aratula, Kalbar and Boonah, with park roads branching off the Fassifern Valley
- Best for
- Escarpment views · rock wallabies and greater gliders · short-notice camping
Before you go
- Book camping before you arrive: permits cost $7.75 per person per night or $31.00 per family per night (children under five free), and a tag with your permit number, camping area, arrival and departure dates, number of people, surname and vehicle registration must be displayed as soon as camping starts — fines apply for camping without a permit
- Book through the Queensland National Parks Booking Service at www.qld.gov.au/Camping or 13 QGOV (13 74 68); QPWS books a 12-month horizon and advises at least 6 weeks ahead for popular spots in peak periods, and remote bush camp permits must be booked online in advance for all weekends, public and school holidays
- All bush camping areas in the park are closed from 1 December to 31 January, and they are tent-only with no toilets, showers, barbecues, picnic tables, power, generators or dogs
- There is no fuel on Lamington Plateau — fill up at Canungra or Nerang before you climb, and note there is no public transport to the park and taxi or ride-share pickups can be difficult
- Take the vehicle restrictions seriously: the Canungra road is unsuitable for recreational vehicles longer than 6m and for vehicles towing caravans or camper trailers, the final 1.8km to Binna Burra is very narrow and winding, and all roads are slippery after rain
- Mobile coverage is unreliable and patchy to non-existent on the trails, so download maps before you leave the highway; the nearest hospitals are Beaudesert, Robina and Southport, and in an emergency call Triple Zero (000), or 106 for text
- No open fires anywhere in the park — fuel stoves only; pack out all rubbish including food scraps and foil, and away from toilets bury faecal matter and toilet paper 15cm deep at least 100m from any watercourse
- Walk only in daylight and finish your walk one hour before sunset, avoid handling frogs or eggs, keep soap and repellent out of the creeks, and check park alerts before you leave — storm damage and repairs close tracks at short notice
When to go
seasons & the hard months
April to October is the comfortable window. The park sits about 5°C cooler than Brisbane at any time of year, and the drier months bring the conditions regular walkers rate highest: fine weather, clearer views, minimal rain and uncommon leeches. July and August are the driest, with rain on only about 8% of days, and the plateau still runs cool — winter days peak near 21.6°C with overnight lows around 5.7°C and frosts on the high ground. Spring adds wildflowers on the heath communities from September to November, and one third-party analysis rates October the quietest month on the popular tracks. Whatever the month, the park's rule is the same: walk only in daylight and finish an hour before sunset.
November to March is the wet season, when most of the park's 1,600mm of annual rain falls. December brings rain on about 27% of days and January about 22%, with summer afternoons averaging 30.4°C and mid-January peaks up to 32.3°C and sticky overnight lows of 17.8°C — the plateau is still cooler than the coast, but the humidity, leeches, muddy tracks and stepping-stone creek crossings make the Grade 4 circuits hard work. All bush camping areas close from 1 December to 31 January whatever the weather. Storms and landslip damage close tracks at any time of year, so check the park alerts page and the forecast before you leave.
Questions
6 answers
About 110km and roughly 2 hours' drive south of Brisbane, and 100km to the Binna Burra section (about 1 hour 30 minutes). Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta is about 70km away, or 1 hour 15 minutes. The two sections of the park are about 90 minutes apart by road, so pick your base before you book.
No entry fee or vehicle access fee is listed for Lamington National Park. You pay only if you camp: $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.
Yes. Permits are required at O'Reilly's Campground and at every remote bush camp, must be obtained before you set up, and your camp tag must be displayed from the moment camping starts. Book at www.qld.gov.au/Camping or on 13 QGOV (13 74 68); QPWS books a 12-month horizon and advises at least 6 weeks ahead for popular spots in peak periods. Remote bush camp permits must be booked online in advance for all weekends, public and school holidays, and every bush camp closes from 1 December to 31 January.
No. The Canungra road is unsuitable for recreational vehicles longer than 6m and for vehicles towing caravans or camper trailers, and the final 1.8km into Binna Burra is very narrow and winding. A standard 2WD is enough on every sealed road, but everything else about the drive rewards slow, careful driving.
At Green Mountains start with the Python Rock track (3.1km return, about 1 hour, Grade 3) and the Morans Falls track (4.4km return, 1.5 hours, Grade 4). At Binna Burra the Tullawallal circuit (5km return, 1.5 hours, Grade 3) and the Gwongoorool track (6km return, 2 hours, Grade 4) make a good day. If you want one long day, the Box Forest circuit is 10.9km and four hours.
There is no fuel on Lamington Plateau — fill up at Canungra or Nerang. Mobile coverage is not reliable and is patchy to non-existent on the trails, so download maps before you leave the highway. Green Mountains has an information centre with QldParks-Wifi, a pay phone, toilets and picnic tables; supplies are in Canungra and Nerang.
Nearby & next
Official information
Always check current alerts before you travel.