Lamington National Park Park

Address: Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia

Website: https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/lamington

Hours: Open daily

Admission: Park entry free; fees apply for campgrounds and some facilities

Lamington National Park is a protected area in Queensland on the McPherson Range, celebrated for its subtropical and warm temperate rainforest and extensive walking tracks. It forms part of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage listing and is a key conservation and recreation area in southeast Queensland.

Popular activities include day walks to waterfalls and lookouts, guided birdwatching, and short overnight stays at established lodges and campsites; access is concentrated at two main visitor hubs that run trail networks into the rainforest. The park contains a mixture of steep escarpments, deep valleys and ridgelines with relic rainforest that supports diverse flora and fauna.

The park lies inland from the Gold Coast and near the border with New South Wales, in southern Queensland within driving distance of Brisbane and many coastal tourist centres.

• World Heritage rainforest: The park is part of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage area and is notable for ancient subtropical rainforest, tall eucalypt stands and diverse birdlife.
• Access points: Main access is from two visitor hubs with car parks and trail networks; many popular walks are day hikes rather than multi-day treks.

What to See#

• O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat: A longstanding rainforest lodge and tourist facility that provides accommodation, guided walks and birdwatching tours in the park’s Green Mountains sector.
• Binna Burra: A valley-side visitor area and entry point with walking tracks that access upland rainforest and cliff-edge lookouts on the park’s western side.

Lamington National Park is in the Gold Coast hinterland and is typically reached by car from Brisbane or the Gold Coast. From Brisbane it’s about a 1.5-2 hour drive south on the M1 (Pacific Motorway) and then via the connecting inland roads toward Canungra/Mt. Tamborine to park entrances such as Binna Burra and O’Reilly’s; from the Gold Coast it’s closer-around 45-70 minutes depending on the start point. Parking is available at the main visitor areas.

Public transport is limited; most visitors use private car or book organized tours from Brisbane or the Gold Coast. Once at a park entrance there are short walks from car parks to trailheads and lookouts.

• Choose your access depending on the experience you want: the Green Mountains/O'Reilly's side (southern access) is best for canopy walks and birdlife, while Binna Burra (northern access) has classic ridge trails and shorter loop walks.
• Go early in the day for the best birdwatching and waterfall viewing, and check local road/track conditions after heavy rain - some access roads and walking tracks can be closed or slippery.