Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk, Queensland: 54 km From Lamington to Springbrook, One Section Closed to 30 September 2027, Camp Sites Must Be Booked (QLD)

The 54 km Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk runs from Lamington National Park to Springbrook National Park, and its Springbrook section between Gwongorella Picnic Area and Settlement Camping Area is closed to 30 September 2027, according to Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. The rest of the walk from O’Reilly to Springbrook remains open unless a separate alert says otherwise. This guide uses the service’s Great Walk page and two park alerts, checked on Tuesday 10 November 2026.

Which part of the Great Walk is closed?

The service’s park alert 27185 says a planned upgrade program at Springbrook National Park runs from 2 November 2026 to 15 February 2028, weather permitting, and that the alert applies from 30 October 2026 to 30 September 2027. It lists a partial closure of the Great Walk:

Part of the walk	Status	What the alert says
Springbrook section, Gwongorella Picnic Area to Settlement Camping Area	Closed	Great Walkers will need to find an alternative route, and should take extreme care if walking alongside public roads
The rest, from O’Reilly at Lamington to Springbrook	Open	Remains open unless a separate park alert says otherwise

A second alert, number 25025 for cyclone damage at Lamington, lists the Great Walk track and the Border track between Binna Burra and Green Mountains as open. The same alert closes parts of some Lamington circuits that are not on the Great Walk track. See our Lamington National Park guide for those, and our Springbrook guide for the closures around Purling Brook Falls. The Great Walk page also lists an alert titled Facility Upgrades at the Woonoongoora Walkers Camp, for 29 September to 30 November 2026, whose details we did not read, so check it if you plan to camp there.

How do I get to the start and finish?

The service’s Great Walk visiting safely page gives these directions from the Pacific Motorway.

Place	Route	Warnings
Green Mountains (O’Reilly), Lamington	Take the Nerang exit (exit 69 from the north, exit 71 from the south) and follow the signs via Canungra. The bitumen road from Canungra is 36 km and takes at least 50 minutes	Winding and often narrow. Unsuitable for caravans. Watch for wildlife
Binna Burra, Lamington	Take the Nerang exit and follow the signs via Beechmont. Allow 50 minutes from Nerang	The final 10 km is very narrow
Springbrook plateau	Exit at Mudgeeraba (exit 79 from the north, exit 80 from the south) and follow Gold Coast-Springbrook Road. The plateau is 24 km from Mudgeeraba or 36 km from Nerang	Steep and narrow. Unsuitable for caravans. No through road to New South Wales

At Springbrook, the page says to turn left off Springbrook Road into Carricks Road and look for the camping area signs. It points to its tourism information links for tour operators and public transport. It asks walkers to check the Lamington and Springbrook alerts for local road conditions.

When is the best time to walk it?

The service says the best time is between March and October. The Lamington and Springbrook plateaus are on average 5°C cooler than the lowland, even in summer, but summer temperatures can reach 36°C on exposed ridges, and winter temperatures on the plateaus fall below 0°C. Temperatures in the rainforest can drop to 4°C. Expect damp to wet tracks between December and March, the plateaus’ wet season. The service gives average yearly rainfall of 3,000 mm at Springbrook and 1,800 mm at Lamington. It advises carrying a raincoat and warm clothing at all times of the year, avoiding walking in extreme heat or high fire danger, and says walkers’ camps may be closed temporarily in extremely windy conditions.

What do I have to carry and book?

The service says walkers must be fully self-sufficient because facilities are limited. Its list includes:

• A first-aid kit, topographic maps and a compass, and knowledge of how to use them.
• Drinking water, because none is provided at the Woonoongoora walkers’ camp and creek water must be treated.
• A strong, lightweight tent, because no shelters are provided at walkers’ camps, plus a sleeping bag and mat.
• A fuel stove and fuel, because open fires are not permitted in walkers’ camps.
• Waterproof bags for rubbish, because no bins are provided at walkers’ camps and all rubbish must be carried out.
• A hand trowel or human waste disposal kit, a torch, warm clothes and raincoats, and ankle-supporting footwear.
• A mobile phone, though coverage may be limited, and a registered personal locator beacon, which the service recommends.

Camping permits are required and fees apply, and a tag with your booking number must be displayed at your camp site. The service says to book your camp sites online. Plan your walk with the trip-planner map on the service’s page, and bring a topographic map, which the service says you can download free from sites such as QTopo.

Where can I get fuel, food and a phone?

Fuel and supplies are available at Canungra, Mudgeeraba and Nerang, and the service says there is no fuel on the Lamington or Springbrook plateaus. Restaurants, take-away shops and cafes are located on both plateaus. Public pay phones are at Green Mountains (O’Reilly), Binna Burra and the townships of Springbrook and Numinbah. During extreme weather such as flooding, access to Natural Bridge and Purling Brook on the Springbrook plateau may be closed, so check the alerts before you travel.

Sources

• Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service — Visiting the Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk safely (checked 10 November 2026)
• Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service — Planned Works and Closures for Purling Brook falls circuit and Settlement Day-Use Area (updated 3 November 2026)
• Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service — Severe Weather Damage, Lamington National Park (updated 14 May 2026)

Featured image: Antarctic beech trees on the Border Track in Lamington National Park, June 2015 (photo: Alan Wigginton / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service or the Queensland Government. Check the park alerts before you go, as closures can change.