At a glance
- Where
- On Nerang’s north-west outskirts, 12 km from Surfers Paradise. Five main access points, in the south-east corner and along Beaudesert-Nerang Road on the western side
- Hours
- Open 24 hours a day, but Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service encourages visits in daylight
- Trails
- Shared trails for walkers, horseriders and mountain bikers, plus 20 designated mountain bike trails (easy, intermediate and difficult)
- Not allowed
- Camping, campfires, dogs and other pets, trail bikes and motor vehicles. Horses are allowed on shared trails only
- Facilities
- No picnic or day-use areas, no rubbish bins and no wheelchair-accessible facilities
- Who it’s for
- Mountain bikers, walkers and horseriders driving to Nerang for a ride or a bush walk
- What to do now
- Bring water, food, a first-aid kit and rubbish bags, save the trail map to your phone, and avoid the trails during and straight after wet weather
- Last checked
- Tuesday 10 November 2026, against the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service pages for the park. The park showed no alerts
- Not yet confirmed
- Car park locations and sizes, and any parking fee, which the park pages do not give
Nerang National Park, on Nerang’s north-west outskirts 12 km from Surfers Paradise, has 20 designated mountain bike trails and shared trails for walkers and horseriders, but no camping, no picnic areas and no dogs, according to Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. This guide uses the service’s pages for the park, checked on Tuesday 10 November 2026, when the park listed no alerts.
How do I get to Nerang National Park?
The service’s visiting safely page says the park is 12 km from Surfers Paradise and 70 km south of Brisbane. It has five main access points, in the south-east corner of the park and on the western side along Beaudesert-Nerang Road. The page points to the park’s locality map for details, and it does not name the car parks or give a parking fee or a number of spaces, so check the map and the signs on arrival. It says to look for QR codes on the entrance signs and at key entry points, which link to the mountain bike trail map. The nearest fuel and supplies are in Nerang.
What are the mountain bike trails?
The service’s things to do page says there are 20 designated mountain bike trails, although its trail table lists 22 numbered trails (1 to 22), which is the table below. Horseriders are not permitted on them, and walking or running on them is not recommended because mountain bikes travel at speed from either direction on narrow, uneven sections. None of the trails are suitable for road bikes. Some trails are one-way, so check the direction on the map before you start.
| Grade | Trail | Distance and time |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 1 Training Wheels, a short loop near the trailhead | 350 m, 5 minutes |
| Easy | 2 Casuarina Grove circuit | 2.1 km circuit plus an optional 1 km loop, 20 minutes |
| Easy | 9 Goanna | 2.6 km, 20 minutes |
| Easy | 14 Goanna Loop | 2.5 km, 20 minutes |
| Easy | 21 Casuarina Explorer Short Loop (one way) | 1.7 km, 15 minutes |
| Easy | 22 Casuarina Explorer Long Loop (one way) | 3.5 km, 40 minutes |
| Intermediate | 3 Petes | 2.2 km, 15 minutes |
| Intermediate | 4 Rocky Horror | 2.5 km, 20 minutes |
| Intermediate | 5 Three Hills | 2.7 km, 20 minutes |
| Intermediate | 10 Barneys | 520 m, 5 minutes |
| Intermediate | 11 Exit | 920 m, 10 minutes |
| Intermediate | 12 Happy Valley | 2.3 km, 20 minutes |
| Intermediate | 15 Wombats | 1.5 km, 15 minutes |
| Intermediate | 16 Wombats Connection | 280 m, 2 minutes |
| Intermediate | 17 B+Bs | 310 m, 2 minutes |
| Intermediate | 18 Baileys | 3.8 km, 45 minutes |
| Intermediate | 19 Elevator | 1 km, 10 minutes |
| Intermediate | 20 Explosions | 2.7 km, 20 minutes |
| Difficult | 6, 7 and 8 GC2018 Loops 1 to 3 (one way) | 1.2 km, 1.3 km and 1.5 km return; 10, 25 and 25 minutes |
| Difficult | 13 Taipan (one way) | 1.2 km, 15 minutes |
The service describes Petes as a good final ride back to the car park because of its slight, consistent downhill grade, and says Three Hills needs a moderate level of fitness. The Explosions trail runs close to a quarry where explosions can occasionally be heard on blasting days. The three GC2018 loops were designed for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, and the service says Taipan is for skilled riders only.
Who gives way on the shared trails?
Walkers, horseriders and mountain bikers share the same trails, and the service sets a give-way code:
- Walkers give way to horses.
- Mountain bikers give way to both walkers and horseriders, and must alert them when approaching.
- To alert horses safely, slow down and talk when you approach horses.
- Everyone must slow down and go around wildlife.
Riders should wear a helmet and the right safety gear, ride within their ability and according to trail conditions, avoid skidding around turns, and avoid riding in large groups. The service asks riders to avoid soft, wet or muddy trails and not to ride during or immediately after wet weather. It also says never to ride if you see smoke in the forest, because bushfires can spread quickly.
What are the rules and what facilities are there?
| Topic | What the service says |
|---|---|
| Camping | Not permitted. The service says nearby Springbrook National Park provides the opportunity to camp |
| Dogs and pets | Not allowed, other than certified assistance dogs and horses using shared trails |
| Campfires and vehicles | Campfires, trail bikes and motorised vehicles are prohibited |
| Picnic areas | There are no picnic or day-use areas in the park |
| Bins | None provided. Take all rubbish home |
| Wheelchair access | There are no wheelchair-accessible facilities |
| Permits | None needed to recreate, unless the activity is commercial or an organised event, including competitive or sporting events |
The nearby Nerang State Forest adjoins the park, and both are managed by the service. Bring sunscreen, insect repellent, protective clothing, drinking water and food, a mobile phone and a well-equipped first-aid kit. Detour around snakes and never provoke them. Thefts and assaults can occur in parks, so do not leave valuables in parked cars.
What should I do in an emergency?
Emergency markers, which are unique alphanumeric codes, are posted at the formal park entrances and at each shared-trail junction. In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) and, if you can, give the closest marker code so that emergency services can find you. Tell somebody your plans before you go, and aim to finish walks and rides before dark.
What is the weather like, and what wildlife lives here?
The service says summer temperatures can exceed 30°C, with February the wettest month, and that winter days are pleasant with maximums around 21°C. Start longer rides at cooler times of the day and carry plenty of water. It describes the park as hilly, with dry rainforest and open eucalypt forest of grey gum, blue gum, stringybark and tallowwood, and remnant gallery rainforest in the gullies.
The park is habitat for endangered species such as the koala and southern greater glider, vulnerable species such as the powerful owl, glossy black-cockatoo and tusked frog, and locally significant species such as the short-beaked echidna.
If you are planning a day in the hinterland, our guides to Springbrook National Park and Hinze Dam cover two other places nearby.
Sources
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service — Visiting Nerang safely (checked 10 November 2026)
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service — Nerang National Park: things to do (checked 10 November 2026)
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service — About Nerang (checked 10 November 2026)
Featured image: bush in Nerang National Park at Maudsland, photographed in January 2016 (photo: Shiftchange / CC0) (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 trails can close at short notice.