Pack your backpack and grab your little explorers and adventurers for a totally awesome day at Springbrook Waterfalls. There’s nothing like a spectacular waterfall to convince kids of all ages that spending time in nature is seriously fun. Swim in pristine waterholes or enjoy a picnic in the cool rainforest and let the kids explore and play.
We’ve put together a list of the best kid friendly waterfalls, swimming holes, look outs and rainforest walks in Springbrook National Park for you to enjoy with the family this summer.
Natural Bridge Springbrook
One of the most kid friendly and spectacular sections of the Springbrook National Park is Natural Bridge. You’ll literally feel like you’ve stepped back into time and entered Jurassic Park (minus any dangerous dinosaurs) as the kids’ race along the 1 km circuit track through Gondwana rainforest to the Natural Bridge formed by the erosive forces of the waterfall.
Although the track is sealed and graded, long stair sections make this unsuitable for wheelchairs and prams.
The return track has several great viewing areas with platforms to view and photograph the waterfall and rock pools below. There are toilet facilities located at the carpark.
If you’re planning on spending a night or two in the Gold Coast Hinterland, make sure you plan a night time visit to Natural Bridge when it’s transformed into a truly magical natural glow worm cave.
Getting to Natural Bridge: Natural Bridge is accessible via Nerang Murwillumbah Rd.
Purling Brook Falls Springbrook
Widely considered the most visually impressive of the Springbrook waterfalls, Purling Brook waterfall is just a few minutes’ walk from the carpark. There are two lookouts and a causeway across the top of the waterfall.
The rainforest walks at the top of the falls are ideal for kids keen to explore and discover the rock pools with their monster tadpoles, blue crayfish and giant moss covered ancient trees. For older kids and the energetic, there is a new suspension bridge at the base of the falls. It’s about a 90 minute round trip down to the bridge and back.
There are BBQ facilities and toilets in the picnic area.
Getting to Purling Brook Falls: Access to Purling Brook falls via the Gwongorella Picnic grounds and Purling Brooks Waterfall carpark accessible off Forestry Rd via Springbrook Rd.
Twin Falls Springbrook
Twin Falls, Springbrook is child friendly but kids will need close supervision on some parts of the track. A short 30 minute rainforest walk with some pretty amazing views and rock pools will take you to the main waterfall and waterhole. The full circuit track is 4kms.
The Twin Falls cascade into three separate rock pools, all of which are suitable for swimming. Spend the day or a few hours relaxing, swimming and exploring the cool, lush rainforest oasis of Twin falls.
Getting to Twin Falls: The Twin Falls circuit walk is accessed from the carpark at Canyon Lookout and Tallanbana Picnic Ground.
The best kid friendly lookouts and picnic areas
Tallanbana Picnic Area not only has gorgeous covered and uncovered picnic areas set amongst the trees, it’s also a great starting out point for a number of walks such as the Twin Falls circuit and the place to access Canyon Lookout for amazing views of waterfalls and lava flow layers in the cliffs.
Goomoolahra Picnic Area at the end of Springbrook Rd is a great place to take your picnic lunch. There’s a running creek with great views of the waterfall cascading 80 metres to the canyon below.
Planning your Springbrook Falls daytrip
If you’re planning a day trip to Springbrook National Park, it’s located in the Gold Coast hinterland about 45 minutes from the Gold Coast and 1.5 hours from Brisbane.
There are plenty of cafes and places to eat or grab snacks if you don’t fancy packing a picnic lunch. There is no public transport to Springbrook Mountain. There are no petrol stations on the mountain, so make sure you plan ahead and fill up the car beforehand.
Springbrook Falls is a must do adventure for all little Brisbane explorers and Brisbane families.
