The rock pools in Conondale National Park were maybe the best rock pools I’ve visited near Brisbane, without the crowd. We spent a lovely day testing Conondale National Park walks with a hike to Booloumba Creek Falls and, at the end of the day, Mount Allan.

Conondale-NP-Sunshine-Coast-Hinterland

Conondale National Park is a great option if you’re looking for a lesser-known National Park to explore near Brisbane. It wouldn’t come to me as a first choice as this National Park is a bit further from the city than the usual ones (almost 3 hours drive) and mostly accessible by 4WD only. However, after you leave the motorway, the drive in the Hinterland is a real pleasure.

If you’re looking for a walk to a waterfall easier to reach from Brisbane, check out Lamington National Park, Queen Mary Falls, Serenity Falls in Buderim Forest, or Natural Bridge in Springbrook National Park. They’re among my favourite.

If you want to spend the weekend in the area, there are many camping options in Conondale National Park. We wished we came prepared for a longer stay!

Conondale National Park Walks: Booloumba Creek Falls and Artists Cascades (12km return)

We started the walk at Booloumba Falls car park. If you’re travelling with two cars, you may consider parking one of them at the Booloumba Creek Day Use area and do the 11km leg of the Great Walk.

We didn’t have this option. From Booloumba Falls car park, we walked to Booloumba Creek Falls (1.5km) and to Artists Cascades (+4.5km), for a total of 12km return. With long breaks to enjoy the pools and our lunch, it took us just under 4 hours.

The hike is very charming. You’ll walk through a beautiful and lively forest between the two beautiful pools. The transparent water was very appealing, but no one was brave enough to dip more than a toe as it was still quite cold in these first days of Spring in Australia.

Conondale National Park Walks: Mount Allan (9km return)

We planned this second hike for sunset. Mount Allan is 593m high and there is a fire tower at the top to get a 360° view of the area. As far as we could see, it’s covered by a beautiful forest.

There are two tracks going up to Mount Allan. One leaves from Booloumba Creek Day Use Area. We chose the second one, leaving from Charlie Moreland camping. The camping is accessible by 2WD and it was easier to drive back at night from there. There are two creeks to cross to access the Booloumba Creek day area, which is not the best thing to do at night. Also, we were planning to hike back in the dark and, as the track is a large fire management track, starting at Charlie Moreland Camping appeared as the easiest option.

When you go up, don’t forget to look behind you for the views. It’s a great excuse to catch your breath as it’s steep!

How long does it take to climb Mount Allan?

Mount Allan - Conondale National Park

The website we read indicated a 2-hour walk return. We had the surprise to see the Information sign there indicated 4 hours. We only had 1 hour before the sunset, so we took the challenge. With a very good pace and no break, we made it just in time to enjoy the beautiful colours at the end of the day. If 4 hours seems exaggerated, it will be challenging for most people to achieve the 2-hour mark.

Have you been to Conondale National Park? What did you do there? Share your experience in the comments below!

Where is Conondale National Park?

Conondale National Park is in Queensland‘s Sunshine Coast Hinterland, 130km north of Brisbane. It took us around three hours to get there, with a short breakfast break in Maleny on the way. You’ll need a 4WD to access most of the park as there are a few creeks to cross. You may want to check the conditions if it has recently rained.

We did it as a day trip from Brisbane, but it took us longer than expected to go up there. Be prepared not to entirely rely on Google Maps as the itinerary it indicated was wrong and we had no network during our entire time in the park.

Click here to download the National Park topographic map (pdf)

Eloise

Eloise is the creator and writer of MyFavouriteEscapes.com. She writes about her experiences exploring exotic destinations and finding hidden gems closer to home. Her goal is to share tips and stories to inspire and encourage others to go on their own adventures. She loves outdoor and nature-based activities like scuba diving, hiking, kayaking, and sailing. She grew up in France and has lived in England and Turkey before calling Australia home for the past decade. So let's get ready for another adventure!

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