city guide

The best waterfalls in Gold Coast Hinterland

A hand-picked guide to 1 of the most stunning waterfalls in Gold Coast Hinterland. Each entry below has our personal notes, photos, driving directions and the practical detail you need to plan a visit — from parking and hike lengths to swimming rules and the best time of year to go.

Find Geological Maps

#1 · 109 m drop

Springbrook Falls (Purling Brook)

Gold Coast Hinterland · Queensland · Australia

Springbrook Falls (Purling Brook) — heroSpringbrook Falls (Purling Brook) — photo 2

Springbrook has a really nice hiking route.

The Purling Brook Falls Circuit is about 4 km in total, with a difficulty level of 3. If you don’t want to challenge yourself too much, it’s better to walk clockwise, so you get more downhill stairs and mostly gentle uphill slopes. We walked quite slowly and it took about 1.5 hours. This year there has been a lot of rain, so the waterfall looks great, but parts of the track can be muddy.

After visiting the waterfall, there is also Best of All Lookout nearby. After parking, it is about a 300 m walk through the national park. Along the way, you pass some ancient beech trees. The lookout has a very wide view, and it feels very peaceful once you arrive.

Find Geological Maps

Waterfall canyon
Safety first

Stay safe at every waterfall

Wet rocks, hidden currents and fast-changing weather catch out experienced hikers every year. Read our quick safety guide before you head out.

Read safety tips
Discover more
Explore Botanic Gardens
Reserve Lake Cabins
Download Interactive Maps