Noosa Hiking
Thanks to it's wonderful location on the Queensland coastline, Noosa is home to a great range of hikes and hiking trails. If you like the feeling of achievement after reaching a summit, the hills fringing the Noosa area provide challenging walks with stunning views. Mt Coolum, Mt Cooroy, Mt Pomona, and some of the Glass House Mountains all have great walking tracks that vary in difficulty. If you'd like to get amongst the stunning hinterland and national parks but don't quite have the fitness required for some of the more challenging hikes on the mountains, there are plenty of great hiking trails located in some of the surrounding national parks.
Noosa National Park offers a series of walking tracks passing through rainforest, scrubland, open forest, grass lands and wallum heads offering views of the beautiful sheltered beaches, coves and rugged coastline just metres from the centre of town. The Cooloola National Park, also known as the Great Sandy National Park, offers 56,000 hectares to explore. The largest natural tract of on the southern coast of Queensland, the park is also home to the largest intact sand dune system in the world.
The Glass House Mountains National Park encompasses 7 unique volcanic mountains south of Caloundra and features a sensitive ecosystem that is a delight to explore. Rock climbing is available however bushwalking and picnic areas are the most popular ways to enjoy the park. The Kondalilla National Park covers 327 hectares and is steeped in Aboriginal heritage. Home to the stunning Kondalilla Falls, water cascades 90m down to crystal pools which have become a popular swimming spot.
Similarly, Mapleton Falls National Park is home to the Pencil Creek 120m cascading falls as part of its 26 hectares of national park. Popular for bushwalking, bird watching and picnics, the park is home to protected wet eucalypts which once covered the Blackall Ranges. For a bit of direction when enjoying Noosa hiking and exploring these national parks, maps are available from National Parks offices.