21+ Best Public Transport Accessible Hikes in South East Queensland

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Bus, train or ferry your way to a range of great hiking options in SEQ

Whether you are a tourist to the region, a local without a car or just someone who doesn't feel like driving hours to and from a hike, there are plenty of options for hiking around South East Queensland you can access by public transportation. This includes cute little walks through to multiday adventures. Here is a list of the best.



With this list, I have focused on Translink accessible hikes first with some others that partially use the Translink network but rely on private buses or ferries as well at the end of the list. For visitors to the area, this is the network of trains, buses and ferries that use a shared ticketing system, You can transfer between different means of transport on a single ticket or fare with this system. I have also included a number of bonus hikes that can be accessed by more expensive transport systems which I have included in a bonus hikes section. The list is also tourist-focused, starting with the typical hikes, most tourists will want to try and work the way down the list. Locals are probably going to be more interested in the hikes at the bottom of this article. Everything here could be considered a hike though some are much easier than others, so that there is something for everyone.

1. Mt Coot-tha

One of the most iconic locations in Brisbane, Mt Coot-tha is a great spot for hiking with multiple points for public transportation access. Most tourists will take the bus to the summit for the view and maybe do either the short Summit Circuit or go on a longer walk that links to The Gold Mine and Simpsons Falls.



But there are lots more hiking options. The one I would recommend is to take the bus to the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, which is one of the side of Mt Coot-tha, not the City Botanic Gardens in the City, and walk through the gardens and up the Spotted Gum Trail to the Summit. There is also a bus to the base of the Honeyeater Trail , which is also a nice walk up to The Summit, and the same bus will drop you further along to a spot where you can take the Kokoda Trail, one of the steepest in Mt Coot-tha up the mountain, though you can just walk to the very pleasant Bellbird Trail where you will always here the sound of bellbirds (you can recognise them as they sound like bells, while the whip birds some like whips.) You can also take a bus to the far side of Mt Coot-tha and hike up the Malcatta Track to Simpsons Falls and then follow various trails to The Summit where there is coffee, cake and ice cream.



2. Mt Gravatt Outlook Reserve & Tooheys Forest

Next to each other are two great bushland reserves. There is the Mt Gravatt Outlook Reserve which contains the hill named Mt Gravatt which the suburb Mt Gravatt is named after, and Tooheys Forest. They are separated by the Griffith University Mt Gravatt Campus and can easily be walked together. Mt Gravatt provides great views of the city from the opposite side to Mt Coot-tha and also has fairly good sunset views. Tooheys Forest also has great sunset views from the Western Outlook Lookout. Also keep a lookout for wildlife, including koalas and echidnas, and there are also plenty of Goannas.



Getting here by public transport is pretty easy and buses run from very early in the morning to late at night, which makes it even more accessible than Mt Coot-tha. Often the easiest is to take a bus to Logan Road and walk to Gertrude Petty Place where you can get onto the summit circuit. There are also lots of buses to Griffith University Mt Gravatt Campus and from there you either walk through the campus and up Mt Gravatt or go through the tunnel under the highway to Tooheys Forest. Buses also stop on Toohey Road near the western end of Tooheys Forest.



3. Mt Ngungun in the Glass House Mountains

The Glass House Mountains , which are actually a series of 13 hills, are the remains of a long extinct volcano, and by long extinct, we are talking 26 million years ago extinct, and all that really remains now are the inner cores formed from the cooled lava while the rest have been worn down by the weather over millions of years. Some of them form very spectacular formations that, when Captain Cook first saw them, they reminded him of the glass house factories in England.



The easiest one to hike by public transportation is Mt Ngungun. Take the train to the Glass House Mountains Station and walk 2.6 kms down the road to the start of the hiking track. It is then 2.8 kms up and down the hill. There are lots of steps but as the path is not that long, it is worth the effort to view.



4. Burleigh Heads National Park

While only a little walk, if you visiting the Gold Coast it should be one of your must-visit places to go. Burleigh Heads have become the trendy go-to spot in contrast with the bland commercialisation of Surfers Paradise and the family-friend atmosphere of Coolangatta. There are numerous cool cafes, restaurants and shops in the area, as well as a pretty decent beach for swimming. But the best attraction is the little national park. It is easily reached by the many buses that go down the Gold Coast Highway and generally speaking it is better to get off at the beach stop named Burleigh Heads rather than the one on the side of the national park labelled Burleigh Heads National Park.



A circuit that goes down the coast and then back through the rainforest-rich interior is about 2 kms. There are a couple of lookouts, one that is great for whale watching in winter and the other gives views down the beach towards Surfers Paradise. There is also a side track to the mostly secret Echo Beach (not far away in time, if you are old enough to know that song). So ultimately more of a walk than a hike, but still worth it. Have a swim afterwards and find a cool cafe to hang out in .



5. Lake Enoggera & Walkabout Creek

Lake Enoggera is a great hiking spot beside and around a dam reservoir. It is a great location for tourists to visit, though few do. Most locals know of the location but few know of the hiking potential of the lake. The reservoir was created as a key part of Brisbane's water supply. But now it only functions as a wonderful recreation reserve that is easy to get to by public transportation. Jump on the bus from the city to The Gap Park'n'Ride and do a short scenic walk to the main area of the lake.



There is a lot to do at the lake, including swimming both in the protected enclosure and freely across the lake (local kids jump off the dam wall, but we won't encourage that sort of thing here), you can hire kayaks and paddleboards to paddle across the lake , visit the little zoo at the Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre, or go to the cafe that looks down into some of the animal enclosures. For hiking, you can do the easy 5 km Araucaria Track beside the lake or do the 12 km unmarked circuit of the lake which has plenty of ridges to go up and over, so is a a bit harder. Tracks link to both South D'Aguilar National Park and Mt-Coot-tha if you want to hike further.



6. Noosa Heads National Park

One of the best hiking experiences in South East Queensland is Noosa National Park located on Noosa Heads. It is so public transport accessible that there are buses to the Noosa end of the hike, buses to the Sunshine Beach end of the hike as well as buses between the 2 locations.



Most people focus on hiking the 5.4 km Coastal Walk in Noosa National Park which includes multiple beaches suitable for both hiking and surfing. The beach at Alexandria Bay is an unofficial nude beach, though there are other beaches better for swimming. There are also several rocky headlands and even little secret swimming pools in amongst the rocks. If you prefer, you can walk through the inland section as well to make your hike a circuit where, if you keep your eyes towards the treetops, you might spot some koalas. Plus you get to visit the long quiet stretch of Sunshine Beach at one end and the bustle of the popular Noosa Main Beach at the other.



7. Brisbane Valley Rail Trail

At 161 km, taking about 8 days to hike, the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail is the longest walk on this list and while more popular with cyclists can also be hiked easily enough as being an old rail line it is nice and flat. One end of the rail trail is accessed by rail at Wulkuraka station , though most cyclists will get off at Ipswich Station and cycle the Brassall Rail Trail to the start of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail. Translink buses run from Ipswich station as far as Toogoolawah, which is the halfway point on the trip. They use coach-style buses instead of the normal city buses so you should be able to put your bicycle in the luggage area of the bus. Other towns on the trail are accessed by more expensive long-distance coach services.



The mostly flat trail is great for cyclists of all levels. For hikers, it is a little less interesting than normal hikes and much of it is fairly exposed. But you do get to pass through farmland instead of wilderness, which can be interesting in itself, and at the end of each day, you can have a meal in town and resupply, staying in a range of accommodation instead of camping. You can also do sections and take a bus home rather than needing to do the whole trail in one go.



8. Boondall Wetlands

Tidal wetlands form a very important part of the South East Queensland ecosystem providing habits for migrating birds and places for many species of fish to breed. There are a number of wetlands around the region that have been preserved, but the best one to visit, and an easy one to visit by public transportation, is Boondall Wetlands. The 1150 hectares of the reserve include tidal flats, mangroves, saltmarshes, melaleuca wetlands, grasslands and open forest, bordered by Nudgee Creek, Kedron Brook and Cabbage Tree Creek.



Both trains and buses go to Boondall Train Station and then it is a pleasant 20 minute or so walk to the Boondall Wetlands Environmental Centre and the 2 km Billai Dhagun Circuit. There is also a 6.5 km track that goes through the diverse wetland environment to Nudgee Road. I know people who have walked this track but it is normally it is just cyclists who use this path. For walkers, you can either walk back to Boondall station or walk an additional 2 kms to Nudgee Beach where there are more wetlands and buses from Monday to Saturday.



9. Bribie Island

If you are going to visit South East Queensland then you will probably want to visit an Island. Moreton Bay has many islands but the only one that you can visit using the Translink network is Bribie Island. Lying just 850 metres from Sandstone Point, Bribie is easily reached by a bridge. The main hike is an 8 km beach walk from Bongaree on the coastal side to Woorim going around the southern end of the Island. Buses drop you 3 kms from the start of the walk, but at the end, you can take the bus back home right from Woorim Beach, though many people choose to walk back either along the road or through the sand tracks in the bushland area on the southern part of the island.



There are lots of highlights of the walk. The walk is very pleasant, and is ideally done at low tide, but is still doable at high tide if you don't mind wading around areas of driftwood. With the tide out you will often see the sand covered in little crabs. Woorim is a lovely place to swim with plenty of cafes for food, and the surf life saving club has the best views. Bongaree is better for kids to swim and is a great place to hire paddle boards, kayaks and boats.



10. Mt Beerburrum, Yul-yan-man Track & beyond in the Glass House Mountains

While I would point most visitors to the Glass House Mountains in the direction of Mt Ngungun, if you are a more serious hiker then you want to get off at Beerburrum Station. There is at least 1 cafe near the train station, which is good to know because you may want a coffee before you hike or afterwards while waiting for the train. There are actually several options for hiking here, from easy short walks to challenging climbs.



So first off, you can walk up to the top of Mt Beerburrum, which is a fairly easy 3.5 km return walk to get views of the surrounding hills. You can also do the 9 km Yul-yan-man circuit , which involves some scrambling, with that track linking up to the Soldier Settlers Trail as well as the tracks that go around Tibrogargan. The 5.4 km Soldier Settlers Trail takes you back to the start of the hike, and if you just wanted to get to the Tibrogargan area without any scrambling, then could just use that trail out and back. At the Tibrogargan area, you can combine the [https://www.weekendnotes.com/mount-tibrogargan-via-trachyte-circuit/ Trachyte and Tibrogargan circuits] for the 8 km walk around Tibrogargan. Returning via the Soldiers Settlers Trail the walk will be close to 19 kms. If you want more scrambling, then there is a very difficult track up to the summit of Mt Tibrogargan that you can do.



11. Wellington Point & King Island

If you are looking for a cool nature hike then why not walk to an island? Wellington Point lies at the end of a narrow peninsular. There is a great mangrove walk there, but the highlight is walking at low tide across to King Island. It is only a short walk around the mangroves and to the island, but it is a unique and special nature walk great for families, couples or people who just love islands.



There are buses to Wellington Point from Monday to Saturday, but no buses on Sunday. It is possible though to walk the 3.6 kms from the Wellington Point Train Station. Also at Wellington Point is a small beach for swimming at high tide, a jetty that is good for fishing large barbecue and a picnic area. You can get a nice seafood meal at the restaurant and some okay fish and chips from the takeaway there as well.



12. Federation Walk on the Gold Coast

At the far northern end of the Gold Coast is The Spit, which is home to the Federation Walk Coastal Reserve. Federation Walk runs through this reserve and is a great coastal walk that runs 5.5 kms from the Main Beach Tourist Park up to the end of The Spit. There are lots of options with this walk when coming by public transportation, including starting or ending the walk halfway by taking a bus to Seaworld. You can also do the longer option, starting from Surfers Paradise and walking along the beach and various parks to the reserve. This makes it 8.4 kms one way.



Highlights and options include having a swim at The Spit, fish and chips at the restaurant at The Spit, walking up the path and back by via the beach, and going shopping at the Marinas Cove Shopping Centre. While having gone here twice, I have never walked the path as we take mountain bikes and cycle it or hire beach bicycles to try and go up the paths and back down on the beach.



13. Mt Coolum

If you are on the Sunshine Coast a lovely little walk is Mt Coolum for great views of the area. It is only a 1.6 km return walk, or for a bit of fun, you can also take the caves route up instead, which involves a small scramble. Nearby is the Coolum Beach Boardwalk and Coolum Beach for a swim if you need to cool off after all those stairs.



The bus drops you about 450 metres from the start of the Mt Coolum Walking Trail. It is about the same distance from the bus stop to the beach. As it is a small walk, it is mostly going to be of interest to people who are on the Sunshine Coast.



14. Shorncliffe

While there are a lot of seaside walks across South East Queensland, I wanted to include this one because of the cliffs walk. The normal way to do this by public transportation is to take the train or the bus to sandgate. Then walk along the seaside path to Shorncliffe. Going past the jetty, a rough path continues along the base of the cliff. Then you return via the cliff top path and return to Sandgate where there are fish and chip shops down by the sea and a range of cafes, restaurants and bars in central Sandgate.



The walk is no more than 5 kms return in length and only a short part is off the paved paths. But Sandgate and Shorncliffe are iconic locations, and if you really want to walk a longer distance keep going past Sandgate to Brighton, Woody Point and if you don't stop, Redcliffe and Scarborough, which is close to 20 kms one way.



15. Dularcha National Park

Here is a walk for people who are fans of trains. Not only can you go to the walk by train, but the walk goes through an old abandoned train tunnel, so it is a double treat for train fans. Now you can drive to this hike as well because many people will do the 5.8 km hike between Landsborough and Mooloolah Stations and take the train back. But it is just cooler if you take the train there and back again.



You can easily make a loop through the small National Park to get back to where you start, however, other than the railway tunnel, it is not very interesting. One other thing. I would suggest you should finish the hike at Landsborough because I really like the Landsborough Hotel. Think modern Australian pub cuisine at country prices.

16. Beerburrum West State Forest

Just outside of Caboolture, Beerburrum West State Forest is accessible by buses that stop on the D'Aguilar Highway near the entrance to the old rail trail, sometimes called the Old Wamuran Rail Trail. It is linked to Caboolture by what is now called the Wamuran Rail Trail. Yes, you can walk the 10.5 km new rail trail from Caboolture, but it is more focused on bicycles. Plus, a nice loop through the forest is over 14 kms, so it is better to take the bus to the walk unless you brought your mountain bike on the train to Caboolture. Yes, it is a nice ride out to Beerburrum West State Forest and a nice cycle around the shared trails of the forest.



The rail trail through the forest is a lovely wide, mostly shady and flat path. Along the path, you will see a few historical artefacts and signs from when it was a working railway line. Overall the walk is a lovely, if not exciting, walk and something rail fans will enjoy. There are lots of mostly unmarked tracks and trails off the main rail trail to explore and to create a nice loop through the forest.



17. South D'Aguilar National Park

One of the great hiking locations in Brisbane itself is South D'Aguilar National Park, which runs from the back of Mt Coot-tha and Lake Enoggera up to Mt Nebo and Mt Glorious. In theory, you can start hiking from Mt Coot-tha, walk around Lake Enoggera and keep going up Mt Nebo to Mt Glorious. Though probably most people considering an epic hike like this would take the bus to Lake Enoggera as a better place to start. The nearest campsite from there is 15 kms up Mt Nebo at Scrub Road Bush Camp. Then there are paths leading further up the mountain. Most people just do overnighters here to get out into nature, exercise or give their camping gear a tryout.



You can also walk the 10 kms to Gold Creek Reservoir from Lake Enoggera, though, unless you want to walk 5 kms down the road to the bus stop nearest Gold Creek Reservoir, you would have to hike back. But perhaps we can bend the rules a little and take taxis or Ride Shares to Gold Creek Reservoir or Lake Manchester and hike to Lake Enoggera where there is a convenient bus stop. A popular loop as a fitness and training hike is to start at Lake Enoggera and hike Mt Nebo Break and come back by one of several paths that can be used to form a loop. To be honest, there are so many paths, tracks and trails in the area that I once looked at 3 different maps, including an official topographic map, and not only did they not match each other, one of the paths we had just hiked was not on any of them.



18. North Stradbroke Island

Not all public transport accessible hikes can be done by the Translink network. The first one on this list is North Stradbroke Island, which requires private ferries to get to the island and private buses to get around the island. But you can take the Translink train and bus to the ferry terminal. The best walk on North Stradbroke Island is the Gorges Walk and then on to Cylinder Beach and a swim.



Some people also do the short walk from Dunwich out to Brown Lake. If you are particularly keen you can do the longer walk to the more beautiful Blue Lake, and I know some people who have followed the path out to Brown Lake, then Blue Lake, and then kept going on to arrive at Main Beach, and finally walk north up the beach to Point Lookout to take a bus back to Dunwich in time to catch the ferry home. I think this is about 20 kms in total.



19. Mary Cairncross Reserve & Maleny

Up in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, most of the old growth rainforest was logged except for one tiny pocket. This is the Mary Cairncross Reserve, a small but very beautiful pocket of old growth rainforest just outside of Maleny. The bus here is outside of the Translink network and goes from Landsborough Station to Maleny. On weekends there is another bus that will go on to Montville and Mapleton and then Nambour Station. To get to the reserve, get off at Mountain View Road just outside of Maleny and walk up the road.



While small, the reserve is well worth visiting. It includes a great information centre, a cafe and views of the Glass House Mountains. There are also barbecue and picnic areas if you want to spend more time there. Most people will wander through the reserve and then take the bus on to Maleny where there is a walk around and through town, though most people go there for the shopping and food.



20. Coochiemudlo Island

Coochiemudlo is another lovely island in [https://www.weekendnotes.com/moreton-bays-many-islands/ Moreton Bay] that you can visit via public transport. Buses take you out to Victoria Point and the private ferry takes you to the island. It is about a 2 km stroll around the island that includes beaches, mangroves and paths.



This can be followed up by a relaxing swim at the beach and a meal at one of the cafes. If that is not enough, a few holes at their golf course might be in order.

21. Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk

It is great to do multiday walks without having to leave your car somewhere in the bush. The Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk is a 4 day walk that is reasonably public transport accessible. The 890 bus runs from Landsborough to Nambour with stops not far from the ends of the hike. It is about 6 kms from the southern end of the walk at Baroon Pocket Dam and 2.3 kms from the Leafy Lane Trail Head at the northern end of the walk to the centre of Mapleton where the bus also stops. It will go past some midpoint exits for the walk as well. Unfortunately, it only runs on weekdays. Otherwise, you would have to ride share or maybe take a taxi from the train stations.



Highlights of the walk include Kondalilla Falls, Baxter Falls, Mapleton Falls and the view out over Gheerulla Valley. Some people just take the bus to Mapleton and do the Gheerulla Valley Circuit as an overnight walk.



Bonus A: Various Bushland reserves
If I included all the little bushland reserves across South East Queensland that are public transport accessible this would be a long list. Instead, I have just included some cool highlights worth checking out.



For a visitor to South East Queensland, none of these places would be a priority, but these and many other places are great places to get out into nature in your local area. But these are just a small selection of the great bushland spots across the region that you can take buses and trains to visit.



Bonus B: Moreton Island

Moreton Island is a decent hiking destination with the best hikes being along the beaches rather than the roads which are often harder to walk on. The way to the island for most people is the MICAT ferry. Once on the island, you can hike along the beach to various camping spots across the island, with the highlights being swimming at The Wrecks and at the Champagne Pools, Cape Moreton Lighthouse, Blue Lagoon and The Desert.



Of course, for people who just want a day hike then walk from The Wrecks where the ferry dropped you off, past the WWII forts at Cowan Cowan and up to Bulwer to Castaways Cafe. Then walk back in time for a swim at The Wrecks and to catch a ferry home.



Bonus C: Cooloola Great Walk

The Cooloola Great Walk is a 5 day walk from Noosa North Shore up to Rainbow Beach. This walk is Translink accessible at the southern end, while the other requires a more expensive long-distance coach. At the southern end you take the bus to the ferry across the Noosa River at Tewantin, take the ferry and walk about 3.5 kms to the start of the walk. At the other end, you need to take the long-distance coach that departs just in front of the backpackers in Rainbow Beach.



The walk winds through rainforest and eucalypts, as well as heath plains and the occasional sandblow. Of course, you don't have to do the whole walk and many people just do an overnight to the first campsite and back. This only requires Translink trains and buses.



Bonus D: K'gari/Fraser Island

While K'gari, previously known as Fraser Island , is actually outside of the South East Queensland area I want to include it as a bonus hike because this world-renowned island is more accessible than you realise. Normally people who go to the island drive a 4WD or join a tour. If you want to hike the K'gari Great Walk you need to take the Moreton Island Taxi to the start and the end of the walk, or take the plane that lands on the beach. However, you can do a multiday hike just from the ferry.



If you take the long-distance bus to Hervey Bay then you can take the ferry to K'gari at Kingfisher Bay. From there you can hike to Lake McKenzie and back in one day. For a multiday hike, you might camp at Lake McKenzie or push on in one day to Central Station. From there you can do a number of day hikes while camping at Central Station. Yes, you can also hike half the K'gari Great Walk via the Inskip Point Ferry but there is no bus to Inskip Point, rather you have to take a taxi from Rainbow Beach. You then you exit via Kingfisher Bay, taking the ferry to Hervey Bay and a long-distance coach home.



Overall

Public transportation will actually get you to some very iconic and special places in South East Queensland. Yes, there are plenty of spots that are not accessible without a car or joining a tour, like Lamington, Springbrook and Girraween, but there are the amazing hills of the Glass House Mountains, the Rainforests on the Sunshine Coast and the rugged coastline and beautiful beaches of Noosa, among many others. Tourists definitely have days of amazing and varied hikes, and locals could do a new hike every couple of weeks for a year if they wanted.

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