Trachyte and Tibrogargan Circuits: Glass House Mountains

Experience More - Subscribe to Our Weekly Events Newsletter

There are many options when visiting the Glass House Mountains , but for anyone who wants a hike without having to walk or scramble up a mountain, the Trachyte and Tibrogargan Circuits are great walking options that go around the base of Mt Tibrogargan and take you to 2 great lookouts. Combined they are about 8 kms in total.



The starting point is the Tibrogargan Trail Head off Marshs Road. This area has a large car park and toilets. Both circuits start from here. The Trachyte Circuit is a 5.7 km walk that goes along the base of Mt Tibberoowuccum and Mt Tibrogargan with a great lookout. The Tibrogargan Circuit is a 4.1 km walk that goes around (not up) Mt Tibrogargan. Because the tracks overlap, when done together the total is less than 8 kms.

My recommendation is to combine both walks in a counterclockwise manner, which means starting off on the Trachyte Circuit. The main highlight of this walk is the Jack Ferris Lookout which has good views of Mt Tibberoowuccum and Tibrogargan, with Mt Beerwah in the background.



When the Trachyte Circuit joins the Tibrogargan Circuit, you want to veer off to your right to do the circuit around Tibrogargan. The walk is a nice pleasant walk and you can see the track that leads steeply up the mountain. Avoid this unless you have a good head for heights.



The highlight of Tibrogargan Circuit is the Mountain View Lookout with views of Mt Beerwah and Mt Coonowrin. If you just wanted to walk to a place with views, this is less than 1 km from the car park.



The circuit joins back up with the Trachyte Circuit and returns to the car park. After the walk, there are a few spots around for coffee, cake or a meal. The Glass House Mountains Lookout Cafe is well known for its views. You can also head into the Glass House Mountains Township which has a pub, a few restaurants and a pie and pastry shop. Last time we did this walk, we went to the Glass House Mountains Lookout (not the cafe) for a barbecue and for more Glass House Mountains views.



Overall, a great little hike for people who want to hike the Glass House Mountains without having to make the effort of going up any of them, with shorter options suitable for all levels of fitness.

For those who are curious: I left this bit of trivia to the end because it is very boring. The Trachyte Circuit is named after a type of volcanic rock, which is not that surprising because all the peaks are the remains of ancient volcanoes.

#adventure
#lookouts
#national_parks
#natural_attractions
#outdoor
#sunshine_coast_hinterland
#walks
%wnbrisbane