In short
- The national park is about 70 km, or an hour's drive, north of Brisbane: up the Bruce Highway, then off at the Glass House Mountains tourist drive turn-off.[1][2]
- There's no single gate. Each peak has its own trailhead and car park (Beerburrum, Beerwah, Ngungun and Tibrogargan), so decide on your walk before you set the destination.[2]
- For an easy first visit, drive to the Tibrogargan trailhead: its 4.1 km circuit around the base of the mountain is graded for families. The Ngungun summit walk is shorter but steeper, with cliff edges.[3]
- Go early, in dry weather, and finish before dark. Queensland Parks warns that tracks and rock get slippery after rain, summer days can pass 35°C, and dogs aren't allowed in the park.[2]
How do you get to the Glass House Mountains from Brisbane?
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service puts Glass House Mountains National Park about 70 km, or an hour's drive, north of Brisbane.[1] Its directions are short: follow the Bruce Highway north, take the Glass House Mountains tourist drive turn-off and follow the signs.[2] The same service's Kondalilla page names that turn-off precisely: exit 163, Steve Irwin Way, which is also signed as Glass House Mountains Tourist Drive 24 and as the Beerwah exit, 54 km up the highway from Brisbane.[5]
The highway part is the same road you'd take to the coast; Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast covers getting onto it from Hendra, its traffic and the lack of tolls northbound.
If it's your first time, stop at the Glass House Mountains Visitor and Interpretive Centre in Settler's Rotary Park, on Bruce Parade at the corner of Reed Street in Glass House Mountains township. Queensland Parks suggests it as the place to get your bearings.[2]
Which trailhead should you drive to?
This is the decision that shapes the day. The park is split into recreation nodes around the peaks, each with its own entrance,[2] so typing "Glass House Mountains" into your maps app just takes you to the township. Pick the walk, then drive to the trailhead it starts from:
| Trailhead | Getting there | Walk | Grade, distance, time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tibrogargan | Between Beerburrum and Glass House Mountains townships, via Marshs Road and Barrs Road[3] | Tibrogargan circuit (Mountain View lookout 1 km in) | Grade 3, 4.1 km return, allow 1 hr 30 min |
| Tibrogargan | As above | Trachyte circuit, to Jack Ferris lookout | Grade 3, 5.7 km return, 2–3 hr |
| Ngungun | About 3 km from Glass House Mountains township via Coonowrin Road and Fullertons Road | Mount Ngungun summit walk | Grade 4, 2.8 km return, allow 2 hr |
| Beerburrum | Next to the Beerburrum State School car park | Mount Beerburrum summit walk, to the fire tower | Grade 3, 3.5 km return, allow 1 hr 30 min |
| Beerwah | 9.8 km from Glass House Mountains township via Coonowrin Road and Mount Beerwah Road | Mount Beerwah view | Grade 3, 200 m return, 15 min |
All distances, grades and times in the table are Queensland Parks' own.[3] Two of these work well together in one morning: the Tibrogargan circuit and, after a short drive, the Ngungun summit. Doing both means two climbs, so leave the second out if the day turns hot.
Which walk suits you?
With children, or after an easy walk
The Tibrogargan circuit is the one Queensland Parks recommends for families. A short climb reaches the Mountain View lookout, about 20 minutes in, with views of Beerwah, Coonowrin, Tibberoowuccum and Tunbubudla, and the track then loops around the base of Tibrogargan through casuarina, eucalypt and melaleuca forest.[3] Turning back at the lookout makes a 2 km outing.
For a summit view
Mount Ngungun's summit gives views of Tibrogargan, Coonowrin and Beerwah, but the track passes close to sheer cliff edges and the rocks become very slippery when wet; children need close supervision.[3] Mount Beerburrum is a different kind of hard: the last 750 m is a steep concrete path to a fire tower at 280 m, and Queensland Parks advises ankle-supporting shoes with good grip.[3]
What isn't a casual walk
The Yul-yan-man track is Grade 5, needs rock-scrambling skills and runs along sheer cliffs; don't start it if rain is forecast, you can see a fire or it's extremely hot.[3] Climbing Tibrogargan or Beerwah is rock climbing, which Queensland Parks describes as potentially dangerous and for people with a high level of expertise and equipment.[4] Mount Coonowrin has a restricted access area.[2] If a peak's sheer face is the attraction, the trailhead walks above give the view without the risk.
Where can you stop for the view or a picnic?
- Tibrogargan trailhead: picnic tables and toilets beside the car park, including a toilet for wheelchair users.[4]
- Beerwah trailhead: picnic tables and toilets, a 100 m walk from the car park.[4]
- Glass House Mountains lookout: in Beerburrum West State Forest, close to the park, with viewpoints over the peaks, a short walk, picnic tables and toilets.[4][2]
- Coochin Creek day-use area: in Beerwah State Forest, with picnic tables and toilets.[4]
Want the view without a walk at all? The range above Maleny looks straight across at the peaks; our Maleny and Montville drive carries on from here up the Blackall Range, which makes a full day with a morning walk.
When should you go, and what should you take?
Summer days usually range from 18°C to 30°C and can go above 35°C; winter runs from about 11°C to 20°C.[2] Queensland Parks advises starting longer walks in the cooler part of the day, avoiding the park in wet weather because track and rock surfaces get slippery, and planning to finish before dark. It recommends visiting in daylight hours only.[2]
- Check the park alerts the day before. Closures can be short and specific: Mount Ngungun, for example, was closed overnight on 23–24 September 2026.[4]
- Pack water, a phone, sunscreen and a hat, and wear enclosed shoes.[2]
- Clean your shoes on the way in and out. Phytophthora, a plant disease, spreads in soil on footwear; the park suggests keeping a spare pair of shoes in the car and a plastic bag for muddy ones.[2]
- Leave the dog at home. Domestic animals aren't permitted in the national park.[2]
- Fuel up in Beerwah or another town in the area if the tank's low.[2]
Before you leave the car park, tell someone which trailhead you're at: Queensland Parks asks walkers to let friends or family know where they're going and when they expect to be back, and never to walk alone.[2]
Doing the trip in a Rentzy car
Heading further north on the same highway another weekend? Brisbane to Hervey Bay covers the longer run, and Bribie Island is a beach day off the same highway, a few exits closer to the city.
Sources
- Queensland Government — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service: Glass House Mountains National Park (read 5 November 2026)
- Queensland Government — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service: Visiting Glass House Mountains safely (read 5 November 2026)
- Queensland Government — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service: Glass House Mountains National Park: Journeys (read 5 November 2026)
- Queensland Government — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service: Glass House Mountains National Park: Things to do (read 5 November 2026)
- Queensland Government — Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service: Visiting Kondalilla safely: Getting there and getting around (read 5 November 2026)
Written by the Rentzy team at Rentzy Car Rentals. Rentzy prices, fees and rules in this guide come from our published terms and update with them; rules set by others (roads, tolls, licences, transport) are from the official pages above, as read on the dates shown. Something out of date? Tell us.
