D’Aguilar National Park is the big forested range that fills the horizon west of Brisbane, and you can be inside it about 30 minutes from the CBD. It covers about 36,000 hectares from The Gap out to Lake Wivenhoe and Mount Mee, and its southern half is the old Brisbane Forest Park.
Most visits are one of four things: the wildlife centre and reservoir at Walkabout Creek, the view from Jollys Lookout, rainforest walks at Maiala and Westridge near Mount Glorious, or a night at a bush camp. This page helps you pick one.
Walkabout Creek and Enoggera Reservoir
Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre, at 60 Mount Nebo Road in The Gap, is the front door to the park and about 14 km by road from the CBD. It has a visitor centre, a wildlife centre with a platypus tank, a wombat and reptiles, a cafe, a picnic area and toilets. It opens at 9 am daily and closes mid-afternoon (check the Queensland Parks page for the closing time), except Christmas Day and part of Anzac Day. There are short bush walks from the centre, and a mountain bike skills course.
The centre is also the way in to Enoggera Reservoir, where you can swim in the buoyed area or launch a kayak. Parks advises that parking is limited, especially on weekends.
Mount Coot-tha forest side
On the south-eastern edge, Brisbane City Council’s Mt Coot-tha Reserve (also called Mt Coot-tha Forest) sits next to the national park on the south-eastern side. The council side has easy tracks that suit a short outing, including the Summit Track (1.9 km, about 30 minutes) from the picnic area at J C Slaughter Falls up to the Mt Coot-tha Lookout.
The rules differ from the national park. Council allows dogs on a lead on the reserve’s walking tracks, and has mountain bike trails at Gap Creek and Gold Creek, which close in and after wet weather. Access is from Sir Samuel Griffith Drive or Gap Creek Road.
Jollys Lookout
Jollys Lookout is the easiest big view in the park: a day-use area on Mount Nebo Road, about 40 minutes from the CBD, looking over the Samford Valley. It has picnic tables, barbecues and flush toilets, and the access road is sealed so a normal car is fine. The lookout is wheelchair accessible, though Queensland Parks notes you may need assistance for the picnic facilities and toilets.
The 8 km return Thylogale track starts here, and Parks suggests about 3 hours. It is a long bush walk, so take water. Keep going up Mount Nebo Road and you reach the villages of Mount Nebo and Mount Glorious.
Maiala and Westridge near Mount Glorious
For rainforest, drive on to Maiala, a day-use area on Mount Glorious Road with a picnic area, toilets and a small car park. The 2 km Rainforest Circuit is the easy family walk, and the track to Greenes Falls (about 4.3 km return) leads to a waterfall. The Western Window Track is 1.2 km return.
Westridge Outlook is a short boardwalk to a western view off Mount Nebo Road, open 24 hours. Walk distances, the drive up and the village cafe are in our Mount Glorious guide.
Camping in D’Aguilar National Park
There are two kinds of camping. The southern section has remote bush camps that you can only reach on foot or by mountain bike, with minimal facilities, and mobile coverage is unreliable. England Creek, for example, is a walk-in site that starts from Maiala.
The Mount Mee section in the north has two vehicle-accessible camping areas, Archer and Neurum Creek, which need a four-wheel-drive. Read about that side of the park at Mount Mee.
All camping needs a permit booked through Queensland Parks and fees apply. New to bush camping? Our hiking safety tips and camping etiquette guides help.
Is D’Aguilar National Park dog friendly?
No. Queensland Parks does not allow pets in national parks, including on tracks, at lookouts and at the camping areas, and on-the-spot fines apply. The only dogs allowed are certified assistance dogs. You can drive through on public roads with the dog inside the vehicle. For a bush walk with a dog, use the Mt Coot-tha Reserve tracks on a lead.
Planning your visit
- How long: a couple of hours at Walkabout Creek or Jollys Lookout; a full day to combine Mount Glorious and a walk.
- Best time: mornings, and cooler months for the longer walks. The mountain is often cooler than the city.
- Cost: no entry fee for the park or lookouts. Check the Queensland Parks page for current Wildlife Centre prices and camping fees.
- What to bring: water, shoes with grip, a jacket, insect repellent and a snake bite kit for longer walks.
- Accessibility: Jollys Lookout and Westridge are listed as wheelchair accessible, with assistance needed in places. Ring the Walkabout Creek centre on 07 3164 3600 for access details there.
Getting there and parking
Walkabout Creek is about 30 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD, Jollys Lookout about 40 minutes, and Westridge Outlook and Maiala about 50 minutes. All are reached on Mount Nebo Road from The Gap; Maiala is on Mount Glorious Road. The roads are sealed, narrow and winding, so allow extra time.
Parking is at each day-use area. Walkabout Creek has limited spaces on weekends, and the small Maiala and Westridge car parks can fill on fine weekends, so go early.
By public transport, bus route 385 runs between the city and The Gap park ‘n’ ride. There is no bus to the lookouts, Maiala or Mount Glorious, so for those you need a car. Check the Translink Journey Planner or call 13 12 30.
Park alerts and track information are on the Queensland Parks D’Aguilar National Park page and the Brisbane City Council Mt Coot-tha Forest page. Details can change, so check before you go.
Nearby
- Mount Glorious – rainforest walks, Westridge Outlook and a view cafe.
- Mount Nebo – the neighbouring village on the same range.
- Mount Mee – the northern end of the park, with the Archer and Neurum Creek camping areas.
- Samford Valley – the valley you see from Jollys Lookout.
- Enoggera Reservoir – swimming and paddling at The Gap.
- J C Slaughter Falls – an easy bush walk and picnic spot at Mt Coot-tha.
Browse more national parks, nature walks and camping spots.
Quick answers
Where is D’Aguilar National Park?
It is north-west of Brisbane, from The Gap out to Lake Wivenhoe and Mount Mee. Walkabout Creek at The Gap is about 30 minutes by car from the CBD.
Is there an entry fee for D’Aguilar National Park?
There is no entry fee for the park or its lookouts. Camping needs a permit and fees apply.
Can I take my dog to D’Aguilar National Park?
No. Pets are not allowed in national parks, and fines apply. Dogs on a lead are allowed on the Mt Coot-tha Reserve tracks next door.
What are the best walks in D’Aguilar National Park?
The 2 km Rainforest Circuit at Maiala is the easy family walk, Greenes Falls (about 4.3 km return) goes to a waterfall, and the Thylogale track from Jollys Lookout is an 8 km return bush walk.
Can you camp in D’Aguilar National Park?
Yes. There are walk-in or bike-in bush camps in the southern section, and Archer and Neurum Creek camping areas at Mount Mee that need a four-wheel-drive. A permit is required.
Can I get to D’Aguilar National Park by public transport?
Only to The Gap, by the route 385 bus to the park ‘n’ ride. There is no bus to the lookouts or Mount Glorious.
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