Cedar Creek Falls, Tamborine Mountain: Walk, Swimming and Parking

Cedar Creek Falls is a waterfall and a chain of rock pools in the Cedar Creek section of Tamborine National Park, on Tamborine Mountain. A short sealed track leads to a lookout over the falls, and a steeper track with stairs drops down to the pools, where you can swim.

It is about 65 minutes by car from Brisbane and about 55 minutes from Surfers Paradise, so it works as a half-day trip. The one catch is parking: the car park is small and fills early on weekends, school holidays and warm days.

The Cedar Creek Falls lookout track

The lookout track starts near the car park and picnic area and is 500 m return, about 15 to 20 minutes. It is sealed and graded easy, and it is suitable for strollers and for wheelchairs with assistance. The path crosses a small wooden bridge on the way.

The lookout gives you a first view of the falls and the cascades below them. If you only want the view, or you are walking with a pram, this is the part to do.

The track down to the rock pools

The track continues from the lookout down to the foot of the falls. It is graded 3, which is a step up from the lookout: the path is steeper and more uneven, with rocky patches and a lot of stairs. It passes cascades and rock pools on the way. Partway down there is a fork, and the left branch has stairs to a lookout over the upper waterfalls. The two branches rejoin further on.

Allow about 30 minutes return from the lookout, more if you swim. The way back is uphill, so save some energy. This section is not suitable for prams or wheelchairs.

Can you swim at Cedar Creek Falls?

Yes. Swimming is allowed in the rock pools at the bottom of the falls, and the water is cold even in summer, so bring your togs and a towel. To get in you scramble over sloped rock shelves that are often slippery.

Jumping or diving from the cliffs is strictly prohibited because of submerged rocks and other hazards. Stay out of any area marked closed, watch young children closely, and leave glass containers behind, as none are allowed past the viewing platform.

The falls look best after rain. Check the Queensland Parks alerts for Tamborine National Park for closures before you go, and stay out of any area marked closed.

Picnic area and toilets

There is a grassy picnic area near the start of the walk, with picnic tables and plenty of open grass, and toilets close by. The picnic area can get boggy after rain. Picnicking here rather than down by the pools is easier with small children.

Wildlife around the falls

Lace monitors, the large goannas of eastern Australia, live in Tamborine National Park and have been photographed at Cedar Creek Falls. Keep your distance, do not feed them, and keep an eye on your lunch.

Planning your visit

• How long: about 20 minutes for the lookout alone; allow about an hour or more for the rock pools, longer with a swim and a picnic.
• Best time: early in the day, for a parking space and a quieter visit, and after rain when the falls are flowing well.
• Cost: no entry fee is listed for the falls or the car park.
• What to bring: togs, a towel, water, and shoes with grip for the slippery rock and the stairs.
• Accessibility: the lookout track suits strollers and wheelchairs with assistance; the track to the pools has stairs and does not. The toilets and picnic area are reachable with assistance.
• Walking tips: see Essential Tips for Hiking Trails in South East Queensland before heading down the stairs.

Is Cedar Creek Falls dog friendly?

No. Dogs are not allowed in national parks, and Cedar Creek Falls is inside Tamborine National Park. For a place to take your dog on the mountain, Visit Scenic Rim’s dog-friendly guide lists leash-friendly parks such as Lions Park and Robert Sowter Park.

Getting there and parking

The address is 76 Cedar Creek Falls Road, Tamborine Mountain. It is about 67 km by road from the Brisbane CBD, about 65 minutes by car, and about 45 km from Surfers Paradise, about 55 minutes by car.

Turn off Tamborine Mountain Road just past the information map stopping bay. The corner has a 40 km/h limit and is often used by buses as a turning circle, and the access road is narrow and crosses Cedar Creek on a concrete crossing.

The car park at the end of the road is limited, and there is no parking along Cedar Creek Falls Road or Tamborine Mountain Road. Police issue infringement notices for illegal parking. The area is residential, so keep noise down and do not block driveways. If the car park is full, come back later rather than parking on the road.

There is no regular bus to the falls. Translink runs a weekday on-demand service between Tamborine Mountain, Helensvale station and Beenleigh station, booked on 1300 153 636. Its page does not name Cedar Creek Falls, so ask when you book. You can also use the Translink Journey Planner.

More detail is on the Visit Scenic Rim waterfalls guide, the Translink Mt Tamborine on-demand page and the Queensland Parks Tamborine National Park page. Details can change, so check before you go.

Nearby

• Sandy Creek Circuit, Mt Tamborine – a rainforest circuit in the same national park that reaches the top of Cameron Falls.
• Tamborine Mountain Rainforest Skywalk – a paid canopy walk on the mountain if you want a second stop.
• Natural Bridge, Springbrook – a waterfall pouring through a rock arch, with glow-worms after dark.
• Springbrook National Park – more waterfalls and rainforest walks in the hinterland.
• Currumbin Rock Pools – another creek swim, with toilets and barbecues.
• J C Slaughter Falls – a creekside picnic spot on Mt Coot-tha, much closer to Brisbane.

Other waterfall walks on the mountain are Curtis Falls (do not swim there) and Witches Falls, both in Tamborine National Park; they are covered in the Visit Scenic Rim waterfalls guide.

Browse more waterfalls, swimming spots and places on Tamborine Mountain.

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