Purling Brook Falls: Circuit Walk, Parking and Tips

Purling Brook Falls is a waterfall of about 100 m in Springbrook National Park, in the Gold Coast hinterland, reached from Gwongorella Picnic Area. Its 4 km rainforest circuit is partly closed for works from late October 2026, but the western lookout, the suspension bridge and the Warringa Pool track stay open. It is one of the biggest and most popular waterfalls in South East Queensland, and one of the easiest to get a view of.

The falls drop in a single ribbon off a basalt cliff into a rainforest gorge. You can see them from the western lookout near the car park and walk down to the suspension bridge below the falls. When the whole circuit is open, it loops through the gorge and back. It sits in the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage area, alongside the rest of Springbrook National Park.

Works and closures on the Purling Brook Falls circuit

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service is upgrading the Purling Brook Falls visitor areas and The Settlement. The upgrade program runs from 2 November 2026 to 15 February 2028, weather permitting, and the park alert covers 30 October 2026 to 30 September 2027.

Under that alert, the Purling Brook Falls circuit is partly closed, including the walkway (causeway) above the waterfall and the eastern lookout. The Settlement Day-Use Area is fully closed, including its picnic area and toilets. The Springbrook section of the Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk between Gwongorella Picnic Area and Settlement Camping Area is also partly closed.

Still open: Gwongorella Picnic Area and car park, and the main western lookout, including access to the suspension bridge at the base of the waterfall and the Warringa Pool track. You reach these from the picnic area and car park and return by the same track, so you cannot walk the full loop while the closure lasts.

The Purling Brook Falls circuit

Before the works, the circuit was about 4 km and took about 2 hours with stops. Queensland Parks grades it 3, and it suits walkers with some bushwalking experience rather than a first-ever bush walk. One walking guide counts about 450 steps.

The open part of the walk goes from the picnic area to the western lookout and down to the suspension bridge below the falls, where you look straight up the cliff at the water. You walk back the way you came. The rest of the loop, including the eastern lookout and the walkway above the falls, is closed until the works finish.

The western lookout

If you are short on time, the western lookout is the first stop from the picnic area and gives you a view of the falls. It stays open during the current works, and the bridge and Warringa Pool track continue from it.

Can you swim at Purling Brook Falls?

No. Access to the top and the base of the falls is restricted at all times, and the area beyond the falls is fenced off. Stay out of the creek above the falls and off the old track behind them, because the cliffs are sheer and the edges are slippery.

A side track leaves the circuit near the base of the falls and runs about 1 km to Warringa Pool. The park alert lists the Warringa Pool track as open. Check the current alert and signs before you plan a swim there.

Facilities

Gwongorella Picnic Area at the start has toilets and picnic tables. There is no cafe on site. The National Parks Information Centre on School Road has displays, a boardwalk, a lookout and public toilets if you want another stop.

Planning your visit

• How long: about 2 hours for the full circuit once it reopens. While the circuit is partly closed, allow less for the out-and-back walk to the lookout and bridge.
• Best time: morning, before the car park fills. The falls run strongest after rain, but tracks close in very wet weather.
• Cost: no entry fee or parking charge is listed.
• Dogs: not allowed. Pets are banned from Queensland national parks, with an exception for assistance animals.
• What to bring: shoes with grip, water, a rain layer, insect repellent for leeches after rain, and a charged phone with the map downloaded.
• Safety: stay on the marked track and behind barriers, and supervise children closely near cliff edges and the bridge. There are many steps, so the circuit is not suited to prams or wheelchairs.

Getting there and parking

Purling Brook Falls is about 95 minutes by car from the Brisbane CBD and about 50 minutes from Surfers Paradise. Leave the Pacific Motorway at Mudgeeraba (exit 80), follow Springbrook Road up the range and take the signed turn to Purling Brook Falls and Forestry Road. You can also come up through the Numinbah Valley.

The roads on the range are narrow, windy and steep in places, so allow extra time.

Parking is in the large car park at the end of Forestry Road, beside Gwongorella Picnic Area. It fills quickly on weekends, so arrive early. The Settlement Day-Use Area, which some guides list as a second parking option, is closed during the works.

There is no public transport to the Springbrook plateau, so you need a car or a tour. For park conditions, see Queensland Parks: Springbrook National Park.

Nearby

• Best of All Lookout – a short rainforest walk to a Mount Warning view, a few minutes’ drive away.
• Springbrook National Park – Canyon Lookout, Twin Falls and the rest of the plateau.
• Natural Bridge – the glow-worm cave circuit, a separate drive.
• Numinbah Valley – the scenic drive up from Nerang.
• Cedar Creek Falls – a waterfall walk on Tamborine Mountain.
• More falls: waterfalls and the Gold Coast hinterland.

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