A guide to the rainforests of Queensland

Stepping into a Queensland rainforest is a multi-sensory experience.

Feel its damp earth and cool mist, smell vibrant flora and pollens in the air, and hear the soundtrack of nature’s finest as you discover trickling waterfalls, bubbling brooks, and wildlife calls while native birds flit across your path.

From our southern Border Ranges to the tropics of our far north, Queensland’s rainforests are as wild as they are wondrous. With World Rainforest Day on June 22, there’s no better time to get out in nature, celebrate Queensland rainforests and work even harder to protect them.

Incredible World-Heritage rainforests to visit in Queensland

The Daintree and Wet Tropics

Stretching from west of Townsville to Cooktown in Queensland’s far north, the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is made up of five glistening precincts – and there are endless ways to explore it. Its most famous resident? The Daintree.

One of the world’s oldest living tropical rainforest – twice as old as the Amazon – a walk through the Daintree is like walking through a living history book. There are hundreds of plant species here that you won’t find anywhere else in the world, and it’s rich in 20,000 years of Indigenous significance too. Wander and learn with a Kuku Yalanji guide, cruise the waterways, and feast along the food trail. Here’s four days of Daintree wonder to kick off your adventure.

Gondwana Rainforests

Step into the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia and you’ll be walking through earth’s earliest history – a time well before even dinosaurs roamed, when Australia was part of supercontinent Gondwana. What remains today is the world’s largest subtropical rainforest.

So rich in biodiversity and ecological history, it’s hard to believe you can immerse yourself in this World Heritage Area a short drive from Brisbane or the Gold Coast. You’ll find this natural beauty spread across four Queensland national parks: Lamington, Springbrook, Main Range and Mount Barney. And each offers something unique to explore.

Local favourites include climbing into the tree tops at O’Reilly’s, visiting Moran Falls for sweeping views, or tackling some huge waterfalls along the Warrie Circuit. Hike into the hills of Main Range, or summit the rugged peak of Mount Barney (then cool off at Lower Portals).

Discover its beauty on a guided day tour, a camping trip, spend a few days trekking on the Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk, or sink into a nature retreat. The Gondwana Rainforests leave a lasting impression, however you experience it.

K'gari (formerly Fraser Island)

K’Gari (Fraser Island) has a lot to love. The world’s largest sand island, its World Heritage status beauty ranges from the hundreds of kilometres of sandy beaches to freshwater lakes, dramatic rose-coloured sand cliffs and incredible biodiversity. It’s also the only known place in the world where rainforest grows in sand. Grab your 4WD (or head out on a tour) to discover the green-filled vistas of Pile Valley and Central Station on your K'gari adventure.

Queensland Rainforests you might not have heard of – but you can reach in a day trip

National parks and pockets of beautiful rainforest can be found across Queensland: here are our favourite accessible spots when you want a quick yet soulful retreat to nature.

Mt Glorious, Brisbane

Take a short scenic drive from Brisbane into the cool hills of D’Aguilar National Park to discover the city’s own serene slice of rainforest.

Mt Glorious is just that – and more. Follow the well-maintained tracks through valleys of ferns, giant cypress trees and palms along the 2km Rainforest Circuit or 4.3km Greenes Falls Circuit. Both trails depart from the Maiala Picnic Area: maiala means quiet place in the dialect of the Kamilaroi People, which you can appreciate immediately. For something a little longer, hike the 6km Morelia Track to Mt Nebo Lookout. Spend the day exploring scenic overlooks, picnic spots and tiny mountain villages – then refuel at a café in Samford on the drive home.

Finch Hatton Gorge, Mackay

Wild beauty awaits in Eungella National Park, an easy day trip from Mackay. It’s here you’ll find waterfalls, waterways where platypus thrive, and rainforest walks that feel a world away from the coastline. Our picks? Grab your hiking shoes and sweat it out on the hike to Finch Hatton Gorge, stopping to marvel at the Araleun waterfall and then a dip at Wheel of Fire Cascades.

Adventurers seeking a longer brush with nature should add the Mackay Highlands Great Walk to their to-do list. 

Cedar Creek Falls, The Whitsundays

Leave the white-sand island behinds and venture inland to Conway National Park south of Airlie Beach. This coastal national park has a lot to love, from hiking through the rainforest to panoramic lookouts over the Whitsundays. Just don’t miss Cedar Creek Falls: it’s an easy walk to this natural rock amphitheatre, with the falls at their peak during summer.

Paluma Range, Townsville

Townsville’s wild swimming holes and waterfalls are so extensive you could set off on a three-day road trip to explore them all. But closer to the city in Paluma Range National Park, you’ll discover Little Crystal Creek and Big Crystal Creek, natural swimming spots surrounded by rainforest where you can spend the day in nature, hopping between rock pools and picnic spots.

Want a more intrepid adventure? Make your way to uninhabited Hinchinbrook Island. It looks like it’s straight from a Jurassic Park set, but you can explore its rainforest and wild coastline along a multi-day hike, scenic helicopter flight, or even by boat or kayak.

Unique ways to explore Queensland’s rainforest

A quiet wander through the rainforest, listening to native birds and life among the trees, is a soul-renewing way to experience Queensland rainforests. But if you’re looking for something a little different, explore further with these favourite tours across the state.

• Explore the underwater world where platypus play on a rainforest scuba dive
• Float down a rainforest river and search for wildlife amongst the Daintree on a day-long eco-adventure
• White-water raft your way through the raging rivers of the Wet Tropics
• Discover the Daintree through the eyes of a local on an Indigenous tour of Mossman Gorge
• 4WD along the back tracks of the Gondwana Rainforests to find waterfalls and walking trails
• Soar above Barron Gorge National Park on a cable-car, before descending into the canopy to explore what's below.

How to protect Queensland rainforests when you visit

Leave no trace to ensure nature remains at its finest for future generations.

• Stay on designated walking tracks at all times
• Clean your boots beforehand to avoid introducing soil pathogens to new areas
• Don’t pick or remove plants
• Never feed native animals
• Take all rubbish home with you – including fruit peels, food scraps and any biodegradable items.
• Camping in the rainforest? Don’t cut timber or clear plants from your campsites, don’t gather dead branches for firewood, only use fuel stoves when cooking, and avoid discarding soap, toothpaste or detergents into streams or creeks as it pollutes the water.