Explore these national parks near Townsville

When you need to escape the humid streets of Townsville, we know just the place to go. Jump in the car and set your GPS for the cool, misty mountains of Paluma Range National Park (which actually translates to misty mountains in the local Aboriginal language).

Watch the landscape change before your eyes as you take the hour drive from the city; transforming from dry bushland to the dense southern part of the Wet Tropics. Wind your window down and you’ll smell the sea salt fade into crisp mountain air.

Here, rainforest walks and waterfalls wait to be explored. The most popular parts of the part are Little Crystal Creek and Big Crystal Creek. Pack your swimmers for rock-hopping and a dip in their crystal-clear water, and keep you eye out for platypus paddling in the streams.

Up for a more challenging city escape? There’s plenty of walking tracks and even canyoning here at Paluma Range.

Magnetic Island National Park

If you’re sipping drinks at a waterside bar in Townsville, chances are you’re staring at this national park as you buy another round. But Maggie, as the locals call her, deserves closer attention.

A 20 minute ferry trip will deliver you to the shores of Magnetic Island, of which two-thirds is protected national park. This is your chance to dive fringing reefs and shipwrecks, chart your way along the snorkel trail, set sail or comb some of the 23 beaches and bays that fringe the island. Out of the water, there’s 36kilometres of national park trails to discover, leading to scenic lookouts, military forts, and granite-boulder beaches home to rock wallabies. There’s enough to keep you busy for a week with kids or a weekend, but it’s achievable in an action-packed day trip too.

And if island national parks are your thing, check out nearby stunning Orpheus Island. It’s also a designated national park and can be explored while staying at the luxurious lodge.

Girringun National Park

You might not have heard of this national park, but you’ve probably seen photos of mighty Wallaman Falls, which is its main drawcard. Journey here on a scenic one-hour drive from the sugarcane fields of Queensland’s own Little Italy, or about 2.5 hours north-west from Townsville.

The beauty of these falls is that it’s so easy to access. Barely a few steps from the Wallaman Falls car park and you’ll find yourself at the lookout staring out at Australia’s tallest single-drop waterfall, at 268 metres. Keen to get a closer look? Take the Djyinda Walk to the bottom of the falls. It’s a little rugged but at just 3.2kilometres it’ll only take about two hours to complete.

While you’re here, head a little further north to Cardwell Spa Pool to swim in natural turquoise water unlike anything else you’ve seen.

Hinchinbrook Island National Park 

Remote and rugged, this is as close to Jurassic Park as you can get in Queensland. Hinchinbrook Island isn’t for the feint-hearted, but venture here and the reward is huge.

This national park near Townsville is a hiker’s paradise, with the four day, 32 kilometre Thorsborne Trail winding its way across the island. You’ll be in awe with every turn or bay, but infinity pools don’t get any better than at Zoe Falls, which you’ll have almost all to yourself as Queensland Parks caps visitors to 40 people at any time, in order to preserve its peace and beauty.  

No wonder this is rated as one of the top 10 walks on the planet.

If you’re more of a kayaker than a walker, you can paddle Hinchinbrook with Coral Sea Kayaking. Before you go, compare the two with this guide.

Porcupine Gorge National Park

It seems like a world away from Townsville’s palm-tree lined streets, but if you drive four hours west you’ll reach the region’s slice of the outback. And none beats the dramatic cliffs of Porcupine Gorge.

600 million years of earth’s geological history lays before you, as you take in towering cliffs of coloured sandstone, pockets of vine forest and the bright waterholes along Porcupine Creek that stand out against the savannah plains surrounding the gorge. 

The best way to see the rock formations is to take the easy 400m return track to Pyramid Lookout. To explore on foot, walk the moderate-grade 2.4kilometre Pyramid Track which descends to the bottom of the gorge. Your reward? A swim in the deep pools right under Pyramid Rock.

While you’re out west, visit White Mountains National Park, about 140km from Charters Towers. Here you’ll find spectacular white sandstone bluffs and gorges, and diverse habitats that range from lancewood forests to sand dunes. In winter, the park is transformed by colourful wildflowers.