Cooloola Great Walk

The Cooloola Great Walk is a breath-taking 49 mi point-to-point trail that offers a taste of the region’s most beautiful scenery; taking you through the Great Sandy National Park, you’ll hike wild coastline, cross sand dunes and beach, pass lakes and bushwalk through dense rainforest and woodland. This epic hiking trail starts at Rainbow Beach, Queensland in the Cooloola Recreation Area. A linear hiking trail, it can be walked in either direction, and can be completed in approximately 4 days with 4 designated walkers’ campsites along the way, but these require permits so be sure to book in advance. The trail is graded as Medium difficulty and features varied terrain, from long sand sections to forest paths and swampland; made more challenging by the trail’s length rather than any really arduous sections. (For information on how we grade trails, please click here.)With much to do on the coast and nearby, many hikers choose to spend longer in this spectacular area, heading to Lake Wabby for swimming or taking to the water on a boat tour or canoe trip along the Noosa River. When you’re not bushwalking or backpacking, stop for whale watching or to spot the two shipwrecks in the Great Sandy National Park, SS Maheno and Cherry Venture. It is advised to use public transport (bus & taxi) to and from the trail from nearby areas including Rainbow Beach, Tewantin, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Noosa, and resupply is available the towns Rainbow Beach and Tewantin, as well as a range of accommodation options. Dogs are not allowed on the Cooloola Great Walk. Caution is advised on trail times as this depends on multiple variables. For more info, click here.