Araucaria Lookout Track

This 18.5 km return trail is set in the Binna Burra section of Lamington National Park, 110 km from Brisbane. It is part of the Scenic Rim, an ancient volcanic caldera in the vibrant green inland of southeast Queensland. The park is part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, famous for its species diversity and ongoing geological processes and evolutionary history. From Brisbane, take the Pacific Motorway and get off at exit 69 and follow the signs west to Lamington National Park - Binna Burra section. This is where the trail begins and finishes, at the Binna Burra Trailhead at Binna Burra Upper day-use area, a couple of miles from the park entrance.It is a fairly technical, although well-marked trail with waterfalls, lush rainforests, creek crossings, steps, lookouts and views and is graded as Difficult. For information on how we grade trails, please click here. The total elevation on the trail is 1041m and there is about 200m total climb. The trail can be rather boggy in places and leeches may be present when crossing creeks. The trail can be completed in around 6.5 hours, although caution is advised on trail times as this depends on multiple variables. For more info, click here.Ascending through rainforest and mossy steps to Orchid Bower Lookout there are splendid views of the Mount Warning caldera and in the springtime, the rock orchids make for a stunning and colourful display. The track then descends towards Araucaria Lookout, a not too frequented lookout giving exceptional 360º views along the beautiful Numinbah Valley. On the way to the lookout, the route passes by some extensive and intricate drystone construction, unique to this area. Araucaria Lookout is named after the ancient hoop pines (Araucaria cunninghamii) that stick up from the rainforest canopy. They are living remnants of the Jurassic Age, some 180 million years ago.Open 24 hours a day, this trail is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs, although there are wheelchair-accessible toilets at the national park’s Information Centre and picnic tables at the Binna Burra lower day-use area and wheelchair-accessible picnic tables and toilets at the upper day-use one. Dogs are not permitted in the park due to conservation measures.