Sunshine Coast and hinterland camping loop

Coast to Mary Valley

Start around Caloundra or Noosa, then turn inland before the coast traffic steals the day. Noosa North Shore has special access considerations, including ferry and sand-driving conditions.

Kenilworth offers food, a river-town base and several commercial camping options. Confirm flood risk and ground conditions after heavy rain.

Conondale and the range

Conondale National Park and nearby forests bring simple camps, walking and cooler nights. Roads can be narrow or unsealed, so check access for caravans and low-clearance vehicles.

Mapleton, Montville and the Blackall Range provide caravan parks and roofed stays when a wet tent no longer feels romantic.

Glass House Mountains return

Finish through the Glass House Mountains and keep walks within signed access. Some steep routes require scrambling experience and dry conditions.

Return to Brisbane before Sunday traffic builds, or add a final powered night around Caloundra and leave early Monday.

Coast and hinterland are two different trips

The coastal strip from Caloundra to Noosa is beaches, surf and holiday parks, busy and well serviced. The hinterland behind it, through Maleny, Montville and the Glass House Mountains, is rainforest, waterfalls and small towns twenty minutes inland.

Doing both is what makes the loop worthwhile, and they suit different weather. Keep the hinterland for a day when the beach is blown out, because the rainforest walks are better in cloud anyway.

The whole area is compact enough that you can base in one place and day trip. Noosa or Maleny both work as a single base for four or five days.

Noosa National Park and the headland

The coastal track around Noosa headland is the standout walk, passing Tea Tree Bay and Hells Gates with a genuine chance of wild koalas in the trees along the way. It is flat, accessible and can be done in sections.

Parking at the entrance fills by mid-morning in peak season and the shuttle or a walk from Hastings Street is the practical alternative. Go early for both parking and wildlife.

The park has no camping. Accommodation is in Noosa itself, which is expensive, or the holiday parks at Noosaville and Tewantin which are considerably better value.

The Glass House Mountains

These volcanic plugs rise abruptly out of flat country and several can be climbed, with Mount Ngungun the accessible option at around an hour return and Mount Beerwah a genuinely steep scramble.

Mount Tibrogargan and Mount Beerwah both carry cultural significance and specific safety warnings, and there have been fatalities on Tibrogargan. Read the track signage and be honest about your scrambling ability.

The lookout on the Glass House Mountains Road gives the classic view without any climbing, and it is best in the early morning before haze builds.

Waterfalls, markets and the wet season

Kondalilla and Mapleton Falls both have short walks with swimming at Kondalilla, and Gardners Falls near Maleny is a local favourite that stays cool through summer. All run best after rain.

Eumundi Markets on Wednesday and Saturday mornings are among the best known in the country and worth planning a day around. Maleny and Montville have the food and craft side of the hinterland.

Summer here is hot, humid and the wet season brings heavy afternoon storms. Autumn and winter are drier, more comfortable for walking and still warm enough to swim on the coast.

Beaches and the surf

Coolum, Peregian, Marcoola and Mooloolaba give a run of patrolled beaches with easier parking than Noosa. Swimming between the flags matters here because the surf is real and rips are common.

The Noosa Everglades, reached by boat or kayak from Boreen Point, is one of only two everglade systems in the world and considerably quieter than the coastal strip.

Rainbow Beach and the Cooloola section to the north extend the trip towards K'gari, and the coloured sands are worth the drive on their own.

Summer storms build quickly through the afternoon in this region, so plan walks for the morning and expect the hinterland roads to be slick afterwards.

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