Whether you’re looking for ideas for day trips from Brisbane or simply want to get out into the fresh air, find out why Greenes Falls in Maiala D’aguilar National Park makes a nice and easy walk to add to your Mount Glorious itinerary.
Having completed it recently, I just loved this little walk, perfect for beginner hikes, families and pretty much anyone!
1. Where is it?
Not heard of Greenes Falls before? Neither had we until one day we were just driving around North Brisbane and ventured up to Mount Glorious one day on the Mount Glorious Road. We were in awe of this beautifully stunning area which is home to one of the biggest national parks near Brisbane called D’aguilar National Park. We passed by the Maiala car park and saw quite a few cars parked up outside what looked to be a rainforest.
So we did a little research and found out there’s a couple of walks to check out.
If you’re coming from Brisbane, Greenes Falls is under a one hour drive, making it that sweet spot of not having to drive too far, but feel like you’re a million miles away from the city.
2. Why do this hike?
While I was driving up from Brisbane, I noticed cars parked up on the side of the road, only to realise there are an abundance of walks to choose from all the way up to Mount Glorious. The Greenes Falls track is one of the most popular hikes being 4.2km return.
This hike makes a great add on for the plenty of things to do in Mount Glorious itself which we’ll talk more in this guide. There are loads of lookouts, places to visit and cafes to choose from in one of the most beautiful day trips from Brisbane.
It’s an easy walk where you can take kids. I actually saw loads of families on this walk as it swings between walking on flat ground, to walking on a board walk. Kids (and I) especially loved the huge tree carvings to walk across during this walk as well.
3. Other hikes within this hike
Greenes Falls track actually forms part of two other smaller walking tracks as well. As this is the longer loop, it also ties into the Rainforest Circuit which is a shorter walk being only 2km and also the Cypress Grove circuit too.
In all honesty, do the Greenes Falls track, it’s really beautiful and as I said, kids will love the huge trees here.
4. How long does the Greenes Falls hike take?
I timed the hike and here’s what it looks like as the main thing I always want to know when researching a hike is how long it’s going to take.
It took me just over 1 hour to complete this Brisbane walk. After the first 10 minutes, you’ll come to a road to pass over. This is when you continue to Greenes Falls track, rather than continue along the Rainforest Circuit.
After another 2 minutes, the track splits off to the the shorter Cypress Grove track which is just 350m.
Within 30 minutes from leaving my car, I had arrived at Greenes Falls. I stopped a lot and took photos and videos because it really is a beautiful walk which winds through the rainforest, reminding me a lot of Tamborine National Park with the tall palm trees.
5. What do the falls actually look like?
To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend doing this Mt Glorious walk to see a spectacular waterfall, because it isn’t. There’s a lookout when you reach the end but you can’t really see anything. I spoke to a couple who ventured along the river and past the falls who told me there are little rainforest pools to swim in all down the river. But I would head over to Cedar Creek Swimming Holes nearby to go for a swim which I’ll talk more about in this guide.
6. Things to look out for
If there’s one thing that stood out for me during this walk along the Greenes Falls track is the amount of sounds I could hear in the bushes. I heard lots of animals crawling around and saw big lizards and a Murrays Sink which is a black lizard only found in South East Queensland rainforests!
If you’re someone who like to hike with music on, turn it off. The sounds in this park are stunning. It’s a quiet place but home to beautiful sounds of the birds.
7. Other places to visit nearby
There’s two ways to get to Mount Glorious, either on the Mount Nebo Road (easier from Brisbane) or on the Mount Glorious Road (easier from Sunshine Coast).
If you’re heading up on the Mount Nebo Road, then here’s some of the places to consider stopping off at to make it a beautiful day trip from Brisbane.
Enoggera Dam is a great swimming spot to stop off at as you leave Brisbane. Further up the road is the beautiful Jollys Lookout which has BBQ areas and would make a nice picnic spot.
After you’ve finished the Greenes Falls track, head into the Mount Glorious township to the Phoenix Sculpture Park, but bear in mind it’s only open on Sundays.
I would then head down on the Mount Glorious Road to Samford and stop off at the Flying Nunn Cafe of Tree Bake & Brew House for lunch.
And if you’re after another swim, I definitely recommend going to Cedar Creek Swimming Holes. It is home to some of the best swimming holes in Brisbane. They actually remind me of some of the swimming holes in Tropical North Queensland which is saying something!
8. Looking for a longer hike in D’aguilar National Park?
I highly recommend doing the Somerset Trail in D’aguilar National Park which is towards Mount Mee. Check out our Somerset Trail Guide which includes tips for doing this walk!
It’s a 13km walk which takes about 4 hours to complete but it’s super beautiful. The terrain is amazing and passes through the rainforest, a eucalypt forest, a pine forest and views out to Lake Wivenhoe which are stunning. It’s a maintained track and easy to follow.