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7 Tips For Cedar Creek Falls In Tamborine Mountain Gold Coast

Ahh… Cedar Creek Falls in Mt Tamborine well and truly exceeded our expectations! If you’re looking to find some of the best swimming holes in Gold Coast Hinterland, look no further.

There’s a reason why Cedar Creek Falls is one of the most famous rock pools in Southern Queensland!

So, in this article we are going to let you know how to get there, and everything you need to know before you make the effort to find these spectacular waterfalls and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Tamborine Mountain.


1. How to find Cedar Creek Falls?

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Cedar Creek Falls in Tamborine Mountain is a 1 hour drive from Brisbane. It’s also located just off the Tamborine Mountain Road and down the Cedar Creek Falls Road which might make you wonder if you’re going the right way – you are.

If you’re coming from Tamborine Mountain, you’ll pass by Curtis Falls which is another famous Tamborine Mountain waterfall but you can’t swim in this one. You’ll also pass by the Tamborine Mountain Skywalk and Thunderbird Park so you’ll have plenty to see within minutes of each other. Once you reach the end of the road, you’ll be able to find Cedar Creek Falls.

It’s also located in Tamborine National Park which is the oldest national park in Queensland – a definite must see experience for yourself!


2. Don’t get confused by Cedar Creek Swimming Hole in Samford

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Cedar Creek in Samford

When we first moved to South East Queensland, we were confused by the two Cedar Creek waterfalls and didn’t know what to expect. We have since been to both Cedar Creek Falls and Cedar Creek rock pools which is in Samford in North Brisbane. Both places are completely different.

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Cedar Creek Falls Mount Tamborine

While Cedar Creek Falls is an impressive waterfall with at least three swimming holes to choose from, Cedar Creek in Samford is a massive collection of swimming holes and a good 30 minutes to an hour walk up stream along each one. Cedar Creek in Samford really reminds me of the swimming holes in Tropical North Queensland – it really is that good.

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Cedar Creek Falls in Airlie Beach

And let’s not forget about the beautiful Cedar Creek Falls in Airlie Beach. This impressive waterfall really is worth visiting next time you’re in the area. We’ve been there and have written all about it in our Best Things To Do In Airlie Beach & Whitsundays Guide. One thing to note about this waterfall is to bring insect repellent. We didn’t stay long because it was a bit intense.


3. Where to park

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We tried to come to Cedar Creek Falls in Mount Tamborine before but we decided to save it for another time because of the parking situation. When you turn off the Tamborine Mountain Road, and down along the Cedar Creek Falls Road, you’ll wonder if you’re going the right way.

Within about a five minute drive, you’ll come to the end of the road which is where the car park is. The only problem is the car park is small. When we first visited there were no available parking spots which made us realise why there were parked cars all the way back up the top of the turn off from Tamborine Mountain Road.

So, if you can’t get a parking spot, you’ll need to drive back up the road and walk down.


4. How far is the walk to the swimming holes?

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If you’re walking down from the turn off from Tamborine Mountain Road, it’s going to take at least 20 minutes before you get to the Cedar Creek Falls carpark.

If you’re lucky enough to get a parking spot at the car park, it’s literally just a 900 metre walk to get there down a maintained path. It is pram friendly up to the lookout, then there are a couple of steps to walk down but I think you could do it if there are a couple of adults with you.

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The Cedar Creek Falls lookout is about a five minute walk from the car park and has stunning views overlooking the falls into the open canyon. From there, it’s a zig zag path down to the falls and past the eucalypt forest which takes just a couple of minutes to reach the swimming holes which you can jump straight into.


5. How many swimming holes are there?

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When you reach the bottom of Cedar Creek Falls, you’ll come to two or three accessible swimming holes. The natural beauty of the rock pools is spectacular and even Steve was impressed (he’s not that easily impressed I tell you!). You’ll be greeted with clear water with rocks to sit up on to make a day of it.

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At the time of visiting in August, the water wasn’t actually that cold so I could imagine on a hot day in the warmer months, they will be just perfect to cool off in.

Be mindful that cliff jumping is strictly prohibited at Cedar Creek Falls. Please don’t attempt it.


6. Facilities

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One thing I really liked about visiting Cedar Creek Falls are the beautiful picnic spots you can set up camp for the day in. While they are located away from the falls, so you won’t be able to keep an eye on the kids, the picnic grounds are stunning.

When we visited, we saw a big group of people who had set up a volleyball net and were making a day of it together there. There’s also a toilet block and BBQs dotted around to use as well, right near the parking area.


7. Other places to visit nearby

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Visit the Glow Worm Caves in Mount Tamborine

Looking for more places to visit nearby? Check out our Best Things To Do In Mount Tamborine Guide which has everything we have done during our many visits to the area. If there’s a few places that stood out for us, you should visit the Glow Worm Caves as it’s a super interesting experience as you learn all about glow worms. We were unsure if it would be any good, but trust me, it is!

We also recommend making Tamborine Mountain a weekend getaway so you can visit Lamington National Park as well which is my favourite place in Gold Coast. There’s two entrances to the park, Binna Burra section is closer at just 50 minutes away and Green Mountains being nearly 1h20m away. We’ve been to both and they are just amazing.

If you visit Binna Burra, stop by Lower Beechmont to see views of the incredible Hinze Dam. It’s no wonder loads of movies are filmed here. At Green Mountains, check out our guides for doing the Box Forest Circuit and Toolona Creek Circuit.

While the Tooloona Creek Circuit is a 7 hour walk, the Box Forest Circuit is shorter at 4 hours. Both tick off absolutely incredible waterfalls and mind blowing rainforest views. It’s no wonder Lamington National Park is the oldest and largest sub-tropical rainforest in the world!


7 Tips For Cedar Creek Falls In Tamborine Mountain Gold Coast

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