Springbrook National Park

Springbrook National Park is located in the mountain rainforests of the Gold Coast hinterland. The plateau, shaped by ancient volcanic activity, has been deeply carved by streams into layers of cliffs and canyons, creating a lush, green landscape. Most waterfalls and lookouts are accessible via short trails. The park consists of several areas, with the Springbrook Plateau and Natural Bridge being the most popular. Visitors can enjoy waterfalls and cliffs during the day, and see the starlike glowworms in the caves at night—each offering its own unique experience.

Natural Bridge, Springbrook National Park, is the signature attraction here: years of erosion by stream water have hollowed out the mountain, and now the stream pours through a circular hole in the cave ceiling, weaving a curtain of water inside. A natural stone bridge remains where the cave roof collapsed. You can see the waterfall passing through the cave by following the approximately 1 km loop trail. After dark, the cave ceiling lights up with patches of blue-green glow—these are the bioluminescent larvae commonly known as glowworms. They are actually the larvae of a type of fungus gnat, and their cold tail light is used to lure prey. When gathered in large numbers, they look like a starry sky hanging overhead. They glow every night throughout the year, though their light is dimmer during the dry winter and spring seasons and exceptionally bright during the hot, humid, and rainy seasons. On humid summer nights, you might occasionally spot glowing mushrooms along the trail, and sometimes even fireflies. Please turn off flashlights and camera flashes when viewing, as direct bright light will cause the colony to "turn off" instantly. Please stay on the trail, and do not enter the water in the cave area. After walking out of the cave, don't forget to look up; the stars in the mountain night sky are equally moving.

The plateau area is home to most of the lookouts and waterfalls: the Canyon Lookout is just a few steps from the road, offering a view of Twin Falls and Rainbow Falls as they tumble over the cliff edge into the deep valley. The ambitiously named Best of All Lookout requires a walk through a forest of ancient Antarctic beech trees that are thousands of years old; on a clear day, you can see Mount Warning in New South Wales in the distance. Purling Brook Falls, with a drop of nearly 100 m, is the park's iconic waterfall. The loop trail allows you to descend to the valley floor, where you can stand on a suspension bridge and look up at the entire water curtain, which is especially spectacular when the water volume is high after rain. The Twin Falls circuit allows you to walk directly behind the waterfall.