Glass House Mountains National Park

The Glass House Mountains National Park are distinctive volcanic plugs which dominate the coastal rural landscape near Maleny north of Brisbane. Craggy volcanic peaks tower over a scenic patchwork of pine plantations, bushland and cultivated fields. Many of the peaks are protected in Glass House Mountains National Park, while the pine plantations and a range of native vegetation types are managed in several State forests and forest reserves near the park.

Named by Cook during his epic voyage along Australia's east coast, the Glass Houses are rhyolite plugs formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago. Remnants of the open eucalypt woodland and heath vegetation, which once covered the coastal plains, provide a home for an interesting variety of animals and plants, including 26 rare and threatened plant species.

The Glass House Mountains area was a special meeting place where many Aboriginal people gathered for ceremonies and trading. This place is considered spiritually significant with many ceremonial sites still present and protected today.

The Beerburrum and Beerwah State Forests and Forest Reserves are extensive forests that lie either side of the Bruce Highway and extend north from Caboolture to Caloundra, and from Pumicestone Passage west to Woodford. They include exotic pine plantations, open eucalypt forest, rainforest and coastal wallum remnants. Coochin Creek camping area is located in this forest, east of the Bruce Highway.

The Bellthorpe State Forest and Forest Reserve are west of the Glass House Mountains, at the southern end of the Conondale Range. They are quite rugged with open eucalypt forest, rainforest, waterfalls and cascades along picturesque Stony Creek. Visitors can use forest tracks for walking but you need to be very well prepared and self-sufficient and be aware that mobile phone reception does not work in this area. Dularcha National Park and Mooloolah Forest Reserve include a bat colony in an historic railway tunnel and some attractive bushlands are protected within these parks, just north of Landsborough.

Climbing is a popular past time for climbers within this area, Mount Ngungun, Mount Tibrogargan and Mount Beerwah are for experienced climbers only. Facilities include disabled access, public toilets, shelter sheds, drinking water and BBQs. Please be aware that Mount Coonowrin (Crookneck) is closed to public access.