Looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life? We’ve got a day trip planned for you to Mt Glorious. The upside? It’s only about a 40-minute drive from Brisbane city.
How long will this trip to Mt Glorious take? We would aim anywhere from 3 hours to 5 hours depending on how quick your pace is and how long you decide to spend time at each location.
1. START AT THE MAIALA CAR PARK
**You might be able to find a spot at the smaller car park located across the street which starts right at the trailhead.
2. WALK THE WESTERN WINDOW TRACK
This is only a 1.2km return track, and great for scenic views but since we’re going to take a half-day trip, we won’t be returning to the car straight after.
Enjoy the serene peacefulness of being surrounded by nature in the lush subtropical rainforest until you reach the Western Window Lookout for an incredibly scenic view of rolling hills.
From the overlook, you’ll notice an entrance from the road. Instead of walking back down the trail from which you came, walk alongside the road until you reach Elm Haus Café which is located on the other side of the road.
3. STOP OFF AT THE ELM HAUS CAFE
Enjoy a coffee and/or a light meal at this Euro lodge-inspired café before continuing on the rest of your walk!
**Take note that this café is only open on Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 9 am-4 pm
4. WALK THE GREENES FALLS CIRCUIT
From the café, make a left (continuing back towards the direction of your car), and make a left at the first road that you will see – Browns Rd. You will continue down this road until you see an entrance on the left for Greenes Falls Circuit.
You may get confused once you walk down the road about 400 m (0.2 miles) because it looks like you could go straight or turn right. DO NOT GO STRAIGHT.
Continue right and follow the road until you see the sign for Greenes Falls Circuit on the left.
Now you can enjoy your hike to the waterfall!!! Gawk in awe of the beauty of the rainforest like we did (but try not to trip and fall on the way there).
Yes, that is a giant tree that has been carved out so that the trail can be accessible.
Keep an eye out for wildlife that may be lurking by but keep note that they can be awfully shy.
Whenever you’re ready to head back, make a mental note that you won’t be walking back up Browns Rd to get to your car. Whenever you come back to the trail entrance from which you came you’ll notice that the track continues on the other side of the road. Continue the track on the other side and it will eventually lead you back to the Maiala Car Park!
Our Open Tip: Dress adequately if you know it has rained recently! You will probably encounter some leeches along the way.
If you enjoyed this day trip guide to Mt Glorious, share a photo and use the hashtag #ouropenpassport so we can see your experience and share it with others!
7 Comments
Rach
April 30, 2020 at 11:35 amJust added this to my bucket list. I love local places like this while I’m traveling!
Cherrod and Matt
April 30, 2020 at 1:22 pmYay! We are so glad. 🙂
Jackie S.
April 30, 2020 at 4:55 pmSeeing the name Mount Glorious already sounds like a place that I’d like to visit! With the social distancing, I’ve been missing the hiking trails and seeing luscious trees. Would love to come here on a future trip to Brisbane. The walk along the Greenes Falls Circuit is gorgeous with the rain forest setting. Thanks for the tip on the leeches. I had leeches bite me on a previous hike in Vietnam that we did in the rainstorm and still have the scars as a souvenir. Will need to get some leech socks in the future.
Kelly
May 1, 2020 at 11:39 pmWhenever hiking out on a trail, I’m in my happy place, but to hike in a rainforest is an entirely different feeling. I love that there is a place to stop to eat along the way, so you don’t have to hurry back for lunch.
Derek
May 2, 2020 at 2:34 amI love this post because as nice as a city break can be, I always want at least one day trip into nature. I’ve never been to Brisbane but Mount Glorious is the kind of excursion I would plan!
Vanessa
May 3, 2020 at 5:50 pmGreat tips on this day trip from Brisbane to Mount Glorious and how to make your way around the Greenes Falls Circuit. The views from Mount Glorious are breath-taking, nothing better than getting out of the city to explore nature and stretch your legs on a hike. Hope the leeches didn’t get you!
Aditi Sharma
May 3, 2020 at 7:27 pmWe’ve yet to travel to Australia and it’s been on our bucket list for a while now. Of late, I’ve been reading more about Australia and trying to plan a trip there finally but somehow had not heard about Mt Glorious until I came across your informative post. Being such a short distance away from Brisbane, this day trip is certainly worth it. That view from the Western Window lookout is amazing. Thanks for the tip regarding the cafe near the trail and about clothing when it rains (the thought of leeches on the trail is unnerving lol).