Park of the Month

Queensland’s National Parks protect landscapes millions of years in the making. Come and wander through ancient Gondwanan rainforest at spectacular Springbrook NP.

Discover. Connect. Protect. Enjoy

Park of the Month is a key initiative of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) and NPAQ’s Parks Connect program. We’re passionate about parks, and by sharing decades of knowledge from committed volunteers, conservationists and National Park Rangers with local communities and visitors, we hope Queenslanders from all walks of life will fall in love with our amazing wild places.

Springbrook National Park

Sprawling across 6558 ha of the McPherson Range in the Gold Coast hinterland, Springbrook National Park sits between 600 m and 1000 m above sea level and forms a key part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area.

The park is divided into four sections (Springbrook Plateau, Mount Cougal, Natural Bridge and Numinbah), each with its own character. The Yugambeh people know the twin peaks of Mount Cougal as Ningeroongun and Barrajanda, named for the two prized dogs of a legendary hunter called Gwyala.

More than 1500 native plant species have been recorded in Springbrook, thriving in a subtropical environment where annual rainfall exceeds 3000 mm. High rainfall means spectacular waterfalls, cascades and tumbling creeks are dominant features throughout the park, including the famous Twin Falls, Purling Brook Falls and Natural Bridge.

Walk among ancient forests, glimpsing waterfalls at every turn, at our August Park of the Month.

Did you know these fun facts?

The Natural Bridge section contains a basalt rock arch spanning a cave where thousands of bioluminescent glow worms, which are actually the larvae of fungus gnat insects, illuminate the ceiling at night, drawing tourists to this natural spectacle.
Springbrook National Park and its adjoining Conservation Park contain 19 regional ecosystems mapped by the Queensland Herbarium, including one that’s endangered and 11 of concern—record biodiversity in a relatively compact area.
The Mount Cougal section of the park was originally established in 1938 with just 142 ha and was only amalgamated into Springbrook National Park in 1990 (more than 50 years after first protection).