Enjoy the Kondalilla Falls Swimming Hole & Walking Track!

Todays post is your one-stop-shop and complete guide to enjoying the Kondalilla Falls swimming hole and walking track. If you’re looking to experience a true hinterland escape without venturing too far from the coast, this is the post for you!

The challenge for many first-time visitors is knowing what to expect before they go. How long is the walk? Is it difficult? Can you actually swim year-round, and is it suitable for families? With limited time and changing weather conditions, it’s easy to feel unsure about whether Kondalilla Falls is the right choice for you.

As a Brisbane local and visited many times over the years, I’ve put together this complete guide to help you plan your adventure. I’ll break down everything you need to know, from the walking track and swimming conditions to practical tips, so you can enjoy Kondalilla Falls at its best.

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Overall Guide: Kondalilla Falls & walking Track?

Kondalilla Falls is located between Montville and Mapleton in the Glass House Mountains, and the car park is at the end of Kondalilla Falls Road. It can be accessed in 30 to 40 minutes from most of the Sunshine Coast areas, Or about 1.5 hours from Brisbane.

The road is completely sealed, and you’ll have no issues getting there in a standard two-wheel drive vehicle. However, there just might be a few twists and turns on the road along the way, so please drive to the conditions.

Since I’ve lived in South East Queensland for more than 20 years, I’ve been lucky enough to swim here several times. But overall, I find it one of the largest falls in the hinterland for swimming, one of the best day trips from the Sunny coast, and, ideally, family-friendly.

How long is the Walking Track?

The entire Kondalilla Falls Walking Track is a 4.7-kilometre, hilly, loop track that starts and finishes at the Car park. While this includes more than 300 steps, I recommend you allow between 2 to 3 hours to complete the track. Although, this is dependent on your plan to swim and how long you hang out there.

If you don’t want to do the whole walk? Then, you can just walk to the swimming hole or what they refer to as the “Rock pools”. There are some stairs on this section as well, but getting there and returning on the same track is about 2.4 kilometres.

I will note that observing local signage and guidance is essential, as conditions can vary greatly with the weather and seasons. This particular path is easy to follow, but never via off the track into the bushland. However, please click here if you need a circuit map for guidance.

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Is the walk difficult to complete?

Personally, I don’t find the hiking trail all that challenging, but there are a lot of stairs and this isn’t the most convenient for everyone (You can get a visual in my YouTube HERE). Generally, you’ll need to have a moderate level of fitness, but this also depends on whether you’re just going to the swimming hole (a shorter trail) or completing the entire track for the Waterfall!

The trail is listed as part Grade 1 & 2, and I would definitely use closed-in footwear, especially for the uneven ground and maintaining some kind of stability. Along with protecting your feet against the fallen scrub and branches in the forest. 

Picnic Creek Circuit

You’ll start walking on the Grade 1 section and what’s listed as the Picnic Creek Circuit loop. It’s nicely formed, with some bitumen, along with areas where the water passes through and walking over a bridge.

This also includes a slight detour to the Obi Valley lookout point over the National Park.

Kondalilla Falls Lookout

After that, you’ll start entering the Grade 2 section and, where the stairs begin, getting closer to the rock pools.

Before too long you’ll come to a split in the road and to the left is your quickest way to access the rock pools. Or, to the right, it leads you further down, completing the entire track and seeing the Falls from below.

We choose to go down first!

Shortly after, we made it to the official lookout point and saw the Kondalilla waterfall drop 80 metres down. Making it one of the largest waterfalls you can see in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

From here you can continue down to the bottom, but the track doesn’t get much sun and can get a bit muddy and slippery. Therefore, please take care, especially after a bit of rain.

Eventually, you get to the bottom. To be honest, the access is very limiting here, without scaling a lot of large and small rocks. So, due to safety it shouldn’t be high on your list to do. However, there are plenty of people that get close, but I really don’t think it’s good for swimming in this area!

We didn’t stay down there for long! Therefore, continued along the track trying to make it back up to the rock pools. 

Arriving at the Swimming Hole or Rock pools

After more creek crossings and walking uphill instead of down. You’ll finally reach the top of Kondalilla Falls and the Rock pool swimming area.

This is where you can chill out and take a dip in the water. The smaller waterfall here isn’t very strong, and you can get close to it by swimming.

Although, the waters are pretty cold, being shaded most the day, even in the peak of summer. But, this is also when it’s the most refreshing.

It is safe to swim here, but please look out for wildlife and try to keep your distance. Always assess the depth of the water and, more importantly – never Jump in, as submerged rocks can pose serious hazards. (Even if you see others doing it!)

Apart from that, you can sit back and admire the views, or use it as a small break with a snack or drink.

I have heard there are leeches around, but I have never really encountered this myself. And, unfortunately, this is also a national park area and no dogs are allowed.

Kondalilla Falls Vs the Swimming hole?

In a nutshell, The rock pool or swimming hole is essentially the TOP of the Kondalilla Waterfall. However, since there is a smaller waterfall crashing into the rock pool, please don’t confuse it with the actual Falls.

As the water moves past the large swimming area, it goes under a wooden bridge, and you can see it disappearing over the cliff edge. This is where the official Kondalilla Falls starts, and you can see this section by taking the longer walking trail through the forest down into the gully below.

About the Car Park?

The car parking does have plenty of room, but can get pretty crowded during peak season, as well as weekends and school holidays. I suggest getting there early in the morning or late afternoon and you should be able to snag a decent spot. 

About 50 metres from the car park is a large grassed area with picnic tables, a Barbeque area and a bathroom. Please use these before tackling the track, as it could be a while before you’ll be back (especially if you’re swimming). Also, ensure you bring your insect repellent, as mosquitoes can be in the area.

Wrap up!

Overall, This is a popular place to visit and I would recommend adding the Kondalilla Falls swimming hole and walking trail to your list.

Thanks for reading this blog post and I hope you found the information you were looking for. However, if you’re still researching, please find other Sunshine Coast experiences HERE for planning and inspiration.

• The Best Queensland Waterfalls for you to visit
• Best Beaches in Queensland with Map & Photo’s
• Exposing the Downsides to a Great Barrier Reef Pontoon Tour
• Best Place to Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
• Gold Coast Vs Sunshine Coast – Which is better for you to visit?
• Fun things to do on the Sunshine Coast
• Brisbane (Airport) to Sunshine Coast using Public Transport