Natural Bridge in Springbrook National Park: Complete Guide!
Are you planning a trip to the Gold Coast Hinterland and wondering if the Natural Bridge is worth visiting? This stunning rock formation, shaped by a waterfall flowing into a cave, is one of Springbrook National Park’s most iconic attractions.
Many first-time visitors aren’t sure what to expect. Is it just a quick photo stop, or can you make a whole day of it? How difficult is the walk? And what about the famous glow worms, and when can you actually see them?
After exploring Natural Bridge myself MANY times, I’ll break down my experience, share everything you need to know. From how to get there, finding the Glow worms, the best times to go and what makes it unique, here’s your complete guide to the Natural Bridge in Springbrook National Park.
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The Natural Bridge Waterfall in Springbrook National Park!
The Natural Bridge waterfall in Springbrook National Park is one of the Gold Coast Hinterland’s most iconic attractions.
Formed by millions of years of water tumbling through basalt rock, the waterfall has created a unique rock arch where the creek plunges into a cave below.
By day, visitors can admire the stunning rainforest setting, and at night, the cave comes alive with thousands of glow worms, making it a truly magical experience.
The Waterfall serves as a bridge about 90 feet long, width from 50 to 150 feet and a minimum thickness of 45 feet. In the stream above, rocks progressively drilled a pot-hole which eventually broke through to the cave beneath, allowing the creek to tumble through and further expand the hole.
The beauty and power of the natural elements are evident when viewing the wonder in the cave and waterfall from outside, within, and above as you make your way along the track.
Finally, this process gifted us with the shimmering waterfall we have the pleasure of enjoying today.
How to get there?
It will take about 45 minutes to drive from Surfers Paradise, or 1.5 hours from Brisbane to get to Natural Bridge in Springbrook National Park.
This travels along the Nerang Murwillumbah Road, with the turn off on the left-hand side, and the car park a few hundred metres in. But, you can click here for the map Directory Link to open or apply directions from your location.
Just note, with no public transport options servicing the area, your only choices to get to Springbrook National Park is by car, or by organised tour. But, I’ll explain more on this below.
Travelling By Car!
It’s easy to access with your 2 wheel drive vehicle, which means you can drive your own, or Hire one from the nearest depot.
I find the rainforest roads has lots of twists and turns, so, you’ll will be going slower than normal.
➡Find your favourite brand & compare prices for your Rental Car HERE
Please make sure you take care on the roads, drive to the conditions and be on the lookout for wildlife crossing (it can happen unexpectantly). But, once you get there, the parking area has plenty of space for cars and a few sheltered picnic tables for your group to enjoy.
By Organised Tour!
If you don’t have your own transport, or don’t want to drive yourself? Then, there are plenty of organised tours available from Brisbane or the Gold Coast that will allow you to visit Natural Bridge.
Some of these vary and can include winery’s, visiting other waterfalls nearby, seeing the glow worms, or with Hot Air Balloon rides.
➡ Compare Tours HERE with GYG, or HERE with Viator.
I’ve done two different tours into the Springbrook National Park. I find it’s always fun getting the local knowledge and information from the guide, meet new people, and having someone take care of the logistics for you (especially driving in the windy roads).
How Long is the Walking Track?
Although the 265 stairs may sound a little daunting (and are not ideal for prams), the Natural Bridge walking track is surprisingly family-friendly. Classified as a Grade 2 walk, it’s accessible to most fitness levels and easy enough to enjoy at a relaxed pace.
The 1-kilometre loop Track leads you through lush forest and delivers incredible vantage points of the falls, both from above, where you can admire their full drop, and from below, where you can truly feel their power and beauty up close.
Besides that, the track is sealed (mostly bitumen), well maintained and bordered by fencing. However, If you need a map, please click HERE and find it on page 2!
Note: When nature calls, know that the toilets are located right near the car park, so I would recommend using them before starting out on the walk. Plus, keep in mind there are no rubbish bins, so please take out everything that you bring in.
How long does it take to walk around?
I recommend taking your time, stop and enjoy your surrounding, but allow yourself up to 1 hour to fully immerse in the experience. Although, if your short on time, you could easily walk the loop around in 30 minutes.
When it comes to footwear, it’s always a good idea to opt for closed and comfortable shoes. However, If you only have thongs or Flip flops, then this short trail should be fine if it’s what your use to.
You will need to keep an eye out for three Natural bridge Waterfall lookout spots:
- One on the Northern Side of the track (Above the falls)
- Another on the Southern side of the Track (Above the falls)
- Plus the extra via off inside a cave where the waterfall comes down.
Additionally, keep on the hunt inside the cave for glow-worms and bent-wing micro-bats. Otherwise, on the rest of the track you can find fireflies, luminous fungi and Short-eared brushtail possums.
Do you need help planning your trip to Queensland? Book a one-on-one consultation call with me, to get your questions answered & personalised help!
Can you swim?
There is NO swimming allowed in the waterhole or in this section of Cave Creek. Additionally, note that penalties can apply for breaching this and will be monitored by the rangers.
How to find the Glow Worms?
You can find the glow worms in the cave mostly between December and March. While they can be seen at any time of year, the numbers can dwindle coming into winter.
You can head to the park after sunset and follow the signs into the section where they are more common – Inside The Cave!
Please make sure all your lights are turned off and give your eyes time to adjust! There are thousands of them around, so you won’t have to look too hard.
The glow worm larvae spin a silk thread on which generally hang from the roof of the cave or rocky overhangs. As they mature, they glow a bright green (Called Bioluminescence) colour to attract their prey.
When you look at the cave ceilings or the walls of glow worms, it looks like a starry night sky (like the photo I took above). It’s a really magical experience!
What Flora & Fauna can you see?
As you walk along the track there are interpretive signs you can read, that are strategically placed, highlighting the area’s history and special features.
Passing beneath towering Hoop Pines (Araucaria Cunninghamii) and twisted Strangler Figs (Ficus Watkinsiana), and you should keep your eyes and ears open for some of the diverse creatures that call this area home.
Alternatively, its a bird lover’s paradise and a sanctuary for numerous rare and threatened species, you may just come across:
- Paradise Riflebirds
- Green Catbirds
- Wompoo Fruit Doves
- Noisy Pittas
- Sooty Owls
- Orange-eyed tree frogs
- Cascade Tree Frog
- Tusked Frog
- Leaf-Tailed Geckos
- Spotted-Tailed Quolls
- Pademelons (these look like tiny kangaroo’s)
- Koalas
➡ Compare Tours HERE with GYG, or HERE with Viator.
About the Springbrook National Park
Springbrook National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage listed wonderland found nestled in Queensland’s Gold Coast hinterlands. This ancient Gondwana Rainforest transports trekkers back to the Jurassic Age, some 180 million years ago.
The National Park borders the outskirts of a prehistoric volcano that erupted over 23 million years ago, spewing lava and basalt across the landscape. Consequently, forming many picturesque structures just waiting to be explored.
Covering approximately 6558 hectares (16,204 acres), the National Park offers numerous walking tracks ranging from 300m to 54km, with varying grades of difficulty.
Plus, the park has four main sections:
- Springbrook Plateau,
- Mount Cougal,
- Natural Bridge,
- and Numinbah.
Other Things to do nearby?
Want to make the most out of your visit to Springbrook National Park. There are other waterfalls and hiking trails you can complete to make a whole day of it.
These include:
- Purling Brook Falls Circuit trail (4 Kilometres, About 2 hours)
- Warringa Pool track (6 Kilometres, about 3 hours)
- Buliya-Buliya jagun Boardwalk (100 metres, about 5 minutes)
- Canyon lookout (30 metres, about 5 mins)
- Twin Falls circuit (4 kilometres, about 2 hours)
- Warrie circuit (14 Kilometres, about 6 hours)
- Goomoolahra Falls Lookout Track (250 Metres, about 10 Minutes)
- Boojerahla lookout (450 Metres, about 20 mintues)
- Best of All lookout track (600 metres, about 30 Minutes)
- Cascades Track (1.6 kilometres, about 1 hour)
Please download the National Park Walking trail Map (Qld Parks), to help find your way around.
Apart from that, you have other National Parks, walking trails & waterfalls in the area to explore like:
- Gauriemabah Information Centre
- Elabana Falls
- Research Observatory
- Moran’s Falls
- Bochow Park – Picnic & BBQ facilities, playground, and swimming spot
- Girraween National Park hiking trails near Stanthorpe
- O’Reilly’s Rainforest section of Lamington National Park ( Also part of the UNESCO Gondwana Rainforest)
- Mount Barney National Park
- Queen Mary Falls lookout points
- Tambourine Mountain
Wrap Up!
Thanks for reading this blog post today on How to get to Natural Bridge in Springbrook National Park, Australia. I hope you found the information you were looking for. However, If you’re still researching, please uncover more Gold Coast insights HERE to help you plan.
