You can choose from many Noosa National Park walks once you decide to visit this beautiful park. Noosa National Park is a natural gem you have to visit. The beautiful coastal walk with access to several beaches will take your breath away. Noosa National Park covers 2883 hectares of pristine forest. Here you can capture the natural beauty where the land meets the sea.
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However, you are not sure which walk to go for? Therefore, this article will show you all 8 breathtaking walks in Noosa National Park. So pack your bikinis and walking shoes.
THE BEST OF NOOSA NATIONAL PARK WALKS
There are around 8 beautiful Noosa National Park walks which you can do, depending on how fit you are and certainly on how much time you have in Noosa. You can easily find them in Google Maps. Moreover, we also provide for some of the walks Maps in this article to give you a better idea.
1. PALM GROVE, NOOSA NATIONAL PARK WALK
1.1 km return 15-30 mins.
The shortest and easiest out of the Noosa National Park walks is the Palm Grove Walk. So, if you are just passing by Noosa this walk takes only 30 mins return. The walk starts at the days-use are in the Headland section. This is a great walk if it’s hot as you will walk mostly in a densely-shaded rainforest. However, we recommend you to stay at least for one day and do Coastal Walk.
2. TANGLEWOOD, NOOSA NATIONAL PARK WALK
8km return 2-3 hours.
Another great Noosa National park walks is Tanglewood. This walk is inland and great to avoid the crowds on the Coastal Walk. You will walk in a rainforest and a tall eucalyptus forest. Additionally, there is a link that will take you to Hell’s Gate via the Coastal Walk. Also, keep your head up as you might spot cute koalas in the trees. For your way back you could use for instance the Coastal Track.
Would you like to know what are the most iconic places in Australia?
READ MORE: 15 MOST ICONIC LANDMARKS IN AUSTRALIA.
3. NOOSA HILL PARK WALK
2.8 km return 1.5 hours.
If you would like to experience really beautiful ocean views then go for the Noosa Hill Walk. It is a short walk with a climb to the crest of Noosa. You will walk 50 m along the Coastal walk first and then you will need to turn to the right following the sign with a 3 on it.
Finally, at the end of the walk, you will reach a lookout with views on the surrounding area.
OUR TIP: You can do the Noosa Hill Walk first and go back and continue with the Coastal Walk.
4. COASTAL WALK (OUR FAVOURITE WALK)
10.8 km return 4 hours (5km if you turn around at Hell’s Gate)
The most popular walk of all Noosa National Park walks is definitely the Coastal Walk. The best thing about this walk is that you will walk along the coast (duh) with access to several beaches. In total, the coastal walk is 10.8 km return long and you can do in 4 hours. But you can definitely stretch to the full day as there are so many beautiful stops, including beaches, views and fairy pools.
Firstly, have a stop at Boiling Pot. It’s a lookout with views out on the ocean. Also, make sure to scan the horizon as you might spot breaching whales out in the ocean from May to September.
To your right, you will see Tea Tree Bay which is the next stop on this walk. Tea Tree Bay is a perfect spot to go for a dip in the ocean. There are also toilets at the far end of this bay.
And don’t forget to keep your eyes open for koalas high up on the trees. After a little stop here you can continue onwards to Dolphin Point with views on Granite Bay. As the name indicates you might be able to see dolphins passing by. So keep your eyes open. With this in mind be aware that your chances to see dolphins are better early in the morning.
FAIRY POOLS
From here onwards the sealed path will give way to a gravel track that leads to the Fairy Pools and Hell’s Gate. The Fairy Pools are natural pools that were formed by the ocean and rocks. Thus, if you love to float in clear and turquoise waters surrounded by rocks make sure you stop here.
READ MORE: Fairy Pools Noosa: Best guide to explore this nature wonder (with map)
Also, on the left side of the Fairy Pools you can have a lovely picnic at Picnic Cove. Now you know why you need to make this coastal walk a full day trip. It is so beautiful.
The last stop of the coastal walk is Hell’s Gate with dramatic views on the sea from above. We spotted several turtles in the water.
5. ALEXANDRIA BAY WALK
4.2 km return 1-2 hours (if you start at Parkedge Road)
If you have more time in Noosa National Park you can definitely do the Alexandra Bay Walk. Here, you can the walk at the Parkedge Road entrance. Alternatively, you can also follow the Coastal Walk down to Alexandria Bay from Hell’s Gate. If you walk to the middle of the beach (accessibility depends on tides) you can continue on the Alexandria Bay Walk that will take you to Sunshine Beach. Make sure to start to walk back from Alexandria Bay 1-2 hours before sunset.
6. EMU MOUNTAIN SUMMIT WALK (EMU MOUNTAIN SECTION)
1.1 km return 45 mins-1 hour.
The following 3 walks are located in the Noosa National Park but south of the Headland section (where the other walks are located). Those walks are located 3.5km north of Coolum Beach and 2.5 km south of Peregian Beach.
The Emu Mountain Summit walk is famous for its 360-degree panoramic views and spotting colorful arrays of wildflowers.
7. HAKEA WALK (EMU MOUNTAIN SECTION)
2.4 km return 1 hour
The walk got its name from the small hakea trees, which you will find along the path. Hakea is a unique type of plant, which has distinctive woody seed pods.
8. OCEAN BEACH WALK (PEREGIAN SECTION)
1 km return 30 mins
Ocean beach walk is a short walk for everyone who wants to enjoy a lovely time on Peregian Beach. At the end of the walk, the sandy track will lead you down to Peregian Beach. In other words, make sure to bring some swimwear.
WHAT TO SEE ON THE NOOSA NATIONAL PARK WALKS
Except for beautiful coastline views, you can see some wildlife in Noosa National Park. If you are lucky you might see koalas in the treetops around Tea Tree Bay. Moreover, you can spot glossy black cockatoos, red goshawks, and funny b(r)ush turkeys. And if you are lucky you can spot whales and dolphins at Dolphin Point.
If you visit Noosa National Park in spring you can spot many wildflowers such as paper daisies, guinea flowers, purple and vanilla lilies, wedding bush, rice flower and many more.
WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU ON THE WALK
- Water (use this reusable bottle to reduce plastic and have filtered water on you)
- Hiking shoes (although “thongs” are just fine as well)
- Swimwear
- Suncream (stay safe without ruining our oceans; use GIGI10 to get 10% off)
- Sunglasses and hat
EXTRA TIPS
- Walk during daylight hours and preferably with someone else
- Stay on walking tracks
- Keep enough distance when standing on cliffs
- Bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards are not allowed
- Carry surfboards with fins to your side
- Take your trash with you
HOW TO GET TO NOOSA NATIONAL PARK
The main entrance to the Headland section is at the end of Park Road. You can also enter the park at Parkedge Road and near the northern end of Sunshine Beach. The parking here is subject to the Noosa Council’s four hours regulated parking.
If you are nearby Noosa’s main strip Hastings Street you can simply walk along the coast to get to Noosa National Park.
The walks in Emu Mountain and Peregian section are accessible from David Low Way which has a bus 620 stop. You can also park for free at Havana Road or right next to Peregian Beach.
OUR TIP: We do recommend to have a car or rent one once visiting Noosa. Australia is best explored by car.
READ MORE: Buying a car in Australia for backpackers guide – all you need to know
BY BUS
You can also take a bus. The bus stops at Noosa Heads bus station and from there you will need to walk along Hastings Street and the coast to Park Road. It is a beautiful walk. There is no bus going right to the park entrance.
If you like to enter through Sunshine Beach the bus stops nearby the Sunshine Beach park entrance (1.3 km walk from Duke Street, Ed Webb Park bus stop). Download the Translink app to your phone to check for timetables, stops, etc.
EXTRA TIP: There are free public buses over the busy Christmas and Easter holiday periods which come in handy as there are not many parking spots available around Noosa Heads.
WHERE TO STAY IN NOOSA
Noosa is a great place to stay for a few days. It has great accommodation options for every traveler. Noosa Heads has more expensive resorts like Little Cove Court and the Cove Noosa Apartments whereas if you like more budget-friendly options, look for Airbnbs in Sunshine Beach, Sunrise Beach or in Tewantin (click HERE to get your $ 40 off on the first stay in Airbnb).
If you can’t find any Airbnbs, try places such as Halse Lodge or Nomads Noosa Backpackers.
You can also camp in Noosa. You will find 3 camping sites run by the Noosa Council: Noosa North Shore Beach Campground, Noosa River Holiday Park and Boreen Point Campground. Check more information on camping fees and locations HERE.
Which one of the walks in Noosa National Park would you choose?
Let us know in the comments.
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About The Authors
I love Noosa! The National Parks are just stunning, and the Fairy Pools is such a beautiful spot. Thanks for a useful post as it covers some walks I haven’t done yet. I can’t wait to go back!
Thank you Karen, so happy and I hope you will enjoy more walks around beautiful Noosa 🙂