An all day bushwalk where the reward is definitely worth the effort. Rainforest, waterfalls, lookouts, mountain, Albert River circuit has so much to offer.
Quick Info
Location: Lamington National Park Road, Canungra, Qld 4275
Walking Distance: 21.7km Return
Elevation: Approximately 350m
Time: 6-8 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Costs/Permit: No cost, no permit required
Opening Times: Only closed occasionally for maintenance
Facilities: Information station, toilets, café, camping, BBQ, picnic grounds, lots of parking, accommodation
What to take: Insect repellent, camera, picnic, water, sunscreen, jacket
Map:
Starting from Green Mountain Trailhead, Albert River circuit branches off from the Boarder Track after 5km. It is recommended to traverse the circuit anti-clockwise, so take the first turnoff. Mobile reception out here is very sketchy. Over the 21.7km trail, my Runkeeper app only showed 13km travelled. So don’t rely on your phone to give accurate distance readings.
There are many outstandingly beautiful sections along the trail. Don’t let the beauty distract you from keeping an eye out for snakes. On a cool day in September I passed within inches of 2 snakes warming themselves in the sun. The first was a meter long red belly black snake, and a couple of kilometres later there was a slightly smaller tiger snake. Both showed no inclination to move from their sunny spots.
About 7km from Green Mountains Trailhead (2km along Albert River Circuit), is the first creek sighting. Water will be nearby for most of the next 10km. Echo Falls are lovely and the trail takes you past them at 3 different levels
Apart from the 2 waterfalls shown on the map, Echo Falls and Alcheringa Falls, there are a handfull of smaller waterfalls which can be viewed with a very small deviation to the main track.
Multiple creek crossings add adventure to the bushwalk. After heavy rain this could be challenging. The path was obvious the whole way. Even when crossing creeks there was no confusion as to where the path continued on the other side.
A couple of naturally formed pools were passed, but none of them looked particularly appealing for swimming.
Echo Point, which is just over the boarder into NSW, has amazing 180+ degree views. It was very windy here. Less than a kilometre further, Cominan lookout also revealed fabulous views. There is no trail to the summit of Mt Cominan.
Flora diversity within Lamington National Park – and the sheer tenacity of plant life – help keep the entire bushwalk interesting. Listen out for birds that sound like small children crying.
Albert River circuit is amazing. With several other walks available from Green Mountains trailhead and Python Rock and Morans Falls trailhead, you will want more than one day to explore the wonders of Lamington National Park Green Mountains section.