Spring Is Here — The Best Bushwalks Around Brisbane to Do With Friends

Spring Is Here — The Best Bushwalks Around Brisbane to Do With Friends

September is when Brisbane's bushland actually earns its keep. Wattle is at its most profuse right now — the Brisbane Golden Wattle in particular lights up the scrub around Mt Coot-tha — and the weather's still cool enough that you won't regret the walk halfway up. You don't need a car full of camping gear or a 5am start to make the most of it, either: some of the best bushland in Brisbane is a 15-minute drive from the CBD (or a bus ride if you'd rather not drive), and most of it barely gets harder than a decent set of stairs. Here's where to go this spring, sorted by who you're bringing, plus what's actually open right now, because half the "best hikes near Brisbane" lists floating around haven't been checked since last year.

If it's someone's first time

Start at Mt Coot-tha's Ghost Hole Track — 650 metres, 15 minutes, flat enough that "hike" feels like an overstatement. It follows the remains of a real gold mine that ran from the 1940s until 1959, when the last miner on the mountain gave up the lease over unpaid rent. Interpretive plaques along the way tell the story properly, so there's something to talk about besides the view. It's a genuinely good litmus test: if the group enjoys this, the longer options below are worth a second trip.

If you've got prams, wheelchairs, or anyone who just wants flat ground, Karawatha Forest's Ironbark Circuit is the better call — 1.2 kilometres, fully flat, no surprises underfoot. Worth grabbing the official trail map before you go — Karawatha has 30 tracks branching off each other, and it's easy to end up on the wrong one.

Either way: proper shoes, water, and tell someone where you're going. None of these walks are remote, but that's still the whole safety brief.

If you want an actual walk, not just a stroll

Mt Coot-tha's Eugenia Circuit steps things up — 2.8 kilometres, about 90 minutes, winding through genuinely varied terrain rather than a flat path. Or head to Karawatha Forest's Rocks Track: 2.5 kilometres, graded moderate because of some steps, ending at a proper lookout over a field of granite outcrops that doesn't feel like it should be 25 minutes from the city.

If you already know these tracks and want something longer

Chain them together. Ghost Hole Track connects directly into Simpson Falls Track, which connects into Eugenia Circuit — three short official tracks combined into one longer custom loop that most casual visitors never realise is possible, since none of the signage tells you to do it. It's the same trick locals who actually walk this mountain regularly already use.

Know before you go

The upper section of Mt Coot-tha's Honeyeater Track is closed for maintenance for the whole of this quarter — July through September 2026, weather permitting — so it's off the list until at least October. The lower section, between The Hut and Reservoir Trail, is still open.

Beyond that one specific closure, conditions on any of these tracks can change with weather and maintenance schedules faster than any article can keep up with — Brisbane City Council posts live alerts for each reserve, and it's worth a 30-second check on the day rather than trusting anything written more than a week ago, including this. Mt Coot-tha's alerts are here, and Toohey Forest and Mount Gravatt Lookout's are here — the same page has Toohey's own trail map if you want one on your phone.

Worth a quick check of the Bureau of Meteorology's Brisbane forecast too — none of these walks are fun in a downpour, and Brisbane's spring storms can turn up with fairly short notice.

The reward

Every one of these is better with a coffee at the end. Mt Coot-tha's Ghost Hole and Eugenia loops finish right near The Summit Cafe at the lookout — open to 9pm on weekends, so there's no need to rush. Toohey Forest's Mount Gravatt Summit Track ends almost at the door of Lovewell Cafe, a social enterprise supporting women rebuilding their lives, with a walking track up to it where koalas and kookaburras show up often enough that it's worth keeping an eye out. And if the group would rather stay put than find another park, Karawatha Forest has its own free electric barbecues and picnic tables right at the Discovery Centre — no bill at the end, either.

None of this needs to be a big production. A short walk, a decent view, and something to eat afterward is a genuinely good way to spend two hours with people you like — and the data backs up what it feels like: regular time outdoors and with friends both do real, measurable things for mood and stress, not just Instagram photos. Pick a track that matches the group, check the conditions before you go, and make the most of the season while the wattle's still out.