Purling Brook Falls, in my honest opinion, is the best waterfall on the Gold Coast. Purling Brook is one of several spectacular waterfalls that are surrounded by ancient forests in the World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforest of Springbrook National Park.
HOW TO GET TO PURLING BROOK FALLS
Purling Brook Falls is located in the hinterland region of the Gold Coast known as Springbrook Mountain. From the main hub of the Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise, it is approximately a one hour drive. From the Gold Coast Airport the journey time is also a one hour drive. There is no public transport to access Springbrook National Park so you will need your own vehicle. The road out to Springbrook is unbelievably scenic with a few lookout points along the way that are clearly signed and not to be missed.
SPRINGBROOK NATIONAL PARK MAP – PURLING BROOK FALLS
ARRIVING TO PURLING BROOK FALLS – SPRINGBROOK MOUNTAIN
When you arrive to Springbrook National Park there is free parking located at the entrance to Purling Brook Falls. There is also a small cafe in the top car park if you would like to purchase some water or snacks before beginning the hike down to Purling Brook Falls. There are toilet amenities and picnic areas next to the car park that you can make use of on your waterfall adventure.
The trail down to Purling Brook Falls is clearly signposted with a number of viewpoints along the trail that offer spectacular views of the Gold Coast Hinterland. It is a 4km medium level hike down to the base of Purling Brook Falls. The circuit trail is currently closed due to some recent landslides from a storm, so the trail down is the same trail to you will have to return on. Depending on how many times you stop to take photos or to rest, the hike will take approx 45 minutes from top to bottom.
The trail is a combination of concrete steps and cleared dirt tracks that will lead you through the fragrant rain forest. There are some fun obstacles you will encounter along the way such as hanging tree vines, flowing streams and wooden bridges that adds to the exciting adventure!
WHAT TO EXPECT AT PURLING BROOK FALLS – SPRINGBROOK MOUNTAIN
The trail will lead you right in to the natural amphitheater at the base of Purling Brook Falls. You can explore around the rocks and grassy areas on both sides of the falls and even go with a swim in the fresh water rock pools. The discharge of water from the falls is not too powerful and it is safe to stand directly beneath the flow of water, making for the perfect outdoor shower after the hike down. The rock pools are very shallow so I wouldn’t recommend any rock jumping at this particular spot.
WARRINGA POOL
Once you have spent some time exploring Purling Brook Falls I highly recommend to continue the adventure on to Wariringa Pool. You will see a sign on the track on which you arrived on that points the direction down to another cleared trail which is the way to Warringa Pool. This 2km return hike leads you further down in to the valley of Springbrook National Park and the trail ends here at a beautiful little swimming hole and rock jumping spot known as Warringa Pool!
PURLING BROOK FALLS – THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
The best time to visit Purling Brook Falls and Warringa Pool is between 8am and 12pm for the best lighting. This amazing waterfall is very popular and can get quite busy on the weekends, so if you can try make it out to Purling Brook Falls during the week you will get to enjoy it with less people.
If you are planning on spending the day exploring Springbrook Mountain and the national park attractions, I recommend to pre-pack a lunch and drinking water before heading up the mountain. There are a number of cafes and fudge stores in Springbrook though they are quite expensive.
Springbrook Mountain is on the Gold Coast, South East Queensland which is known as the ‘Sunshine State’ meaning it gets sunshine most of the year round. In fact the Gold Coast gets more sunshine in the winter months of June, July and August than it does in Summer. You can visit Purling Brook Falls all year round except when there is an obvious storm about it is not recommended.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this article and that it finds you well on your Springbrook Waterfalls adventure! If you have any further questions about this location please feel free to leave a comment below and I will reply as soon as I can!
Happy Adventuring 🙂
