Cool down amid natural splendour with our pick of the most wonderous waterfalls in Brisbane.

Much like a scavenger hunt, chasing down waterfalls in Brisbane and its surroundings is endlessly rewarding. While the beaches attract their fair share of headlines, it’s the harder-to-find bush-immersed streams that can equally soothe.

From delicate trickles afoot, hidden swimming holes to cascading downpours to utterly hypnotise, waterfalls in and around Brisbane are showstoppers in every shape and form.

1. Cedar Creek

Distance from Brisbane: 50 minutes
Where: Samford
Parking: Yes, there’s a car park, but it’s small
Swimming: Yes

Not to be mistaken for Cedar Creek Falls (more on that one soon), Cedar Creek in Samford, north of Brisbane, is a cluster of baby falls that team up to orchestrate pure magic. Creating a natural rock pool, the itty-bitty gems are enveloped in leafy trees, creating a blanket of lush greenery to help take the sting out of the clingy climate. It runs all the way into Moreton Bay, and you’ll find native critters and incredible plant life in the surrounding bushland.

2. J.C. Slaughter Falls

Distance from Brisbane: 20 minutes
Where: Mount Coot-Tha
Parking: Yes, there’s a car park, but you’ll need to walk a bit to get there
Swimming: Yes

If it’s been soggy for multiple days, grab your wheels and get moving to J.C. Slaughter Falls, the closest waterfall to the centre of Brisbane. Located within Mount Coot-Tha Reserve, the hot spot is a hit with picnic goers, so get there early to secure a prime spot. If there’s been enough rain, you’ll fall in love with this spot’s dramatic rocky backdrops and multiple streams, plus several swimming holes naturally pop up if the weather plays nice.

3. Curtis Falls

Distance from Brisbane: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Where: Tamborine National Park
Parking: Yes, there’s a car park on Dapsang Drive
Swimming: No

As glow worms and platypus call this spectacular corner of the world home, you’re unable to swim at Curtis Falls in Tamborine National Park – but don’t let that deter you from taking a peek.

Wet season will bring the crowds and slightly more of a downpour, but no matter when you visit, this spot gushes with the good stuff. As a bonus, you might spot those tiny residents slipping through the water and chilling in the nearby caves.

4. Simpson Falls

Distance from Brisbane: 20 minutes
Where: Mount Coot-Tha
Parking: Yes, there’s a car park, but you’ll need to walk a bit to get there
Swimming: Yes

Another waterfall in Brisbane within Mount Coot-Tha Reserve, Simpson Falls is best visited between January and March when the rain is on higher rotation and the swimming holes swell. Again, plan to go after a good few days of rain to spy the many gentle cascades. The scene is a little quieter than J.C. Slaughter Falls, making it even more sacred in our book.

5. Cedar Creek Falls

Distance from Brisbane: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Where: Tamborine Mountain
Parking: Yes, but it’s tiny so parking is limited
Swimming: Yes

Another hot spot when the heavens open during the days prior, Cedar Creek Falls is a tranquil space with impressive waterworks.

You’ll need to trot down 80-odd stairs to reach the glistening rock pool at the bottom and catch the falls in all their glory but make the effort because the water is clear and delicious.

If the fall’s flowing, sit down and drench your hair beneath it like you’re filming a shampoo commercial (just us?).

6. Kondalilla Falls

Distance from Brisbane: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Where: Kondalilla National Park
Parking: Yes, there’s a car park
Swimming: Yes

Nestled within the Sunshine Coast hinterland, Kondalilla Falls attracts many a Brisbanite for its natural swimming holes and frothy waterfalls.

Visit during the wet season (the heat of summer) to spy, especially vibrant sprays, but it really is a masterpiece all year round. Choose a large overhanging rock to perch upon and simply gaze into the hypnotic flow.

7. Gardners Falls

Distance from Brisbane: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Where: Maleny
Parking: Yes, there’s a car park just off Obi Obi Creek
Swimming: Yes

You’ll need to stroll down a 300-metre path to reach it, but Gardners Falls is worth every (well-paved) effort. The Sunshine Coast gem is immersed in a leafy forest, creating a cooling canopy as you catch the falls doing their otherworldly thing.

If the rain’s been, little free-flowing falls create an ethereal setting, spilling over to enhance the swimmable freshwater even further.

8. Wappa Falls

Distance from Brisbane: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Where: Yandina
Parking: Yes, there’s a carpark
Swimming: Yes, but be careful as the rocks are very slippery

Beloved by locals, Wappa Falls, located right near Wappa Dam, is a picture-perfect collection of natural rock pools set against the backdrop of a twin pair of waterfalls. Given its proximity to the dam, you can expect to see the duo in action any time you visit, a factoid not lost on locals who flock to this under-the-radar hot spot for instant cool.

9. Currumbin Rock Pools

Distance from Brisbane: 1 hour and 25 minutes
Where: Currumbin Valley
Parking: There’s plenty of designated street parking off Currumbin Creek Road
Swimming: Yes

Technically a jewel in the Gold Coast’s crown, the Currumbin Rock Pools are well worth the day trip from Brisbane. Even if it hasn’t rained tremendously, the pools’ linkage to the Currumbin Creek provides year-round good flow.

You’ll spy a shallow waterfall in the middle of the pools, and while it is quite small, its low-hanging stream means you can sit right under it to create your own natural jacuzzi-style jets. A ton of fun that never grows old.

10. Natural Bridge

Distance from Brisbane: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Where: Springbrook National Park
Parking: Yes, there’s a nearby car park
Swimming: No

Again, a piece of the Gold Coast Hinterland to make a day out of. The Natural Bridge in the Springbrook National Park is simply spectacular, so get your camera fully charged. Plan to stay through sunset and you’ll spot glow worms making their mark right next to the cascading shower, best viewed from within the cave where the waterfall breaks the surface. Magnificent.

11. Purling Brook Falls

Distance from Brisbane: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Where: Springbrook National Park
Parking: Yes, there are multiple car parks to choose from
Swimming: No

Another Springbrook National Park must-visit spot, Purling Brook Falls, is the type of waterfall you’ll struggle to fit into your camera frame (arguably the best type of waterfall in Brisbane, really).

Fair warning: You’ll need to trek about four kilometres to reach it, but the spectacle is dramatic, colossal and potentially the state’s finest.

12. Morans Falls

Distance from Brisbane: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Where: Lamington National Park
Parking: Yes, there is a car park
Swimming: No

Shooting water 80 metres off a sharp cliff face, Morans Falls is visible from the top of the drop, so you won’t catch a panoramic cascade snap, we’re afraid. You will, however, score incredible views out over the edge.

Located within the Green Mountains section of stunning Lamington National Park, you’ll need to bushwalk about 4.4 kilometres to get there and back.

13. Cougal Cascades

Distance from Brisbane: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Where: Currumbin Valley
Parking: Yes, there is a car park, but it’s tiny
Swimming: Yes

Drop the car and tackle the short walk up past a string of natural rock pools to hit Cougal Cascades’ downpour. The excellent day trip is easy to access if you just plan on gazing adoringly at it, but if swims are on the agenda, you’ll need to climb down rocky terrain to get in. Our advice? Head back down the road to the Currumbin Rock Pools once you’re done locking eyes with this beauty.

Now read our guide to Brisbane’s best swimming spots.