Great Sandy National Park - Cooloola Section

The attraction of walking in the Great Sandy National Park

The Great Sandy National Park is a coastal park which is divided into two sections: the Cooloola section and the Fraser Island section. The Cooloola section lies between the popular holiday destination of Noosa Heads in the south and Rainbow Beach in the north. It features diverse landscape including pristine beaches, sand dunes, mangroves, rainforests, woodlands, heathlands, freshwater lakes and rivers. Covering an area of 18,400 hectares, the park is easily accessible and lies 50km north of Maroochydore and 150km north of Brisbane.This sandy area is home to abundant wildlife including koalas, wallabies, emus, eastern ground parrots, feather tailed gliders, curlews, bowerbirds, mangrove honeyeaters and yellow robins.

The Cooloola section of the park features the 200 metre high Cooloola Sandmass. To the east of the sand dunes, walkers can explore Teewah Beach together with the Double Island Point Lighthouse and shipwrecks of the SS Maheno and the Cherry Venture. The west is dominated by silhouettes of extinct volcanic mountains and the mysterious dark waters of the Noosa River which is sometimes referred to as the “River of Mirrors”. 

The Noosa River is a favourite place for boating, canoeing, kayaking and fishing. Within the park, there are four campsites exclusively for walkers where toilets and freshwater are provided. There is a wide variety of accommodation in Noosa Heads, Noosaville and Rainbow Beach. Rainbow Beach features a gigantic sand mass covering 15 hectares known as the Carlo Sand Blow. The town is also known for its towering cliffs of coloured sands.

Interested in walking in the Great Sandy National Park?

The Great Sandy National Park offers many day and multi-day walks and there are a number of tour operators offering a variety of walking trips. We can help you choose an operator that best suits your interests and requirements. 

One of the best multi-day walks in The Great Sandy National Park is the Cooloola Great Walk. The Cooloola Great Walk is just one of several walks in the park which we can tell you about, and help you to plan and book. Click below to learn more.