Beerburrum and Beerwah State Forest Guide
About an hour north of Brisbane, both sides of the M1 — Coochin Creek, the forest lookout, a beginner dam-side ride.
Unofficial operator’s manual
Independent, unofficial, not QPWS, not HQPlantations · Content reviewed 21 Sep 2026
Whether you can camp, whether the dog can come, which place to start, and what to check before you leave. Park alerts sit on the official pages. HQPlantations runs the pine estate. Check the official forest page and plantation closures the morning you go. Roads and fire rules change.
- Coochin Creek · booked
- 19 numbered sites
- No dogs at the camp
- Glass House lookout
- Ewen Maddock MTB
- Not the national park
Plan, camp, maps, town bed
Not the national park
This is a State forest, not the national park
Beerburrum and Beerwah State Forests sit about 70 km — about an hour — north of Brisbane, both sides of the M1. QPWS manages Coochin Creek camping and day-use, Glass House Mountains lookout and the associated walking tracks. HQPlantations Pty Ltd manages the exotic pine plantation. This is a working forest, not Glass House Mountains National Park. Named places here: Coochin Creek (Beerwah State Forest, east of the M1, off Roys Road), the lookout in Beerburrum West, Ewen Maddock mountain-bike trail, and Bracalba running / shared trails (those also enter Glass House Mountains Conservation Park, which has its own rules). This site is an unofficial operator’s manual in the State Forest Guide Australia network. Check parks.qld.gov.au and HQPlantations before you drive.
What kind of forest day?
Picnic or camp at Coochin Creek
Beerwah SF · east of the M1
Creek fishing, canoe, booked overnight. 19 numbered sites. Dogs not permitted at camp or day-use. Book before you drive.
Book the camp
Paid QPWS permit · 2pm–11am · 21-day cap
You book a numbered site and pay. Town bed if the 19 sites are taken on the booking service.
Lookout picnic
800 m Grade 3 · sealed 2WD
Beerburrum West. Views of the volcanic peaks. Short walk plus sheltered picnic. Summit walks are the national park.
I typed Glass House Mountains
Different map
Same skyline. Different manager. Mount Beerwah and Tibrogargan are the national park. This page is State forest.
Best for
A booked creek camp with a fishing rod or canoe; a lookout picnic with the volcanic peaks in view; a beginner 10 km ride at Ewen Maddock; a town bed ready if Coochin Creek is full on the booking service.
Skip if
You wanted a free first-come forest camp; you are bringing a dog to Coochin Creek; you wanted Mount Beerwah or Tibrogargan summit; you refuse a short unsealed approach after rain; you need a cabin or powered site inside the forest.
Featured
Coochin Creek
Creek camp and picnic area in Beerwah State Forest, east of the M1 off Roys Road. Fishing, canoe, picnic. Overnight is booked and paid. Dogs not permitted. Not independently walked.
- 19 numbered sites · check-in after 2pm · out by 11am · 21-day cap
- QPWS permit required · display your booking tag
- No dogs at camp or day-use
- Boat ramp 1 km past the camp · Pumicestone Passage downstream
How long
QPWS gives the distances. Times below are ours.
Half day
Glass House Mountains lookout track (800 m one way, Grade 3, allow 45 min) plus a picnic at the lookout.
Full day
Add Ewen Maddock mountain-bike trail (10 km circuit on the QPWS page, allow 2 hours) or a Coochin Creek fishing hour. Two places, two drives.
Overnight
Booked Coochin Creek. Town-bed Plan B in Beerwah, Landsborough, Caloundra or Caboolture if you did not book.
Walks and rides
Tracks QPWS names
Lookout track
Named trackShort walk from the lookout picnic area through scribbly gum, a wet eucalypt gully, then ironbark and tallowwood. QPWS: 800 m one way, Grade 3, allow 45 minutes.
- Starts
- Glass House Mountains lookout day-use area, Glass House–Woodford Road
- Distance / grade
- QPWS: 800 m one way · Grade 3 · allow 45 minutes · Beerburrum West.
View guide →
Ewen Maddock MTB
Named trackEasy family circuit on the banks of Ewen Maddock Dam. QPWS: 10 km circuit, allow 2 hours, easy grade. Fern gullies, blackbutt, melaleuca wetlands. Views of the dam and Mount Beerwah.
- Starts
- Ewen Maddock Dam car park, Steve Irwin Way (Seqwater)
- Distance / grade
- QPWS: 10 km circuit · allow 2 hours · easy · Beerwah State Forest.
View guide →
Beerburrum and Beerwah State Forest Guide
Beerburrum and Beerwah State Forest Guide downloads
Printable planner and itineraries with the site name on them. Packing, Coochin Creek booking Plan B, half day, full day, overnight. QPWS, HQPlantations and QFES links on every file.
- Planner — packing, last towns, dogs, fires, Coochin Creek booking Plan B
- Itineraries — half day lookout, full day Ewen Maddock, overnight Coochin Creek
- Forest mark + www.beerburrumstateforest.com.au on every sheet
Free direct download — no email required. Maps · Itineraries · Privacy.
Part of the State Forest Guide Australia network
This unofficial Beerburrum and Beerwah State Forests guide is in that network. Not government. Not QPWS. Not a national-park directory.
Browse state forests → stateforestguide.com.au
Sister state forests
FAQ
Is this Glass House Mountains National Park?
No. This is Beerburrum and Beerwah State Forests. QPWS manages Coochin Creek, the forest lookout and associated tracks. HQPlantations manages the pine estate. Mount Beerwah, Tibrogargan and Ngungun summit walks are Glass House Mountains National Park — a different map. Official QPWS park page and an unofficial National Parks Guide Australia guide cover the peaks. Unofficial Glass House Mountains National Park guide (National Parks Guide Australia)
Is camping free? Can I turn up at Coochin Creek?
No. Coochin Creek is booked and paid. QPWS permit, 19 numbered sites, check-in after 2pm, out by 11am, 21-day cap. Display your booking tag. Book on the Queensland Parks site — this guide doesn’t take the fee. Camping rules →
Can I bring a dog?
Domestic animals are not permitted at Coochin Creek camping area or the adjoining day-use area. This isn’t a NSW-style free camp.
How long do I need?
QPWS gives the distances. Times below are ours. Half day: Glass House Mountains lookout track (800 m one way, Grade 3, allow 45 min) plus a picnic. Full day: add Ewen Maddock MTB (10 km circuit, allow 2 hours). Overnight: booked Coochin Creek with a town Plan B if you did not book.
Is this site official?
No. Independent unofficial operator’s manual in the State Forest Guide Australia network. Not QPWS. Not HQPlantations.
Official Glass House Mountains National Park (QPWS)Unofficial Glass House Mountains National Park guide (National Parks Guide Australia)
Rules and site names come from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Beerburrum and Beerwah pages — camping, Coochin Creek, Glass House Mountains lookout, Ewen Maddock, visiting safely and about — plus statewide QPWS camping fees and HQPlantations plantation access. Closures and fire: park alerts and QFES. Glass House Mountains National Park is a different map.
Not independently walked. Conditions, plantation roads and fire rules change. Check parks.qld.gov.au and HQPlantations the morning you go.