Purling Brook Falls partial closure: what's still open (Nov 2026 to Feb 2028)
Published 12 November 2026
Short version: you can still see Purling Brook Falls. Park at Gwongorella, walk to the western lookout and down to the suspension bridge at the base, then come back the same way. The loop over the top of the falls is closed.
What’s closed
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) began an upgrade program at Springbrook on 2 November 2026. It’s planned to finish on 15 February 2028, weather permitting.
- Settlement day-use area: fully closed, including picnic facilities and toilets.
- Purling Brook Falls circuit: partly closed. The pedestrian causeway above the waterfall and the eastern lookout are shut.
- Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk: the Springbrook section between Gwongorella and the Settlement camping area is closed. Great Walkers need another route. QPWS asks people to take extreme care if that means walking along public roads.
What’s open
- Gwongorella picnic area and car park
- The main western lookout
- The suspension bridge at the base of the falls
- The Warringa Pool track
- The Great Walk from O’Reilly’s (Lamington) to Springbrook, unless a separate alert says otherwise
What it means for your day
- It’s now an out-and-back walk from Gwongorella, not a loop. Expect a steady climb on the way back out of the gorge.
- Combine it with the Twin Falls circuit for a full morning on the plateau. Twin Falls is unaffected by these works, though the Tallanbana toilets are closed until 29 January 2027.
- Don’t go around barriers. The causeway area is an active work site.
We’ll update this page if QPWS changes the dates. See the full Purling Brook Falls guide.