LOCAL WALKS
Coolum to Point Arkwright – 2.5km one way (click here)
The beautiful foreshore walk to Point Arkwright is a 5.1-km out-and-back trail that snakes over sandy tracks through cliff top bush providing stunning lookouts along the way. If you walk from the surf club, you’ll use the boardwalk to climb past First and Second Bays and then through bush, to Third Bay – all of which have stairs leading to the beach. This is one of the best coastal walks on the Sunshine Coast. Your dog is welcome, too, but must be on a leash. Enjoy.
Stunning local walks 
Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walks
Short walks for day visitors
Always walk within a group and choose walks to suit your groups experience and fitness levels. Be aware that mobile phones are not reliable in this area. For information about staying safe while visiting national parks, please read the guidelines: Planning your walk and Walk safely—information specifically provided for this Great Walk, and refer to Safety in parks and forests information.
Half day walks
Baroon Pocket Dam to Baroon Lookout—2.2 km one way (allow 1–2 hrs)
Starting at the Baroon Pocket Dam the walk passes through open woodland ridges and crosses bridges and boardwalks over palm- and vine-forested streams. The Narrows Lookout provides a unique view over the Narrows Gorge. Further up the track a boardwalk is in place to protect the habitat of the rare hip-pocket frog Assa darlingtoni. The Baroon lookout offers views of Obi Obi Gorge, Baroon Pocket Dam and its catchment.
Mapleton Falls National Park to Mapleton National Park (Delicia Road entrance)—2.1 km one way (allow 1 hr 30 mins)
From the Mapleton Falls lookout, follow signs through the picnic area to join the Wompoo Circuit. At the circuit’s upper end, the Great Walk leads west out of the park onto Daymar Road. Watch for traffic as the track crosses Delicia Road and enters open forest to the Delicia Road entrance
Delicia Road entrance to Mapleton day-use area—3 km one way (allow 2 hrs)
The tracks and boardwalks lead through wet eucalypt forest and a palm grove. Walkers share the last 1.2 km section with mountain-bike riders and horse riders.
Mapleton National Park protects a significant tall, wet sclerophyll community, with a canopy dominated by blackbutt, turpentine, brush box and flooded gum. The reserve provides habitat for two endangered frog species, wallabies and diverse bird life.
Flaxton Mill Road to Baxter Creek suspension bridge—6.2 km return (allow 4–5 hrs)
From Flaxton Mill Road car park the walk leads through open eucalypt forest, past rocky outcrops and down hill to Baxter Creek with its beautiful waterfall. Turn around at the Baxter Creek suspension bridge and return to your car along the same walking track. This walk requires a reasonable level of fitness as the uphill return walk is quite steep in places.
Full day walks (only one-way distances shown)
For these walks you would need to park a car at each end of your walk or organise for a friend or taxi to drop off and/or collect your group.
For detailed track information see relevant sections of ‘The Entire Great Walk’ track information.
Baroon Pocket Dam to Kondalilla National Park
10 km one way (allow 5 hrs walking time)
Mapleton day-use area to Gheerulla camping area (Sam Kelly Road)
11.8 km one way (allow 6 hrs walking time)
Mapleton National Park (Delicia Road entrance) (M4) to Gheerulla Falls
7.3 km one way (allow 4–5 hrs)