Three Queensland parks in the top ten!
A recent poll hosted by Queensland outdoor gear manufacturer, Alton Goods, identified Australia’s Top 10 National Parks
Australia is spoiled when it comes to national parks. From tropical rainforests and rugged mountains to red deserts and wild coastlines, we’ve got a nature fix for every kind of adventurer.
And with well over 600 national parks across the country, you could spend a lifetime exploring all of them.
But with so many incredible parks to choose from, we had to ask the big question: what are the BEST national parks in Australia?
To find the answers, we turned to the real experts – you!
Over 2,700 Aussie campers, hikers, and nature lovers voted for their favourite national parks across the country in our most recent 2025 Outdoor Participation Survey.
The result?
A top 10 list packed with the very best of Australia’s national parks. These are your go-to local parks that every adventure-lover should visit at least once in their lifetime.
Get ready for jaw-dropping views, epic trails, endangered wildlife, and unforgettable adventures that you’ll be talking about for the rest of your life.
Ready to see which parks made the cut? Let’s dive in.
And the great news for Outdoors Queensland – three in the top ten are in Queensland!
Here’s the full list
- Blue Mountains National Park (NSW)
- Kosciuszko National Park (NSW)
- Grampians National Park (VIC)
- Wilsons Promontory National Park (VIC)
- Tasman National Park (TAS)
- D’Aguilar National Park (QLD) – see what they have to say below
- Mount Barney National Park (QLD) – see more below
- Southwest National Park (TAS)
- Warrumbungle National Park (NSW)
- Great Sandy National Park (QLD) – check it out below
Just outside of Brisbane, D’Aguilar National Park can provide a much-needed escape from the city, with rainforests, secluded waterfalls, and a huge selection of multi-use tracks for hiking, biking, horse-riding and more.
Nature & Landscape
Covering around 400km2 of bushland, D’Aguilar is divided into two main sections: South D’Aguilar (previously Brisbane Forest Park) and Mount Mee. Together, these two areas form a part of the D’Aguilar Range, which rises from the surrounding lowlands to create a cool, forested retreat close to the city.
Boasting over 100 km of walking trails, visitors to D’Aguilar can explore a wide variety of landscapes, including eucalypt forests, subtropical rainforest, hoop pine plantations, rocky outcrops, and seasonal creeks.
D’Aguilar National Park’s rainforest gullies and high ridges also provide an important refuge for threatened species and are part of a broader conservation corridor linking this area to the Moreton Bay region. As a result, this area is an important habitat for rare marsupials, birds, reptiles, and insects.
Top Activities
D’Aguilar is one of the most accessible national parks on our list today, with walking tracks and activities suitable for all fitness and experience levels. This makes it a favourite destination for families, day-trippers, and campers who are eager for a relaxing weekend escape.
That said, there is no shortage of tracks or activities for those craving a challenge. Because there are so many trails and bush campsites throughout the park, you can easily create your own multi-day circuits, which can be completed on foot, bicycle, or even on horseback in some areas.
Another one of our personal favourites, Mount Barney National Park, made it onto your top 10 best National Parks list.
Located in the Scenic Rim, Mount Barney National Park is only about 90 kms south of Brisbane, but it’s a must-visit for experienced hikers who are keen to push their limits (and aren’t afraid of heights).
Nature & Landscape
Mount Barney forms part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, a designated UNESCO-listed site. The rainforests found there are direct descendants of the forests that once covered the Gondwana supercontinent, making this area one of the oldest continuous ecosystems in the world.
At the heart of the park is Mount Barney, one of Queensland’s most impressive mountains, rising to 1,359 metres above sea-level. The surrounding landscape includes a network of other volcanic peaks, along with steep ridges, deep valleys, and crystal-clear creeks.
If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a rare brush-tailed rock-wallaby, or spot a lyrebird slinking through the undergrowth. These species and others like them thrive in this park’s remote and relatively undisturbed habitats.
Top Activities
Hiking, scrambling and rock climbing are Mount Barney National Park’s most popular activities. While being fairly close to Brisbane, this park is known for its difficult hikes. In fact, all the tracks there are rated Grade 4 or higher, meaning that walkers need prior bushwalking experience, some navigation skills, and a high level of fitness.
If you’re up for the challenge, then there are some rewarding day hikes here, including the Lower Portals track which leads to a deep freshwater pool at the base of a steep, rocky gorge.
There are several routes up to the summit of Mount Barney, but attempting any of these tracks is a serious undertaking that requires a high level of bushwalking experience, including navigation skills, climbing/scrambling, and emergency first-aid. Summiting should only be attempted in good weather conditions, as the rocks become very slippery when wet.
Great Sandy National Park is a huge coastal park in Queensland with over 2,000km² of stunning beaches, dunes, mangroves, freshwater lakes, heathlands, and rainforests to explore.
Recognised as one of the most culturally and environmentally significant parks in all of Australia, Great Sandy National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (K’gari), UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Nature & Landscape
The park has two sections, Cooloola Recreation Area and K’gari (previously Fraser Island), that both contain stunning and geologically unique landscapes and marine environments.
Spanning the coastline between Noosa Heads and Rainbow Beach, Cooloola Recreation Area is home to a vast array of habitats and microclimates, from towering sand dunes and coastal heathlands to lush rainforests and everglades.
Just off the coast, you’ll find K’gari, the world’s largest sand island. Stretching over 120 kms, K’gari is one of the most unique environments on earth. Shaped by the sand, wind and sea over hundreds of thousands of years, the island’s complex dune systems support dense forests, swamps, and freshwater lakes.
Great Sandy National Park is an internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot, with habitats ranging from wetlands and woodlands to beaches and marine environments.
The park is famous for its dingoes, but is also home to wallabies, sugar gliders, lace monitors, and more than 350 bird species including emus, honeyeaters, and the endangered eastern ground parrots. Marine life includes dolphins, dugongs, turtles, and migrating humpback whales.
Top Activities
From hiking, bird-watching, kayaking, fishing and 4WDing, Great Sandy National Park has something for everyone. Highlights include the Cooloola Great Walk, the Cooloola Way 4WD track, and exploring the Upper Noosa River waterway by kayak, canoe or packraft. And that’s just scratching the surface of what’s on offer!
Read the full story: Australia’s Top 10 National Parks (As Voted by 2,700+ Aussies)
Our thanks to Alton Goods for hosting this poll and for allowing us to share the results and the stunning images, and perhaps more importantly, congratulations to Alton Goods for being a top Queensland outdoor gear manufacturer – if you haven’t discovered their products yet, you really do need to check them out.
PS I’ve been sleeping on one of their mats for a couple of years and it really is very comfy! Mark 🙂
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