Mt Coot-tha Summit Track

Easy

Family Friendly Rainforest Summit Waterfall

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A well-maintained, heavily used out-and-back track from JC Slaughter Falls picnic area to the Mt Coot-tha Lookout through sub-tropical rainforest and eucalypt forest, one of Brisbane's most popular walks.

☰ Trail details

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Distance

1.32 km

Est. time

21 min

Elevation gain

15 m

Route type

Out & back

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In an emergency

Call 000 for police, fire or ambulance — Australia's emergency number works even with a weak signal, and without a SIM if any carrier has coverage.

You're in Mt Coot-tha Reserve / D'Aguilar National Park, Brisbane, QLD. Mobile reception in this area is not guaranteed — this is exactly why the offline map and GPS position on this page work without signal.

Tell someone your plan and expected return time before you set off. A PLB is the most reliable backup where there's no reception at all.

Tracks & plans

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Species to look for on this trail

Ancient trees and rare flora confirmed in this park. Spot one? Add it as a sighting pin below.

Lilaeopsis brisbanicaDocumented on this trail

Lilaeopsis brisbanica

Endangered — QLD: Endangered▾

Endangered — QLD: Endangered

Lilaeopsis is a genus of aquatic and riparian flowering plants in the umbel family Apiaceae, which earns them the common name 'water umbels'. Lilaeopsis are primarily found along the Pacific coast of the Americas, from southern Alaska to Tierra del Fuego and southern Patagonia, as well as the Falkland Islands and some Caribbean and Oceanic islands. One species, L. mauritiana, is found on the Indian Ocean islands of Madagascar and Mauritius.

How to spot it

Real occurrence confirmed near Mt Coot-tha Reserve / D'Aguilar National Park (Atlas of Living Australia, 2018) — no separate physical description was available on Wikipedia for this species, see the source link for more.

Family Apiaceae · Source: Atlas of Living Australia + Wikipedia: Lilaeopsis brisbanica

Aristolochia praevenosaDocumented on this trail

Aristolochia praevenosa

Near Threatened — QLD: Near threatened▾

Near Threatened — QLD: Near threatened

Aristolochia praevenosa, synonym Pararistolochia praevenosa, is an Australian plant in the birthwort family, native to Queensland and New South Wales. The Richmond birdwing butterfly vine grows in subtropical rainforest in coastal areas north from Wollongbar, in far north eastern New South Wales and adjacent areas in south eastern Queensland. It has been recorded as far north as the Mary River. It also grows in tropical north eastern Queensland, where it is a food plant for the Cairns birdwing butterfly.

How to spot it

Aaristolochia praevenosa grows as a large woody vine, characterized by dense brown hairs on leaf stems, shoots and flowering parts. The ovate to elliptic shaped leaves measure from 7 to 25 cm (3–10 in) long, and 2.5 to 8 cm (1–3.4 in) wide. The base of the leaf is heart shaped or rounded. The leaf surface is a dull dark green above, and hairy below, particularly on the leaf veins. The leaf stems are 1 to 3 cm (0.4–1.2 in) long, thick and twisted. Two to six tubular shaped flowers form on racemes

Family Aristolochiaceae · Source: Atlas of Living Australia + Wikipedia: Aristolochia praevenosa

Wildlife you might see on this trail

Animals confirmed in this park. Spot one? Add it as a sighting pin below.

Tusked Frog

Adelotus brevis

Vulnerable — QLD: Vulnerable▾

Vulnerable — QLD: Vulnerable

The tusked frog is a species of ground-dwelling frog native to eastern Australia from Eungella National Park, Queensland south to Ourimbah, New South Wales. It is the only species in the genus Adelotus - adelotus meaning "unseen" and brevis meaning "short".

How to spot it

The tusked frog is a unique frog within Australia, as it is the only species where the female is smaller than male. Males can reach a maximum length of about 5 centimetres (2.0 in), while females reach 4 centimetres (1.6 in). The common name of "tusked frog" derives from the small protrusions on the lower jaw, similar in position to tusks, which can reach about 5 millimetres (0.20 in) in length in males (only visible when the mouth is open). The pair of bony tusks are modified teeth that protrud

Family Limnodynastidae · Source: Atlas of Living Australia + Wikipedia: Tusked Frog

Red-Tailed Tropicbird

Phaethon rubricauda

Vulnerable — NSW: Vulnerable, QLD: Vulnerable, WA: Near-Threatened, CAMBA: Listed, JAMBA: Listed▾

Vulnerable — NSW: Vulnerable, QLD: Vulnerable, WA: Near-Threatened, CAMBA: Listed, JAMBA: Listed

The red-tailed tropicbird is a seabird native to tropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. One of three closely related species of tropicbird (Phaethontidae), it was described by Pieter Boddaert in 1783. Superficially resembling a tern in appearance, it has almost all-white plumage with a black mask and a red bill. The sexes have similar plumage. As referenced in the common name, adults have red tail streamers that are about twice their body length. Four subspecies are recognised, but there is evidence of clinal variation in body size—with smaller birds in the north and larger in the south—and hence no grounds for subspecies.

How to spot it

Real occurrence confirmed near Mt Coot-tha Reserve / D'Aguilar National Park (Atlas of Living Australia, 1981) — no separate physical description was available on Wikipedia for this species, see the source link for more.

Family Phaethontidae · Source: Atlas of Living Australia + Wikipedia: Phaethon rubricauda

White-Throated Needletail

Hirundapus caudacutus

Vulnerable — AUS: Vulnerable, ACT: Vulnerable, NSW: Vulnerable, QLD: Vulnerable, VIC: Vulnerable, WA: Migratory, CAMBA: Listed, JAMBA: Listed, ROKAMBA: Listed▾

Vulnerable — AUS: Vulnerable, ACT: Vulnerable, NSW: Vulnerable, QLD: Vulnerable, VIC: Vulnerable, WA: Migratory, CAMBA: Listed, JAMBA: Listed, ROKAMBA: Listed

The white-throated needletail, also known as the needle-tailed swift or spine-tailed swift, is a large swift in the genus Hirundapus. It is reputed to reach speeds of up to 170 km/h (110 mph) in horizontal flight, but this is unverified because the methods used to measure its speed have not been published. 75 km/h (47 mph) is more likely, but this is still at least 100 times the bird's length per second.

How to spot it

Real occurrence confirmed near Mt Coot-tha Reserve / D'Aguilar National Park (Atlas of Living Australia, 1989) — no separate physical description was available on Wikipedia for this species, see the source link for more.

Family Apodidae · Source: Atlas of Living Australia + Wikipedia: Hirundapus caudacutus