Buderim Forest Park Waterfall Walk
Located about an hour and 20 minutes north of Brisbane, on the Sunshine Coast, Buderim Forest Park has a hike to a waterfall in addition to another longer hike.
The waterfall hike is a circuit walk, or you could walk back the way you came, as the waterfall is in the middle of the hike.
One direction is steeper and has more stairs, while the other section is a little bit longer but less steep.
My family hiked to Buderim Falls using the shorter and steeper way to begin with, followed by the circuit walk on the way back to our car.
Keep reading to find out more about the waterfall walk at Buderim Forest Park, as well as more things to do with kids in Buderim.
Buderim Forest Park
West of Mooloolaba on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is a 45-hectare park with hiking trails, picnic tables, and toilets.
Dogs are not permitted on the trails in Buderim Forest Park.
There are two entrances to Buderim Forest Park. One is along Lindsay Road, and the other is the Quorn Close entrance. Both areas have parking lots and picnic tables.
The Lindsay Road entrance has a boardwalk at the beginning, which is pram and wheelchair accessible.
Hiking from one entrance to the other takes about 45 minutes and is 1300 meters long.
Buderim Waterfall Walk
We met at the Quorn Close entrance, as the plan was to hike to Buderim Waterfall, otherwise known as Serenity Falls.
Toilets and picnic tables are located right by the parking lot at the Quorn Close entrance.
To begin, there is one trail that includes stairs that can be steep depending on the time of year. The stairs are made of dirt, which may be washed away, making them steeper.
Quickly, the trail is separated, and both paths lead to the same place.
We opted to take the shorter route to the waterfall, which was only about 200 meters long. There are lots of steps, and it is quite steep. As it is only 200 meters long, the walk doesn’t take much time to complete.
You walk over a bridge where you can view the waterfall, down more stairs, and arrive at Serenity Waterfall.
There are rocks to climb and a few pools of water in addition to the waterfall and the water around it.
We chose to complete the circuit on the way back by walking the longer but less steep hike that is about 300 meters long.
Serenity Waterfall
As we arrived at the waterfall early, there weren’t many people there. Our kids were the first ones in the water, though people arrived soon after us and joined them.
The water was cold as we hiked in early September.
Both the hike and the area at the waterfall are shaded.
As it became closer to lunchtime, more families and groups arrived. Some set up picnic blankets on the flat rocks and ate lunch while the kids splashed in the water.
Our kids swam for a while before checking out the other water pools and playing on the rocks.
Buderim Forest Park Picnic
A few picnic tables are located by the entrance to the Buderim Waterfall Walk.
We had someone in our group stay back to reserve a table as we were in a big group celebrating a birthday. The other picnic table also had a birthday celebration taking place.
There is a BBQ located by the picnic tables as well as a trash bin.
More Things to Do in Buderim
Buderim Village Park
Bring a picnic to Buderim Village Park and let the kids run around.
A wide variety of events and activities take place at Buderim Village Park throughout the year, including a garden festival, Australia Day, and a Christmas Fair.
Buderim Steam Train Tramway Walk
If you walk the entire thing, the Buderim Tramway Walk is 4 kilometers long and mostly flat.
Signs explaining what the area once was are located throughout the walk, and there are maps with more information near the beginning of the walk.
Buderim Village
Buderim Village has a few shops and restaurants in a central location.
While most of the shops are adult boutiques, there is a children’s shop called Kuddly Kids, as well as a book shop and a few op-shops.
Bats Theatre Company
See what is playing at Bats Theatre Company, a theatre in Buderim.
More Things to Do on the Sunshine Coast with Kids
- Best Things to Do on the Sunshine Coast
- Bli Bli Aqua Park
- Ginger Factory
- Wild Life HQ Night Zoo
- Maleny
- Montville
- Kid-Friendly Restaurants on the Sunshine Coast
- Rainy Day Things to do on the Sunshine Coast
Buderim Forest Walk Wrap-Up
If you are in the area, Buderim Forest has a nice and short hike that leads to a waterfall where you can swim.
Bring a picnic to enjoy, or after your hike, head to one of the restaurants at Buderim Village.
This hike is family-friendly and appropriate for kids. It is fun for kids as they get to swim at the waterfall partway through the hike.
Arrive early for fewer crowds, especially if you are hoping to get one of the picnic tables near the entrance.
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