Glasshouse Mountains Lookout and Mount Ngungun Summit Hike with Kids
The Glasshouse Mountains offer a lot of hiking trails, but which ones are suitable for hiking with kids?
We have been to the Glasshouse Mountains a few times, as it makes for a great day trip from Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast.
Keep reading to find out more about the Glasshouse Mountains, including which ones can be climbed.
What are the Glasshouse Mountains?
The Glasshouse Mountains, a group of mountains formed by volcanoes, are located on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, about an hour north of Brisbane.
The Glasshouse Mountains consist of 13 different mountains, spread out, and they range from 109 to 556 meters high.
Not all of the Glasshouse Mountains are hikable and most of them are not suitable for hiking with kids.
More information on the history of the Glasshouse Mountains and the mythology behind them can be found here.
What Glasshouse Mountains can be climbed?
Currently, the following mountains are available for hikers to climb.
- Mount Gnungun 253m
- Mount Tibrogargan* 364m
- Mount Tunbubudla East 312m
- Mount Tunbubudla West 293m
- Mount Tiberoowuccum 220m
- Mount Beerburrum 278m
- Wild Horse Mountain 123m
- Mount Miketeebumulgrai 199m
- Mount Coochin/the Coochin Hills 235m and 230m
- Mount Elimbah 129m
- Mount Ninderry 306m
- Mount Beerwah* 556m
At this time, the following mountains are not open to the public.
- Mount Coonowrin 377m
The Glasshouse Mountains have a spiritual significance to the Aboriginal people of the region. They request that visitors do not climb Mount Beerwah or Mount Tibrogargan.
Glasshouse Mountains Lookout Track Hike with Kids
Located in the Beerburrum and Beerwah State Forrest is the Glasshouse Mountains Lookout. There is a parking lot, toilets, and a faucet to fill up water bottles.
The area was busy, but not full when we arrived after lunch. Lots of people were on the lookout, taking pictures of the Glasshouse Mountains. It is impossible to get all the mountains into 1 shot unless you combine them in a panoramic picture.
The round lookout includes a map of the mountains so that you are aware of what you are looking at.
The Glasshouse Mountains Lookout Track is not a circuit, but it is close to one. The 800-meter track starts at one end of the parking lot and finishes at the other. We started at the track between the lookouts, as that is what we first saw, though it is probably easier to start at the other end, at the top of the parking lot.
Lookout Track is a grade 3 hike, and they say that it should take around 45 minutes.
We didn’t time our hike, but it definitely did not take us 45 minutes. The sun was strong, as it was mid-afternoon, and we walked fairly quickly without stopping. Surprisingly, our kids did not even ask to stop for a snack on this hike.
There are stairs, especially at the end (for those who start in the middle of the lookouts).
We saw a few birds and giant lizards on our hike, though it was hard to get good pictures of them.
Lanie’s Tip: Bring a hat, sunscreen, and water along on the Glasshouse Mountains Lookout Track Hike.
Mount Ngungun Summit Hike with Kids
After completing the lookout track, we drove to Mount Ngungun to hike some more. For some reason, Mark thought that the hike was 40 minutes long, but had we stopped to read the sign, we would have seen that it is a grade 4 hike that takes about 2 hours to hike.
The parking lot was busy, and there were a lot of hikers heading to Mount Ngungun Summit.
There is a faucet to refill your water bottles at the bottom of the hike.
Even though it is a grade 4 hike, Mount Ngungun is considered the easiest of hikes in the Glasshouse Mountains, and many families, including families with small children, were hiking to the Mount Ngungun summit.
The bottom of the hike has ferns all around. The ground is rocky, and while there are many stairs, they are made out of rocks.
Halfway up, there is a great view of Mount Tibrogargan. There are rock benches that you can sit on and rest, and enjoy the view. From there, you can see a large rock cave.
I decided to stop there, and the kids begged their dad to continue to the top of the summit. At this point, we didn’t know how much further the hike was going to be.
The Climb to the Summit of Mount Ngungun
They almost gave up, but continued and made it to the top of the summit about 15 minutes later. All 3 of them really enjoyed it and spent a lot of time at the top of Mount Ngungun.
All in all, I had about an hour to sit and enjoy the view on my own, which I do not regret. I do believe that I could have made it to the top of Mount Ngungun had I known what kind of hike to prepare for.
While I was under the impression that I was walking a 40-minute circuit hike, the Mount Ngungun Summit is a 2.8 km return hike with an estimated 2-hour time frame.
The hike is steep in many parts, and there are a lot of rocks to climb. Heading down was not as hard as I imagined, but even my extremely independent 7-year-old was willing to hold someone’s hand to climb down.
What to bring for hiking the Glasshouse Mountains with Kids
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Shoes suitable for hiking, as the rocks can get slippery
- Refillable water bottle
- Snacks
More Sunshine Coast Hikes with Kids
We completed some hikes on the Sunshine Coast with the kids when we first moved to Australia.
Fig Tree Walk is a very easy hike for kids, and Mount Tinbeerwah Lookout is not as flat, but also a short and easy hike for kids.
If you are looking for something flat, check out the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve Rainforest Walk.
For a short walk to a waterfall where you can swim, try the Buderim Forest Park Waterfall walk.
Those who want beach views can hike the Noosa National Park walk to the fairy pools. This is the first hike we did when we arrived in Australia.
More Fun on the Sunshine Coast
- Maleny
- Montville
- Cooroy
- Bli Bli Aqua Park
- Ginger Factory
- Things to Do on the Sunshine Coast
- Things to Do When It Is Raining on the Sunshine Coast
- Kid-Friendly Restaurants on the Sunshine Coast
- Wildlife HQ
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