Hiking to the Noosa Fairy Pools with Kids
Are you planning to hike to the Noosa Fairy Pools with kids?
There aren’t any fairies at the Fairy Pools in Noosa National Park, but there is a beautiful kid-friendly hike through Noosa National Park. However, if you mention fairies, it makes hiking with my kids a whole lot easier.
The Fairy Pools are located in Noosa National Park, about a 30-40 minute hike away from the car park.
My family hiked to the Noosa Fairy Pools soon after we moved nearby. It was my daughter’s #1 thing to do after we moved.
Keep reading to find out more about how to get to the Noosa Fairy Pools and what they are like once you find them.
Parking at Noosa National Park
We read that you need to get to Noosa National Park early, as there is not much parking. We arrived a few minutes after 8 am, and it was packed.
Lots of people were walking in from the town, and we circled the parking lot a few times before we found a surfer leaving. It looked like a few surfers were done around 8, which made space for the families that were arriving.
I didn’t get a picture, but we did see a surfboard attached to a motorcycle.
You have to park and hike to the Noosa Fairy Pools, which isn’t always easy with kids. The walk is about 2.5 kilometers from the car park to the fairy pools.
Hiking to the Fairy Pools at Noosa National Park
The beginning of the walk is on a concrete trail. M complained that it was not a real hike. A few people pushed strollers, and about half carried surfboards.
There are many walking trails at the park, of varying difficulty. About halfway to the fairy pools, the path turns to dirt.
As we walked along the path, we could watch the surfers in the water. To get down to the beaches, you had to climb down rocks or rock stairs.
There is a swimming beach right before the park entrance.
The signs on the beaches in the park say that swimming is not advised. Some of the beaches have sand (instead of being all rocks), and some families are set up there anyway, despite the signs.
It was overcast on the walk there, and I could not tell if it was shady as well. There were trees over the path for most of the way, but the sun was covered by clouds. It even sprinkled for a minute, but luckily it never full-on rained.
Climbing to The Fairy Pools in Noosa with Kids
To get to the fairy pools, we had to climb down rocks.
While the kids enjoyed this part the most, I have never been steady on my feet. I ended up climbing down most of the way and then sitting on a rock while Mark took the kids the rest of the way to the water.
Inside the Noosa Fairy Pools with Kids
Different groups of people were in the pools before and after my family, but they had it by themselves for a few minutes.
The area where they are in the picture above is shallow, and there is a little seat where most people stay.
It gets deep pretty quickly, and there are large waves that are landing about halfway in the pool.
It is a bit difficult for an adult alone with multiple kids.
The kids want to be independent and swim around. They did not last too long in the fairy pools.
The group after them kept jumping off the rocks and into the water. I am glad that my kids did not see that, as they would have wanted to do the same.
We left the fairy pools around 10 am, and by then the sky was blue, and the sun had come out.
The kids wanted to swim some more, so we walked back to the first beach from the parking lot. Mark had noticed it on the way in.
By the time we got there, the tide had come in, and there wasn’t as much room to play, but the kids liked being able to climb down the rocks and sit in the water.
I sat on the rocks and watched the surfers while the kids played in the water.
The waves kept crashing against the rock and occasionally filled up the area with water.
Noosa National Park Entrance to the Fairy Pools
We got back to the car around 11:30, and there were still people circling the lot for spots. Round-trip, we walked about 5.6 kilometers.
The kids were tired, so we got in the car and drove into the town.
Noosa is a cute little beach town with lots of shops and restaurants. We didn’t get to walk around too much, just in a couple of stores, before Z insisted on eating at Zachary’s Pizza.
We have been back to Noosa a few times, and it is always crowded.
Items to Bring on Your Hike to the Fairy Pools
- Long-sleeved swim shirt
- sunscreen
- water bottles
- snacks
- hat
Noosa National Park Wrap Up
While the actual hike is nice, I would save the fairy pools for teens and adults. They are just a bit dangerous for little kids, even kids who are good swimmers.
It could be different depending on the time of day, but the waves were huge on our visit.
Arrive early to get a parking spot, or at least arrive with plenty of time to circle and find one.
While there are beaches at Noosa National Park, they are not swimming beaches. If you want to swim, head to one of the beaches with lifeguards.
Hiking with Kids on the Sunshine Coast
- Mount Tinbeerwah
- Fig Tree Walk
- Glasshouse Mountains
- Mary Cairncross Scenic Rainforest Reserve
- Buderim Forest Park Waterfall Walk
Noosa with Kids
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