The best family-friendly hikes and walks in An.Ki.Da Nature Refuge

Warringa Pool is a deep, clear swimming hole along Little Nerang Creek, surrounded by dense rainforest. One of the few places in the park where swimming is permitted, the pool is fed by a small cascade at its upper end, with smooth rock edges and a more sheltered setting than the main falls. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning “cool place.” It’s reached via a short side track off the main circuit near the base of Purling Brook Falls. Getting to the pool involves uneven ground and rocky surfaces, which can be slippery, especially after rain. However, the pool is best visited after heavy rainfall.

Canyon Lookout is a great viewpoint, with a safety rail, that looks across the volcanic gorge toward Mount Warning and the Tweed Valley. From where the trees break and expose the cliffside, there are layers of ancient basalt and rhyolite cliffs and waterfalls after rain.

The Purling Brook Falls Circuit is a Grade 3 loop that typically takes about two hours to complete from the Gwongorella picnic area. It descends through open eucalypt forest into a rainforest gorge, offering views of the falls from both the top and base, before crossing a suspension bridge and climbing back to the plateau. The track is well-formed but includes steep sections, steps and cliff-edge environments, so moderate fitness and care are recommended, especially for families walking with small children.

The John Stacey Suspension Bridge spans Little Nerang Creek below Purling Brook Falls, forming a key link in the walking circuit through the gorge. Opened in 2015, it provides elevated vantage points both upstream to the waterfall and downstream to smaller cascades while allowing visitors to avoid landslip-prone sections of the old track. The bridge and associated track upgrades were designed to improve safety and reconnect the circuit within the World Heritage-listed rainforest.

This lookout is a short walk from the Gwongorella Picnic Ground, providing an elevated vantage point near the top of the escarpment. From the platform, you can look across the gorge toward the waterfall as it plunges roughly 100 metres into the rainforest valley below, with views extending over the surrounding hinterland. It's one of the easiest ways to experience the scale of the falls without completing the full circuit walk.

Blackfellows Falls is a tall, thin cascade that drops into a steep, forested gorge along the track. The waterfall is most often viewed from a dedicated lookout, which frames the vertical drop against the cliff face. Surrounded by subtropical forest, it’s an impressive highlight of the walk.

Twin Falls is a pair of cascades dropping into a rock pool, framed by sheer cliffs and lush rainforest. The circuit track passes directly behind the falls, allowing close views of the cascade and surrounding gorge walls. The flow varies seasonally, but the falls remain one of Springbrook’s most photographed features.

The Twin Falls Circuit begins at this monument that recognises the Yugambeh language names and cultural meanings connected to the landscape. From here, the popular loop descends through subtropical rainforest toward waterfalls, rock overhangs, and creek crossings. The well-formed track includes stairs and viewpoints of the park’s layered cliffs and forested gorge along the way.