We get it—there’s only so many times you can take your kids to the park and push them on a swing before just letting them loose in a fenced dog park while you sit down with a good book suddenly starts to sound appealing. Remember the days when your weekends were spent hiking, going on day trips or picnicking in the park with a nice cheese board and a six-pack of seltzers?
Well, you might still have to leave the booze at home, but if you want to get out for a day of hiking and picnicking with the little people in tow, we’ve got you covered with the best kid-friendly hikes in and around Brisbane, plenty of which are surrounded by shady picnic spots. So pack the snacks and water bottles, hat everyone up and get on a nice, meandering trail. Bonus, those seltzers will be nice and chilled for when you all get home, sweaty, covered in a variety of snack crumbs and missing somebody’s shoe.
Toohey Forest Reserve
Nathan
It might be a mere 20 minutes from the CBD, but at the Toohey Forest Reserve you can just about feel like you’ve ventured all the way to the Granite Belt. A multitude of tracks meanders through a forest dotted with sandstone boulders, and you can walk for as little or as long as you like, with most of the walks classed as easy or moderate. You might even spot koalas, lizards and kookaburras along the way (or at least keep the kids occupied trying to spot them). Afterwards, there’s three different picnic areas where you can stretch out on a rug with a sandwich.
Daisy Hill Conservation Park
Daisy Hill
There’s so much to see on a stroll through Daisy Hill Conservation Park, which features multiple levels of trails, including a boardwalk that’s wheelchair and stroller-friendly. You can just head out looking for wallabies, or make the old quarry, which is now a placid lake, your goal. Just watch out for bikes and horses on the trails, as the park is mixed use.
Mt Coot-tha Reserve
Mt Coot-tha
If you’ve got kids old enough that you won’t need to piggyback them uphill (unless you’re willing to throw them in the Baby Bjorn for that extra burn), the short walk up to the summit of Mt Coot-tha is a good way to introduce them to mountain hikes—especially since you can all stop for ice cream with a view at the top. The 1.9km walk takes about 30 minutes each way, but if that all sounds too hard (for you, if not the children), there’s also a handful of shorter, flatter trails around the reserve.
Enoggera Reservoir
The Gap
Not only is the flat, 5km circuit around Enoggera Reservoir perfect for families, but the reservoir itself provides an opportunity to cool down with a swim after your walk. The next door Walkabout Creek Cafe means you don’t even have to pack a picnic if peanut butter sandwiches are about as creative as you get in the kitchen, and it’s all only 30 minutes from the city.
Rainforest Circuit
Mount Glorious
One of the many walks in the mammoth D’Aguilar National Park, the Rainforest Circuit is ideal for young hikers. Winding through towering fig trees and over crystal clear creeks, it’s beautifully shady (great if you’re kid won’t keep a hat on for love or money) and cool, with a day use area to make use of before or after your hike.
Hungry after your hike? Check out Brisbane's best kid-friendly cafes here.
Image credit: Urban List archives