Samford Conservation Park

Six hundred hectares of ironbark forest between Ferny Hills and Samford Village, about 20 km north west of the Brisbane CBD, laced with a network of shared trails that runs from a 143 metre stroll to a full day on foot. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service permits dogs on leash here, which is rare enough for a Queensland conservation park to be the reason most people come. The catch is that the permission does not cover every track in the park.

The walk. There is no single Samford walk. The park map lays out a dozen named trails off two entry points and you build your own day from them. The short ones are Bergin Creek at 143 m, Mopoke at 240 m, Water Tank at 423 m and Sunrise at 430 m one way. The middle distances are Pipeline at 700 m, Lorikeet at 893 m and the Fitness Trail at 1.7 km. The long ones are Sunset at 2.2 km one way, Whipsnake at 2.3 km, Bandicoot at 2.5 km and Kombi at 2.7 km one way. String the shared trails together and AllTrails logs a 10.3 km circuit taking around three hours at a moderate grade. If you want something shorter and signed to start with, Ironbark Gully Loop runs from the main picnic area and is the gentlest introduction to the park.

The rules. Dogs are permitted on leash, and the leash is not optional at any point. The limit that matters is the trail classification. The park map splits the network into shared trails open to walkers, mountain bikers and horse riders, shared trails for walkers and bikes only, and mountain bike only trails. Dogs belong on the shared trails and not on the mountain bike only ones. Read the junction markers before you turn, because the categories interleave and it is easy to drift onto a bike trail without noticing. Bag your dog's waste and carry it out; the bins are at the picnic areas, not on the trails. Trail bikes are prohibited throughout.

Hazards. Several of the management road breaks are marked very steep on the park map, and steep here means a loose surface on a descent. Horse riders use the same trails, and a leashed dog lunging at a horse is the accident waiting to happen on this network. Mountain bikes come through at speed from either direction.

Water. Bergin Creek runs through the park and holds water after rain, but it is seasonal and not something to plan a hot day around. There is none on the trails, so carry what the pair of you will get through.

Getting there. Ironbark Gully picnic area off Samford Road is the main entrance, with parking, toilets, sheltered picnic tables and wood, fuel and coin operated barbecues. There is wheelchair access at the picnic area, though it may need assistance. The Lomandra warm up area is the second entry point and is used mainly by mountain bikers, so the Ironbark Gully end is the calmer arrival with a dog. Ferny Grove is the nearest railway station, and the Samford to Ferny Grove Cycle Link reaches the park boundary for anyone coming without a car.

Nearby with the dogs. Bunyaville Conservation Park is the obvious pairing, a similar patch of forest a few minutes east with the same on leash arrangement. For off leash running, Samford Parklands Fenced Dog Park is the closest fenced ground and Thomsett Park Fenced Dog Park is closer still to the Ferny Hills side. Afterwards, Bloom & Bean and Banksia & Birch are both in Samford Valley, ten minutes up the road.

When to go. Winter and early spring, when the forest is dry underfoot and the temperature suits a long circuit. Weekday mornings are quiet; Sunday mornings bring the bikes out in numbers, which is the main reason to shift your walk. In summer, start early and keep it to the shorter tracks near Ironbark Gully. Good for big runners who need distance rather than speed, and for anyone who would rather build their own loop than follow one.

Sources

• Samford Conservation Park | Brisbane · parks.qld.gov.au
• Samford Conservation Park map: Shared trails and park facilities · parks.des.qld.gov.au

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.