Gold Mine Picnic Area Walk

Old mine workings, history plaques and a bubbler by the car park make the Gold Mine Picnic Area a tidy base for a short bush walk on Mount Coot-tha. Dogs are welcome on the reserve's designated tracks, on lead at all times.

The walk

The pick from here is the Ghost Hole Track, a gentle 650 metre loop past the remains of a gold mine worked in the 1940s. Plaques along the way tell the story.

It is a natural earth track in good condition, with one short downhill slope of dirt and gravel. Eucalypt bushland shades most of it, and the birdlife is busy.

Longer tracks carry on from the picnic area toward Simpson Falls if you want more.

Getting started

Brisbane City Council runs the reserve. The picnic area has its own car park off Sir Samuel Griffith Drive, with shelters and electric barbecues.

The bubbler is handy for topping up a bottle and giving the dog a drink. There are no toilets on site, and the nearest are a short drive away at the Mount Coot-tha Lookout.

Max: Bring poo bags and plan to carry them back to the car. Bins are around the picnic area, not out on the track.

Make a day of it

Two more on-lead bush walks share the mountain: J.C. Slaughter Falls and Gap Creek Reserve.

When to go

The loop is short enough for older dogs, and the canopy makes it a fair summer option if you start early.