Green Mountains Road
38 km
distance
55 min
Contour time
4.0
avg score
Sealed
surface
Scenery
Queensland
Green Mountains Road climbs from the Scenic Rim town of Beaudesert to O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat at 900 metres on...
Road quality
4.0 RQS
Every segment scored on 40+ data signals.
Accessibility
Fully sealed
Best in Sports car. Peak season: Year-round.
7-day forecast
Tight sealed mountain road from Beaudesert through the Scenic Rim to the Lamington plateau with almost no traffic beyond the farming country. Sports car handles this very well - consistent corners through the climb reward a driver who finds a rhythm. Motorbike equally good. The national park section keeps the road damp in most conditions.
Scored 4.0/10 by Contour's road quality algorithm across curviness, surface, elevation and traffic. Best suited for sports car drivers.
The road
Green Mountains Road is the western approach to Lamington National Park and the road to O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat - one of Australia's oldest eco-tourism operations, running since 1926. The 38-kilometre sealed road from Beaudesert climbs from the Scenic Rim farming country to 900 metres on the Macpherson Range through a landscape that transitions from cleared pastoral into dense subtropical rainforest. The national park section has almost no traffic because the road ends at O'Reilly's and nobody uses it as a through road. The corners through the rainforest are tight and consistent. The O'Reilly family opened their mountain guesthouse in the year the national park was declared, and the retreat sits on the edge of the Lamington plateau with a treetop walk, bird feeding stations and accommodation. The high ridges hold Antarctic Beech trees - a temperate Gondwanan species that has survived at altitude in these ranges for millions of years. The 24-kilometre Border Track connecting O'Reilly's to Binna Burra Lodge is one of the best full-day walks in southeast Queensland.
Green Mountains Road is the western approach to Lamington National Park and the road to O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat - one of Australia's oldest eco-tourism operations, running since 1926.
Why this road
The region
Green Mountains Road climbs from the Scenic Rim town of Beaudesert to O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat at 900 metres on the Macpherson Range. O'Reilly's has operated since 1926, when the O'Reilly family built a guesthouse on their mountain selection in the newly declared national park. The Lamington plateau is part of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area - subtropical rainforest with Antarctic Beech trees on the high ridges, 180 species of bird, and wildlife that has survived relatively intact since the Gondwana era.
Before you go
Fuel in Beaudesert before the climb. Road is sealed throughout and open year-round. Traffic is almost entirely O'Reilly's guests and walkers - very light beyond the farming country south of Beaudesert. The canopy keeps the road damp in most conditions. O'Reilly's has a cafe, treetop walk and accommodation at the summit. The Border Track connects O'Reilly's to Binna Burra (24km walk).
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Flag itWorth stopping for
O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat
The guesthouse that started it all in 1926. Treetop walk, bird feeding, cafe and accommodation at 900 metres. The tree canopy walk gives a different perspective on the forest.
Border Track to Binna Burra
The 24km ridge track connecting O'Reilly's to Binna Burra Lodge - a two-car shuttle makes a one-way walk possible. One of the best full-day walks in SE Queensland.
Route
Start
Beaudesert
End
O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat
Gallery
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