Glass House Mountains

The Glass House Mountains are the eroded cores of volcanoes active around twenty-six million years ago, thirteen rhyolite and trachyte plugs left standing when the softer rock around them wore away, rising in isolation from flat pineapple country. James Cook named them in 1770 from a resemblance to glass furnaces in Yorkshire. The peaks are of high significance to the Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi peoples, and their stories describe the mountains as a family. Mount Ngungun offers the most accessible summit walk, about two and a half kilometres return; Mount Tibrogargan is a steep scramble; and Mount Beerwah, the highest at 556 metres, has been closed for extended periods due to rockfall.

The landscape

• The volcanic plugs - thirteen peaks standing alone from flat farmland.
• Mount Ngungun - the most accessible summit with wide views over the group.
• The lookout - the Glass House Mountains lookout with interpretive signage.
• The pineapple country - the plains and farms around the peaks.

When to go

April to October for cooler climbing; summer is hot and humid and the rock heats badly. Early morning is best for light and temperature. Several peaks close after rain or rockfall, and closures can last months.

What to expect

Tibrogargan and Beerwah are scrambles requiring hands, not walks. Climbing is discouraged on peaks of particular cultural significance, and Beerwah has faced long official closures. Parking at the popular trailheads fills at weekends.

Nearby

Australia Zoo is at Beerwah; the Sunshine Coast beaches lie east.

Key facts