---
node: spot_gold_coast_burleigh_heads_national_park
type: spot
slug: burleigh_heads_national_park
destination: dest_gold_coast
title: "Burleigh Head National Park"
lead: "Burleigh Head National Park is the forested headland that closes the southern end of the Gold Coast beaches. A 1.2 kilometre circuit walks rainforest, pandanus and a basalt boulder shore in under an hour."
published: 2026-08-12
updated: 2026-08-12
image_file: spot_gold_coast_burleigh_heads_national_park.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Burleigh_Head_National_Park.jpg"
image_author: "John Rotenstein"
image_license: "Public domain"
---

## Overview

The headland is the eroded remnant of a lava flow from the Tweed shield volcano, which is why the shore below is stacked with hexagonal basalt columns. The reserve protects a pocket of coastal rainforest that once ran the length of the coast, and it is a Kombumerri place of significance. Koalas, brush turkeys and water dragons are the animals you actually see.

## Highlights

The Oceanview Track gives the long look north over Surfers Paradise; the Rainforest Circuit stays cool on hot days. Below the point, Burleigh's right-hand point break is one of the best in Australia and worth watching even if you do not surf. Whales pass close between June and October.