Visiting natural areas

There are more than 12,500 hectares of parklands in the Brisbane City Council area. This includes more than 7000 hectares of bushland and wetland reserves.

Track maps

People walking on a track in one of Brisbane's natural areas. Maps of Brisbane's natural area tracks are available for you to download. Track maps are available for:

Bayside Parklands
Boondall Wetlands
Brisbane Koala Bushlands
Chermside Hills Reserves
Karawatha Forest
Mt Coot-tha Forest
Tinchi Tamba Wetlands
Toohey Forest

Download the birds of Boondall Wetlands brochure and checklist.

Bushland events and activities

There are free or low cost events and activities in a natural area near you. Find out about bushland events and activities offered through the Get Wild Program.

Caring for natural areas

When you're visiting a natural area, it's important to protect and care for the environment. Follow these guidelines so that our natural areas can continue to be enjoyed in the future:

keep to the designated tracks
dogs disturb wildlife so it is best to leave them at home
all plants and animals are protected, take photos only
please don't feed the wildlife
watch wildlife from a distance - don't disturb shorebirds as it causes them stress and they may not survive their migratory journeys
fires are permitted in designated fireplaces only
take your rubbish home with you
check shoes and socks for seed or plant material to prevent the spread of weeds

Staying safe when visiting natural areas

wear a hat and sunscreen
always carry water
stay on the designated tracks and take care
wear comfortable clothing and closed in footwear
take insect repellent
when cycling, wear a helmet, knee pads and other protective equipment
when canoeing, wear a lifejacket, paddle with a partner and only canoe in daylight
it's not safe to canoe in floods or after heavy rainfall

Managing Brisbane's natural areas

The major threats to our natural areas include weeds, fire, pest animals (such as feral cats), uncontrolled domestic pets and illegal dumping.

The Council is responsible for managing programs to control these threats. You can help to protect Brisbane's natural areas by:

not dumping any waste in natural areas - dumping increases the spread of weeds and can also potentially spread fire ants
if you take a dog into a natural area, keep them on a leash and clean up after them
managing the weeds in your home garden to reduce the risk of weeds spreading to bushland areas
if you see someone dumping waste in a natural area report it to the Council on 07 3403 8888