Glass House Mountains National Park, Nature reserve in Sunshine Coast Regional, Australia

Glass House Mountains National Park protects eleven of the sixteen Glass House Mountains, rhyolite and trachyte volcanic plugs that rise from a flat coastal plain 65–75 km north of Brisbane. The highest is Mount Beerwah at 556 m, followed by Mount Coonowrin at 377 m and Mount Tibrogargan at 364 m. The park also includes a small parcel called Blue Gum Creek.

These mountains formed around 25 million years ago from volcanic activity, when molten rock cooled into the vertical structures that dominate the landscape today. This ancient geological event shaped what visitors see now.

The mountains are central to the creation myths of the region, and their spiritual and social importance to Indigenous people continues today. James Cook named them in 1770, writing in his log of 17 May that their singular form resembled the glass furnaces of his native Yorkshire.

Walking trails are marked and lead through forests with views of the surrounding peaks and plains. Bring plenty of water and wear sturdy shoes, as the paths can be steep and exposed to sun.

About half of Australia's pineapples grow on the farms around the peaks, alongside macadamia and citrus orchards. The volcanic soils that feed these crops are the same ones that support 26 rare or threatened plant species within the park.