Cooby Dam Lakeside Walk

A scenic lakeside trail at Cooby Dam, stretching from the picnic area at Loveday Cove to the dam wall. Some sections have a formed track, while other grassy sections may be overgrown or boggy. A great spot for photographing water birds, with good picnic facilities and a large playground.

Officially listed as Grade 3/Medium (some unformed paths + steep/slippery sections), this track is suitable for walkers of most fitness levels.

Lookouts

Bird Watching

Picnic Facilities

BBQ

Toilets

Dogs Permitted

Swamp or Wetland

Eucalypt Forest

522m

Maximum Elevation

290m

Total Climb

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Getting there

The turnoff to Cooby Dam is between Highfields and Meringandan, and is accessed via a dirt road (suitable for 2WD). Park at either of the 2 day use areas - Loveday Cove and Cooby Dam Wall. Loveday Cove has a boat ramp and a large picnic ground/playground and there are a number of picnic areas at the Cooby Dam Wall. It is a good idea to check the dam's open/closed status on the Toowoomba Regional Council website before visiting the dam as there are frequent closures due to maintenence/flood events etc.

Maps

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cooby+Dam/@-27.3796491,151.9257321,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x6b9664497e5b3ad9:0x2a00eef1b6b894e0!8m2!3d-27.3857699!4d151.9418727

Route/Trail notes

This walk can be commenced at either end. Return via the same route.

From Loveday Cove, park near the boat ramp. There is no formed path at the beginning of the walk - just head left along the water's edge. You will pass the sailing club building then a grassy section that may be overgrown or boggy. The formed path begins just after you pass another small carpark. Landmarks to look out for are the fishing pontoon, a toilet and a wooden footbridge. After the footbridge the track becomes more rugged and begins a steep incline. Great views from the top of the hill, then continue down the other side towards the dam wall.

Permits and Fees

There used to be a fee to access Loveday Cove via a boom gate, but the gate has been open for quite a while now and payment is no longer required.

GPS Tracks

No GPS available for this walk yet.

Comments

Dam water level very high at the moment - some extra lovely views. The path was closed just before the footbridge (and was the last two times I visited), meaning I couldn't get all the way to the dam wall. Still worth the visit.
Steph T on 13 May, 2022

We did this walk from Loveday Cove and back. It was 10km and 2hr 11min from the main car park. The dam is very low at the moment - we remember visiting when the water was lapping over the spillway!
Robyn on 18 Jul, 2021