Conway National Park covers the peninsula behind Airlie Beach — 23,800 hectares of coastal lowland rainforest, mangroves, and eucalypt woodland running down to the Whitsunday Passage. From town, the most accessible walks start at the Mt Rooper trailhead near Shute Harbour: a one-hour return climb leads to the Mt Rooper Lookout, with views across the islands.
For a tougher day out, the Whitsunday Great Walk is a 30-kilometre multi-day track from Brandy Creek through the rainforest interior. The shorter Coral Beach Track (one hour return) leads to a quiet rocky cove, often deserted, where you can see fringing coral at low tide. Birdlife in the park includes white-bellied sea eagles, brush turkeys, and the occasional cassowary.