Bundeena Drive to Marley Walk (Royal National Park)

Last updated: August 25, 2023

The Bundeena Drive to Marley Walk is a moderately challenging bush trail in Royal National Park that leads to two beautiful beaches.

The trail passes the Deer Pool, a small cascade waterfall and pool of water, before arriving at Little Marley Beach and Marley Beach on the Coast Track.

We liked the Bundeena Drive to Marley walk so much that it has earned a spot on our list of best walks in Royal National Park.

As the name of this walk suggests, the starting point of the walk is on Bundeena Drive in Royal National Park.

There is a small car park located on the northern side of the road, with the start of the trail on the southern side of the road (see map location).

Note that this car park is not signposted, which makes it a bit of a challenge to find while driving on an 80 km per hour road. When you see it, be mindful of any traffic behind you and be careful when braking and turning into this car park.

Also note that approximately 2 km further north is another car park but for a different trail, the Big Marley Trail, which is not to be confused with the Bundeena Drive to Marley Walk.

The Bundeena Drive to Marley Walk is approximately 4 km one way, including the two side trips to Little Marley Beach and Marley Beach.

We consider this to be a moderately challenging bushwalk, with sections of uneven surface and also a bit of rock scrambling. Good hiking shoes are therefore recommended.

The highlights and milestones of this walk are:

1. Deer Pool
2. Little Marley Beach
3. Marley Beach

Here is a map of the walk from Bundeena Drive to Marley, including those three milestones:

Start of the Walk

Once you’ve parked your car, you can find the start of the walking track on the opposite side of the road.

Please be extra cautious when crossing this road, especially if you have children with you.

The track soon passes the actual signpost for this walk, titled “Marley Track”, which is somewhat hidden in the bush.

We’re guessing it’s a very old signpost that has, over time, been slowly reclaimed by nature.

The track then soon passes through a scenic landscape of heath and small trees, before evolving into a bushwalk through a more dense forest.

Deer Pool

Approximately 1.8 km into the walk, the trail arrives at Deer Pool, a small cascade waterfall on Marley Creek that drops into a scenic pool with a small strip of sand on the northern side.

Marley Creek eventually feeds into Marley Lagoon, which is located right behind Big Marley Beach.

It is named Deer Pool as it was a drinking spot for the many deer that used to reside in the Royal National Park.

From the Deer Pool, cross Marley Creek to the other side, where you will see a small signpost. Continue on the trail until you see a couple of boulders and a tree, as per the below photo.

That is where the trail continues eastbound until it eventually arrives at an intersection with the Little Marley Firetrail.

Little Marley Firetrail

At this intersection, with the Deer Pool signpost, you turn left to continue on the Little Marley Firetrail for a short while.

While this may not be the most exciting part of the walk, it’s a nice change after all that bushwalking.

The trail goes in a northeast direction, with views of Marley Lagoon straight ahead, before it makes a right turn towards the ocean.

The trail then arrives at an intersection with the Coast Track, where you can turn right to visit Little Marley Beach and turn left to visit Marley Beach.

Little Marley Beach

The walk to Little Marley Beach is on a comfortable boardwalk that forms part of the Coast Track, with beautiful coastal views to take in as you get closer to the beach.

Little Marley Beach is an east-facing, arc-shaped strip of sand with rock platforms on both ends of the beach.

The water at Little Marley Beach is usually a bit calmer than at Marley Beach, but since this is not a patrolled beach, it’s important to be careful at all times.

Marley Beach

Marley Beach is often referred to as Big Marley Beach because it’s essentially a much bigger version of Little Marley Beach further south.

This southeast-facing beach is one of the largest beaches in the Greater Sydney area, backed by an extensive area of sand dunes behind the beach.

Note that Marley Beach is generally considered unsafe for swimming due to strong currents and swells. The beach is also unpatrolled, so please be cautious when going in or walking close to the water.

If your aim is to visit Marley Beach, there are a few more walking tracks that can get you there.

1. Wattamolla to Marley

This walk starts from the Wattamolla waterfall and first heads into the bush and then follows the coastal cliffs to Little Marley Beach.

To Marley Beach from Wattamolla is approximately 9 km return and is a great hike with beautiful scenery.

Read more about the walking track to Little Marley Beach.

2. Big Marley Firetrail

The second option is the Big Marley Firetrail, which starts from Bundeena Drive and is approximately 4 km to Marley Head, followed by Marley Beach.

It’s a relatively easy walking trail, but it’s also not the most exciting walk because most of it is just a rocky fire trail.

Find the starting point of the Big Marley Firetrail here.

3. Bundeena to Wedding Cake Rock (and Marley Head)

Another scenic and enjoyable way to get to Marley is by doing the Bundeena to Wedding Cake Rock walking track, followed by an extra section of the Coast Track to Marley Head and beyond.

This walk starts from Beachcomber Avenue in Bundeena, from where it is 3.5 km to Wedding Cake Rock and another 1-2 km to Marley Beach, with fantastic coastal views to enjoy on the way.

Read more about the walking track to Wedding Cake Rock.