The Maitland Bay and Mount Bouddi Circuit Walk is an energising bush and coastal walk that highlights the very best of Bouddi National Park.
This scenic 6.8 km loop links three separate walking tracks, navigating through a stunning mix of coastal and bushland scenery.
In this guide, we’ll share the highlights of this walk, along with a map, photos, and details on where to start.
| Maitland Bay and Mount Bouddi Circuit Walk | |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 6.8 km (loop) |
| Duration: | 2 hours |
| Grade: | Moderate (steep sections) |
| Wheel-friendly: | No |
| Dog-friendly: | No |
Getting There
You can start this walk from two locations:
Because this walk is a loop, it doesn’t matter much which location you choose. For the track notes below, we’ve started from the car park at the Maitland Bay Information Centre.
While it’s a decent-sized car park, it tends to fill up quickly on weekends. The trailhead, clearly marked with the Bouddi National Park sign, is located right next to the car park.
Track Notes
This moderately challenging walk is roughly 6.8 km long, featuring some steep sections and plenty of steps. Overall, the path is well-maintained and easy to follow; at a moderate pace, you should be able to complete the circuit in about two hours.
Because it’s a loop, you can walk it either clockwise or anticlockwise. It’s much of a muchness, but we recommend going anticlockwise. This allows you to descend via the Maitland Bay Track and ascend via the Bouddi Spur Walking Track, saving the slightly steeper Maitland Bay steps for the downhill leg.
The loop consists of three sections:
- Maitland Bay Track
- Bouddi Spur Walking Track
- Stroms Fire Trail
Below is a map of the walk.
1. Maitland Bay Track
The start of the walk, marked by a large Bouddi National Park sign, is located between the information centre and the car park.
At the first junction, about 100 metres into the walk, keep walking straight ahead, navigating through thriving rainforest scenery.
After 10 to 15 minutes, you’ll reach a second junction signposted for Bullimah Beach and Putty Beach, where you can turn right for a quick side track to Marang Lookout.
This 150-metre detour is optional, but highly recommended as the views from the lookout are spectacular.
Back at the junction, continue down towards the beach, where glimpses of Maitland Bay and the ocean soon come into view. This last stretch follows a well-formed path and is an easy downhill stroll.
Once you reach the sand, walk all the way to the eastern end of the bay, where you’ll see a signposted track heading into the bush via a series of steps.
This is part of the Bouddi Coastal Walk, an iconic 8 km track running between Putty Beach and MacMasters Beach.
As you make your way up the headland, the views looking back over Maitland Bay are incredibly picturesque, so be sure to take a moment to look back and enjoy them.
The track soon arrives at Toorongong Lookout, a bit of a hidden gem along the Bouddi coastline that doesn’t seem to appear on any signs.
The lookout features a fenced viewing platform atop a natural sandstone cliff, offering sweeping views of Bouddi Point and the submerged rocky reef below.
To continue the circuit, head up the steps behind the lookout. From there, it’s a short 250-metre walk to the junction where the Bouddi Spur Walking Track begins.
2. Bouddi Spur Walking Track
The start of the Bouddi Spur Walking Track (also referred to as the Mount Bouddi Walking Track) is signposted as Mt Bouddi Carpark.
Before you tackle this second leg of the circuit, it’s worth continuing another 20 metres eastbound along the main path to visit Mullian Lookout, another hidden gem offering stunning coastal views.
Once you’ve taken in the views, retrace your steps to the signposted junction and turn right to start the Bouddi Spur Walking Track section of the loop.
It’s a fairly short section (about 1.2 km to the Mount Bouddi Picnic Area), but it packs in a decent climb with plenty of steps along the way.
The surrounding bushland is beautiful, characterised by tall trees, boulders, and open, rocky clearings. The path can be quite uneven at times, but overall, it’s pretty easy to navigate.
It takes roughly 25 minutes to reach the picnic area, which is a lovely, secluded spot equipped with picnic tables, a barbecue, toilet facilities, and a large shelter.
From here, walk along Mount Bouddi Road for a short distance to reach the start of Stroms Fire Trail, located near the intersection with The Scenic Road.
3. Stroms Fire Trail
The start of this fire trail is clearly signposted. Make your way past the gate and simply follow the trail back to where you started the loop.
The entire fire trail, from Mount Bouddi Road to the Maitland Bay Information Centre, is just over 2 km long.
While the terrain is only slightly undulating and not at all challenging, the trail can feel a little longer than it actually is.
Once you return to the car park at the information centre, you’ve officially completed the circuit. If you’re gasping for a coffee after all that walking, Arnie’s Espresso Bar across the road does a good brew!
Read our guide on walks in Bouddi National Park for more great walking tracks in this beautiful area north of Sydney.
