Last updated: January 7, 2023
A guide with the 17 best walking tracks in Royal National Park, from short and scenic bush trails to challenging multi-day coastal hikes.
Located less than an hour away from Sydney, the Royal National Park is one of the most popular and most visited national parks in New South Wales.
From scenic lookout points and pretty waterfalls, to isolated beaches and beautiful walking tracks, this 15,000 hectares large area has something for everyone. Read on, as we reveal the 17 best walks in Royal National Park.
Top 17 Royal National Park Walks:
Walk | Distance | |
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1 | Providential Point Walk | 1.2 km (return) |
2 | Winifred Falls Trail | 2 km (return) |
3 | Werrong Beach Track | 4 km (return) |
4 | The Forest Path | 4.5 km (circuit) |
5 | Garie Beach to Era Beach | 5 km (return) |
6 | Karloo Track to Karloo Pools | 5 km (return) |
7 | Jibbon Beach Loop Track | 5 km (circuit) |
8 | Bundeena to Wedding Cake Rock | 7 km (return) |
9 | Wattamolla to Little Marley Beach | 7.5 km (return) |
10 | Wattamolla to Eagle Rock | 8 km (return) |
11 | Bundeena Drive to Marley Walk | 8 km (return) |
12 | Palm Jungle Loop Track | 8.5 km (circuit) |
13 | Curra Moors Loop Track | 10 km (part circuit) |
14 | Lady Carrington Drive | 10 km (one way) |
15 | Waterfall to Heathcote Walking Track | 11 km (one way) |
16 | Otford to Figure 8 Pools | 12 km (return) |
17 | The Coast Track | 26 km (one way) |
Top 17 Royal National Park Walks
The Royal National Park has evolved into one of the most popular national parks in Sydney. For good reason, because the area is home to various beautiful hikes, some quite short and others much more challenging.
To help you find a suitable walk, we have compiled a list of 17 of the best walking tracks in Royal National Park, ordered from short to long.
1. Providential Point Walk
The walk from the Wattamolla picnic area to Providential Point is a short and family-friendly walking trail to a scenic lookout point.

This trail is around 600 metres one way and is mostly flat and very easy to follow. This is the same walking path that leads to Wattamolla Beach.
The lookout at Providential Point has a fenced viewing area where you can take in the scenic views of the ocean and the headland on the opposite side of the bay.
Providential Point Walk | |
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Distance: | 1.2 km (return) |
Duration: | 30 minutes |
Grade: | Easy |
Starting point: | Map |
2. Winifred Falls Trail
The Winifred Falls trail is a short but scenic bushwalk that leads to a pretty waterfall on the South West Arm Creek. It’s also a great location to have a picnic and go for a swim if the weather permits.
The first part of the trail is an easy 10 minutes flat walk, before it turns into a bushwalk with some steep sections, surrounded by banksia plants and gum trees.

You can get the best views and photos of the waterfall if you walk a bit further downstream around the pool. There are several rock platforms surrounding the waterfall where you can relax and take in the natural beauty of this idyllic spot in Royal National Park.
The trail doesn’t have to end at Winifred Falls. The South West Arm Pool is approximately 300 metres further away downstream, a large and deep pool that is great for a quick swim.
You can also continue the Winifred Falls trail in the other direction, going through bushland with a couple of small waterfalls and creek crossings. This 4.4 km trail connects with Maianbar Road.
Winifred Falls Trail | |
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Distance: | 2 km (return) |
Duration: | 1 hour |
Grade: | Easy |
Starting point: | Map |
3. Werrong Beach Track
Werrong Beach is a beautiful strip of sand in the southern section of the Royal National Park and is one of Sydney’s designated nude beaches.

But nude swimming and sunbathing is not the only reason to hike to this isolated spot in the national park. The beach itself and the scenery on the way there are beautiful.
The Werrong Beach Track is a challenging and steep 4 km return hike that starts at the Otford Lookout, and then soon makes a right turn into the bush and heading down to the beach.
Werrong Beach Track | |
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Distance: | 4 km (return) |
Duration: | 2 hours |
Grade: | Moderate / hard |
Starting point: | Map |
4. The Forest Path
The Forest Path is a pleasant 4.5 km bushwalk along the Hacking River in the Royal National Park that loops around Forest Island.
With start and finish on Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, this relatively easy walking track guides hikers through beautiful lush rainforest.

The Forest Path first opened in 1887 to allow for easy access to the trees in this forest. For decades, the Forest Path was used to accommodate logging in the area. Public controversy and pressure ultimately led to the ban on logging in the 1920s.
Apart from a short period during the second world war, the walking track has since been used for recreational purposes only.
The Forest Path | |
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Distance: | 4.5 km (circuit) |
Duration: | 1.5 hours |
Grade: | Easy |
Starting point: | Map |
5. Garie Beach to Era Beach
One of the prettiest coastal tracks in the Royal National Park is the 5 km return hike from Garie Beach to Era Beach.
This walking track takes in four beautiful beaches and a couple of steep climbs leading to vantage points with incredible views of the coastline of the national park.

Garie Beach has its own car park, and from there the hike starts along a walking trail just behind the beach, heading towards Little Garie Beach.
From there, a challenging climb up Thelma Head leads to a vantage point from where you can absorb incredible views of the two Garie beaches on one side, and the two Era beaches on the other side.
Garie Beach to Era Beach | |
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Distance: | 5 km (return) |
Duration: | 2 hours |
Grade: | Easy / moderate |
Starting point: | Map |
6. Karloo Track to Karloo Pools
With the starting point next to Heathcote train station, the 5 km return walk to Karloo Pools is one of Royal National Park’s most popular walking tracks.
And for good reason, because Karloo Pools is one of the best and most beautiful natural swimming holes in the greater Sydney area.

If you’d like to continue hiking after visiting Karloo Pools, the Karloo Track continues to Uloola Falls, a small yet pretty waterfall located an extra 2.5 km further away into the bush.
Uloola Falls is perhaps not as scenic as Karloo Pools, but the track itself is very enjoyable. So if you do have the time and energy, it’s highly recommended to visit both of these spots.
Karloo Track to Karloo Pools | |
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Distance: | 5 km (return) |
Duration: | 2 hours |
Grade: | Moderate |
Starting point: | Map |
7. Jibbon Beach Loop Track
Starting at the Bundeena ferry wharf, the Jibbon Beach loop track is an easy coastal and bush trail past Jibbon Head, Port Hacking Point, and Shelley Beach.
This walking track not only offers some pretty amazing ocean views but there are also well-preserved Aboriginal engravings to discover on the way.

One of the highlights is a modern boardwalk with a viewing platform from where you can have a closer look at those engravings.
Dating back 2,000 years, The Jibbon engravings are an impressive display of respect the Tharawal people had for the land as well as for the animals they shared the land with.
Jibbon Beach Loop Track | |
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Distance: | 5 km (circuit) |
Duration: | 2 hours |
Grade: | Easy |
Starting point: | Map |
8. Bundeena to Wedding Cake Rock
Wedding Cake Rock is a unique landmark in Royal National Park, and although it is now fenced off, it is still a beautiful natural sight to visit.
A scenic coastal walk, starting from Beachcomber Avenue in Bundeena, leads to this landmark with various other pretty sights to enjoy on the way, such as The Balconies and The Waterrun.

The 7 km return walk is one of the most enjoyable coastal walks in Sydney, with beautiful ocean and cliff views to enjoy from start to finish.
Read more about this coastal adventure in our guide to the Wedding Cake Rock walking track.
Bundeena to Wedding Cake Rock | |
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Distance: | 7 km (return) |
Duration: | 2 hours |
Grade: | Easy / moderate |
Starting point: | Map |
9. Wattamolla to Little Marley Beach
The 7.5 km return walking trail to Little Marley Beach from Wattamolla is both a bushwalking track as well as a coastal walk.
The starting point of this enjoyable walking trail is behind the Wattamolla waterfall at the northern end of the picnic area.

After less than 1 km of hiking through a patch of dense vegetation, the trail arrives at Wattamolla Dam which comes with a beautiful swimming hole, perfect for a quick swim on a warm summer’s day.
The second half of this walk is along the coast on top of the cliffs from where you can enjoy panoramic coastal views, before arriving at Little Marley Beach.
Wattamolla to Little Marley Beach | |
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Distance: | 7.5 km (return) |
Duration: | 2 hours |
Grade: | Easy / moderate |
Starting point: | Map |
10. Wattamolla to Eagle Rock
A scenic coastal walk starting at Wattamolla leads to Eagle Rock, one of the most iconic landmarks in the Royal National Park that strongly resembles an eagle’s beak.
What’s more, next to Eagle Rock is Curracurrong Falls, one of the very few waterfalls in the world that flows directly into the ocean.

When the winds are strong, the water from Curracurrong Falls can often be seen being pushed back up, which makes for a pretty spectacular sight.
For the best views of both the waterfall and Eagle Rock, find the trail that leads down towards a rock overhang, a great spot to settle in for a picnic.
Wattamolla to Eagle Rock | |
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Distance: | 8 km (return) |
Duration: | 3 hours |
Grade: | Easy / moderate |
Starting point: | Map |
11. Bundeena Drive to Marley Walk
Also known as the Marley Track, the 8 km return trail between Bundeena Drive and Marley Beach is an enjoyable bushwalk that leads to two beautiful beaches, passing through scenic bushland.
One of the highlights of this track is a small cascades waterfall that drops into a pool known as Deer Pool. When the deer population in the Royal National Park was much higher, this pool was a popular spot for them to drink.

Towards the end of the walk, you have the choice between two beaches. Marley Beach in the north is a 360 metres long southeast-facing beach with bright yellow sand, protected by a large area of dunes.
Little Marley Beach further south is quite similar but is much smaller. Please be mindful though that those two beaches are not patrolled and swimming can be hazardous.
Bundeena Drive to Marley Walk | |
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Distance: | 8 km (return) |
Duration: | 3 hours |
Grade: | Moderate |
Starting point: | Map |
12. Palm Jungle Loop Track
Starting from the Garawarra Farm car park in the southern part of the Royal National Park, the Palm Jungle loop track is a challenging 8.5 km circuit trail.
This enjoyable hike takes in beautiful cliff tops, secluded beaches, lush rainforest, and scenic coastal views.

Located roughly halfway through the walking track, Palm Jungle is a section of cooler rainforest with an abundance of cabbage tree palms and other tropical plants.
You can include the popular Figure 8 Pools in this walk by doing a detour from Burning Palms beach. Please do check the tides beforehand if you’re planning to visit the pools.
Palm Jungle Loop Track | |
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Distance: | 8.5 km (circuit) |
Duration: | 3 hours |
Grade: | Moderate |
Starting point: | Map |
13. Curra Moors Loop Track
The Curra Moors Loop Track is a partial circuit walking trail that offers a good mix of bush and coastal walking.
The walk starts from Sir Bertram Stevens Drive and passes through a landscape of heath and low tree vegetation, before it connects with the Coast Track close to Eagle Head Rock and Curracurrong Falls.

This walking track is approximately 10 km long and is reasonably challenging. It’s a part circuit, with the first 1.7 km going through bushland, before it meets an intersection where you can either go clockwise or anti-clockwise.
At the other end of the circuit trail, you can make a short side trip to visit Eagle Head Rock and Curracurrong Falls.
Curra Moors Loop Track | |
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Distance: | 10 km (part circuit) |
Duration: | 3 hours |
Grade: | Moderate |
Starting point: | Map |
14. Lady Carrington Drive
The Lady Carrington Drive is a historic cycling and hiking trail from Audley through to the southern precinct of the Royal National Park.
It’s a fairly easy walking track that isn’t so much about any noteworthy highlights, but more so about the picturesque forest surroundings from start to finish.

You can start the Lady Carrington Drive either from the Audley side in the north or from the Sir Bertram Stevens Drive side in the south.
Also note that you don’t necessarily need to complete the whole track. The Lady Carrington Drive is a great opportunity to simply go for a walk in scenic surroundings, and you can go as far as you wish.
Lady Carrington Drive | |
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Distance: | 10 km |
Duration: | 3 hours |
Grade: | Easy |
Starting point: | Map |
15. Waterfall to Heathcote Walking Track
The bushwalk between Waterfall and Heathcote includes the Karloo Track and the Uloola Track, with several highlights along the way, such as Karloo Pools and Uloola Falls.
What’s great about this walking track is that there is a train station at both ends of the walk, so you can use the train to travel back to your starting point.

This walking track is an alternative way to visit both Karloo Pools and Uloola Falls, if the Karloo Track (see number 6) is perhaps a bit too short.
You can start this walk either from Waterfall or from Heathcote, but if you want to save the highlights for the second section of the walk, it’s best to start in Waterfall.
Waterfall to Heathcote Walking Track | |
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Distance: | 11 km (one way) |
Duration: | 4 hours |
Grade: | Moderate / hard |
Starting point: | Map |
16. Otford to Figure 8 Pools
This hike has become more popular in recent years with all the hype around the Figure 8 Pools. While the pools are a great sight, the walking track from Otford Station to the pools via Burning Palms Beach is also very enjoyable.
To get to the Figure 8 Pools, you will need to do an extra section from Burning Palms Beach. It’s a great addition to an already great walking track, but it does get rather steep.

Before you leave, be sure to check the tides as otherwise, you may not even see the Figure 8 Pools by the time you get there, let alone swim in them. The tides will need to be low and without any dangerous swells.
If you’re short on time and you just want to see the Figure 8 Pools, you can also park your car at Garawarra Farm Carpark which is closer to the pools than Otford is.
Otford to Figure 8 Pools | |
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Distance: | 12 km (return) |
Duration: | 5-6 hours |
Grade: | Hard |
Starting point: | Map |
17. The Coast Track
One of the most iconic walking tracks in Sydney and New South Wales is the 26 km long Coast Track between Bundeena in the north and Otford in the south of the Royal National Park.
Bushland, secluded beaches, boardwalks, huge sandstone cliffs, waterfalls, and natural water holes, this challenging hike is a true adventure that you should try to complete at least once in your life.

While it’s certainly possible to do this track in one day, some people prefer to turn this into a two-day hiking adventure with overnight camping.
The most obvious spot where you can set up your hiking tent and stay overnight is North Era, which has a large campground with basic facilities.
The Coast Track | |
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Distance: | 26 km (one way) |
Duration: | 1 or 2 days |
Grade: | Hard |
Starting point: | Map |
Top 25 best hikes in and around Sydney.
About Royal National Park
Established in 1879, the Royal National Park is Australia’s oldest and the world’s second oldest national park.
Originally named National Park, it was officially renamed in 1955 after Queen Elizabeth II passed through on her way to Wollongong during her historic 1954 Australia tour.
How to Get There
The Royal National Park is located just south of the Sydney CBD and can be easily accessed by train as well as by car.
1. Train
The T4 train line runs along and through the Royal National Park, stopping at several stations from where you can start your walks.
Some of these train stations are, from north to south, Loftus, Engadine, Heathcote, Waterfall, and Helensburgh.
The Otford train station, however, in the southern part of the Royal National Park, is on the South Coast Line that goes via Helensburgh.
Use the tripplanner website to plan your visit to Royal National Park.
2. Car
Parking anywhere in the park costs $12 per vehicle per day, which can be paid at the ticket booths or at one of the many coins and card-operated pay machines. If you’re just driving through, you don’t need to pay.
Royal National Park has two main entry points along the Princess Highway, and one entry point at Otford in the southern end of the park.
Use the Loftus entry point to visit Winifred Falls, Bundeena, Jibbon Beach, Wedding Cake Rock and Wattamolla.
Use the Waterfall entry point to visit the Forest Path, Burning Palms, Figure 8 Pools, North Era Campground and Garie Beach.
Use the Otford entry point to visit the Otford Lookout, Werrong Beach and the walking track to Figure 8 Pools.
Take the historic ferry to Bundeena to access the coastal walk.
That’s right, thanks Nic. And with a train station in Otford, the Coastal Track is very easily manageable with public transport.
Besides the North Era campground, where else is it ok to camp? And do we need to book?
Cheers, Kate.
Hi Kate,
Uloola Falls is another campground in the Royal National Park. Both North Era and Uloola require bookings at the moment.