The Royal National Park was established in 1879 as Australia’s first and the world’s second national park. It was originally named National Park but was renamed to Royal National Park in 1955 after Queen Elizabeth II passed through on her way to Wollongong during her Australia tour in the year 1954.
On this page, you will find a selection of some of the best walking tracks, lookouts, waterfalls, and sights in Royal National Park.
Featured content:
Top hikes:
Discover Wattamolla Beach in Royal National Park, home to a beautiful lagoon, a secluded beach, a pretty waterfall, and a large picnic area.
Wattamolla is a beautiful secluded spot in the Royal National Park, perfect for a relaxing family day out. Over the years, Wattamolla Beach has evolved into one of Sydney’s most popular weekend and day trip destinations.
The Providential Point Lookout is a stunning viewing point in the Wattamolla area of Royal National Park, offering beautiful coastal views.
A short walking trail from the Wattamolla car park will get you to this lookout, with various other walks and things to do nearby to make a day of it.
The Palona Cave Walk is a hidden gem in Royal National Park, featuring beautiful rainforest scenery, a large cave, and a small cascading waterfall.
This family-friendly walking trail is one of the lesser-known walks in this otherwise popular national park, but it has a lot to offer.
A complete guide to the 19 best walks in Royal National Park, from short and scenic bush trails to challenging half-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.
The 7 km return walking trail to Little Marley Beach from Wattamolla is one of the prettiest walking trails in the Royal National Park.
The first section of this easy walk meanders through a patch of scenic bushland, and the second part is on top of the cliffs following the coastline.
The Palm Jungle Loop Track in Royal National Park is a fascinating 8.5 km walking trail through various types of landscapes and sceneries.
This moderately challenging trail takes in a thriving rainforest, beautiful coastal views, and impressive cliff tops, with a visit to Burning Palms Beach as a welcome bonus on a warm day.
The Garie Beach to Era Beach walk is a moderately challenging coastal trail in Royal National Park, navigating through beautiful scenery.
The trail takes in four beaches with a couple of steep climbs leading to vantage points with incredible views of the national park’s coastline.
The Forest Path is a pleasant 4.5 km long bush walking trail along the shores of the Hacking River in Royal National Park, looping around Forest Island.
With start and finish on Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, this relatively easy walking track passes through a patch of scenic rainforest, less than one hour from the city.
The Curra Moors Loop Track is a 10 km circuit walk in Royal National Park that offers a good mix of scenic bushland and panoramic coastal views.
It’s a moderately challenging walking track that ticks all the boxes for those looking for a fun hike to do on the weekend while also getting a decent workout in.
The Bundeena Drive to Marley Walk is a moderately challenging bush trail in Royal National Park, leading 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.
The Jibbon Beach Loop Track is an easy walking trail that starts at the Bundeena ferry wharf and goes to Jibbon Head, Port Hacking Point, and Shelley Beach.
Enjoy panoramic ocean views and discover well-preserved Aboriginal engravings as you explore this beautiful area in the Royal National Park.
Wedding Cake Rock is one of the most iconic landmarks in the Royal National Park. It may be fenced off now, but it is still a unique sight to visit.
A relatively easy coastal walk starting in Bundeena leads to this rock formation, with beautiful views of the ocean and the cliffs to enjoy along the track.
The Karloo Walking Track to Karloo Pools near Heathcote is a fantastic bushwalking trail to a beautiful natural waterhole in the Royal National Park.
With rock ledges surrounding the large pool and covered areas nearby to place your belongings, Karloo Pools almost looks like an actual man-made swimming pool in the middle of the bush.
The Winifred Falls Trail is a short, family-friendly bushwalking trail in Royal National Park that leads to a small but very pretty waterfall.
At the waterfall, visitors can relax on one of the many rock platforms or venture out a bit further along South West Arm Creek.
The Royal National Park, just south of Sydney, is Australia’s oldest and the world’s second-oldest national park.
From lookout points and waterfalls to walking tracks and natural swimming pools, this 15,000-hectare large park truly has something for everyone.
The Coast Track between Bundeena and Otford in Royal National Park is one of the most iconic coastal walking tracks in Sydney and in New South Wales.
From scenic lookout points and waterfalls to swimming spots and isolated beaches, the 26 km Coast Track truly is a once-in-a-lifetime hiking experience.
Eagle Rock is a striking rock formation in the Royal National Park that closely resembles an eagle’s beak. Nearby, you’ll find Curracurrong Falls, one of the rare waterfalls in the world that plunges directly into the ocean.
A scenic coastal walk, starting from Wattamolla, leads to these two iconic landmarks, with fantastic views to take in along the way.