Royal National Park
Sunrise at Curracurrong Falls and Eagle Rock in the Royal National Park, Sydney
Nestled between Sydney and Wollongong, the heritage-listed Royal National Park provides endless opportunities to reconnect with nature and admire its beauty. One of the world’s oldest national parks, it is a natural sanctuary of pristine beaches, littoral rainforest and ancient Aboriginal sites, home to abundant wildlife, waterfalls and wildflowers.
Established in 1879, the jaw-dropping Royal National Park spans over 15,000 hectares. Many Sydneysiders treat it as an extended backyard, where they can enjoy nature at its finest. It’s popular for picnics, family days out, and walking and cycling the many trails through bushland and along clifftops. There’s also great surfing, swimming holes, scenic lookouts and camping.
Some of the excellent walking and cycling trails in Royal National Park include:
At Jibbon Head, near Bundeena, you can see Aboriginal rock art, including depictions of a whale and a sky spirit. Take the Jibbon Beach loop track to get a closer look.
The 26km Coast Track is a particular highlight, beginning in Bundeena and weaving south past Wedding Cake Rock, hidden beaches, over a sandstone escarpment and through forest to Otford, near Stanwell Park. You can explore small portions to get a taste – starting from Bundeena and walking to Little Marley Beach is a great option.
Before you begin your adventure, please read these bushwalking safety tips. There are also guided walks and hiking tours in the park. Life’s an Adventure leads a two-day Coast Track tour, while Sydney Nimble Tours offers a private guided walking experience. Bird watching is also popular, with the national park home to hundreds of species.
You can spot humpback whales from Governor Game lookout, near the North Era campground, during the migration season between May and November. Eagle Rock is another great lookout and vantage point. If you’re in luck, you might even see the majestic creatures breaching, leaping out of the water.
Some of Sydney’s most beautiful beaches are in the park, including Wattamolla, Garie and Burning Palms. If you want to do more than just swim, hire a rowboat or canoe from Audley Boat Shed and paddle your way across Kangaroo Creek and the Hacking River. Bundeena Kayaks offers kayaking tours into the park, or you can rent a kayak or stand-up paddleboard and explore on your own.
The beautifully formed Figure Eight Pools have become Insta-famous in recent years. If you plan to visit, check the tides and ocean conditions beforehand, as the pools are inaccessible during certain times of the day.
The Royal National Park is near Cronulla about an hour’s drive from both the Sydney CBD and Wollongong to the south. There is a per-car entry fee to the park. You can get to the park via a car, with several sealed road entry points; a ferry from Cronulla to Bundeena; or a tram from the Sydney Tramway Museum in Loftus. For a scenic drive, the spectacular Grand Pacific Drive winds through the park.
The Royal National Park is located just south of Sydney near Cronulla. It is about an hour's drive from the Sydney CBD and from Wollongong to the south.
The Royal National Park is one of the world's oldest National Park's with an abundance of natural beauty in one place. From pristine beaches to rainforests, ancient Aboriginal sites and native wildlife. It spans 160 square kilometres and is popular for picnics, family days out, bushwalkers, cyclists and surfers. We suggest:
The best walking and cycling trails in the Royal National Park include:
The Royal National Park can get very busy and areas may need to be closed if they reach capacity. Try to visit outside of peak times, before 11am or after 2pm. If you arrive at an area that is overcrowded and you can’t maintain physical distancing, you will need to move to another location.
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