Royal National Park Coastal Walk

Pristine Sydney coastline waiting for you to explore

Whatever you are looking for in a bush walk, the coast track provides. Every hill opens a window to another astounding view and every corner unlocks the door to a track that, despite its popularity, makes you feel like you are the first person to ever walk it.

Stretching for 30km along Royal National Park’s ocean shore, this coastal walk is spellbinding.

Enjoy the whole walk as a two-day ‘thru-hike’, a challenging day trek or break it down into smaller sections to walk at your leisure. Whatever your level of experience The Royal National Park Coastal Walk has some breathtaking scenery to share. Get out and enjoy it!

Highlights

    • Enjoy spectacular coastal views, including whale watching
    • Explore a Depression-era hermit cave
    • View 1,000 year old Dharawal Aboriginal engravings
    • Have your photo taken ‘surfing’ Wave Rock
    • Marvel at the sandstone formations of Wedding Cake Rock, Prawn Rock and The Devils Dice
    • Discover some of Sydney’s last beachside shack communities

Quick Start Guide

Essential Information

Distance

30km (19 miles)

Time?

2 days, comfortable pace. Experienced hikers can walk it in one day. There are numerous vehicle access points to walk it over several days doing comfortable day walks.

Track Conditions?

Fair, severely eroded in parts. Reasonably well marked track. No track marked along beaches.

Grading:

Class 4 Track (Although beaches are un-tracked and technically 5+).

Mountains to climb?

Several steep climbs between 50m and 200m.

Mobile (cell phone) reception?

Occasional. At headlands and high-points only.

Public transport?

Yes. Train access to Otford, ferry access to Bundeena.

Coffee?

Yes, Bundeena only; try Cafe Manna. Garie Surf Club has pies, cold drinks and lollies in the summer months, weekends only.

What will you see?

Views

The Coast Track, as it’s name suggests, hugs the ocean the entire way. The only time you really leave it is to detour behind the lagoon at Wattamolla and at the start or finish at either end.

Every inlet is unique and charming. The summit of every climb greets you with somewhere to sit to take in the spellbinding beauty. The creeks are crystal clear with mirrored reflections of vast blue sky. The entire track is a succession of phenomenal views.

Every now and then turn around to be equally speechless at the beauty that greets walkers going the other way.

Background image courtesy Marc Anderson Photography

Beaches

Royal National Park is blessed with Sydney’s most pristine beaches. The coastal walk traverses seven of them with short detours to several others. If beaches are your thing you need to leave your footprints on some of these. You’ll always find the usual seashore fare of huge cuttlefish bones, colourful shells and lots of seaweed. In season you’ll also find shark eggs, exhausted shearwaters (muttonbirds) and possibly NZ pumice washed up on the beach. If you’re really lucky you might find something valuable or a message in a bottle.

An ocean swim is a highlight of our coastal walks, however if the surf is too rough we’re happy just to wash our faces in the shallows.

Plants and Animals

You’ll walk through habitats as diverse as hardy sandstone heath to lush littoral rainforest. Banksia, grass trees and westringia abound in the north and cabbage tree palms and figs in the south. In between, well, you find everything in between. Wildflowers give a superb colour display in winter along the track north of Garie Beach.

Wattlebirds, honeyeaters and whip birds welcome you all year round and Wedge-tailed and White-Bellied Eagles are also a common sight on the coast track. Echidna and swamp wallaby are the most seen native mammals but don’t be surprised when you see a big Rusa Deer on the track at dusk. Whale watching is an added bonus between May and November.

Background image courtesy Marc Anderson Photography

Birdie, Sydney

“Sensational with spectacular views. We watched whales with their calves whilst enjoying a fresh, healthy lunch in the shade of an overhanging sandstone ledge – truly an experience to tick off the bucket list.”

Rob, USA

“Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, and took his time to identify the birds, the flora, the trees, and tie them to Australian history or Aboriginal culture. Sydney Coast Walks are serious about their craft but make the tour light and fun. I can’t recommend this enough!”

CP, England.

“This is a great way to spend a day outdoors, with amazing scenery and a guide who knows what he’s talking about and really cares for the area and its heritage as well as his walkers. If you have only one day to spend outdoors in Sydney, skip the Blue Mountains and do a Sydney coast walk.”

Bundeena to Otford or Otford to Bundeena?

Whichever way you walk the Royal National Park coastal walk, you’ll be treated to spellbinding views and countless photo opportunities. Remember to stop, turn around and enjoy a different perspective on this unique stretch of coastline.

The official coastal campground is at North Era, 8km from Otford and 22km from Bundeena (Bookings essential). Either way you will have one longer, and one shorter day.

North to south, Bundeena to Otford, is probably more difficult because you end with the 200m ascent through the Palm Jungle but the views are more dramatic and revealing. It’s also nice to be in the rainforest canopy on a hot afternoon.

South to north, Otford to Bundeena, you start downhill through the Palm Jungle and finish with the relatively flat exit to Bundeena. The last section over the sandstone to Bundeena can be very hot on a summer afternoon.

Self-Guided Walk

Coming soon

Hear all the stories that make this walk so fascinating – at your leisure!

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Full day guided walk

From $797

Enjoy an exclusive guided Coast Track experience.

  • Professional, local guide with detailed interpretation of the Aboriginal carvings, cave dwellings, plants and environment
  • Healthy lunch
  • Return ferry between Cronulla and Bundeena
  • Royal National Park entry fees
  • Optional hotel/home pickup in luxury car or minivan

Book here

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  • Aditi Sodhani

    Hi I am planning to do this walk over this weekend… I wanted to know what is the place inbetween point for night stay…any cheap hotel suggestions? or best town or place?

  • Ian Wells

    G’day Aditi, if you are planning to do this walk over two days the only place to stay is to camp at North Era. Call National Parks on 9542 0648 to check availability.
    The other option is to book a Bed and Breakfast (B&B) at Bundeena and ask if they can pick you up from either Wattamolla or Garie Beach, depending on how far you walk on the first day. These are the only two places with road access and they’d need to drop you off again the next morning. We recommend http://www.sanctuary.bundeena.com.au as a great B&B in Bundeena, not sure if they’ll have availability at such short notice.
    The walk can be done in one long day and it’s public transport accessible at both ends. Check http://www.sydneytrains.info/ for train times to/from Otford in the south and http://cronullaferries.com.au/ferries-to-bundeena/bundeena-timetable/ for ferry times between Bundeena and Cronulla in the north.
    Remember to take a map and plenty of water.

    Cheers
    Ian

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