Garigal National Park, New South Wales: Best Things to Do – Top Picks

Did you know that Garigal National Park shelters over 100 Aboriginal heritage sites within its 2,200 hectares of pristine bushland? This hidden gem on Sydney’s North Shore offers a remarkable escape from city life, despite being just 20 kilometers from the CBD. With its ancient rock engravings, emerald creeks, and secluded beaches, Garigal provides a wilderness experience that feels worlds away from urban Sydney.

Garigal National Park stretches across Sydney’s North Shore, offering a perfect blend of bushland, waterways, and cultural heritage. Whether you’re seeking a challenging hike, a peaceful paddle, or simply a picnic spot with a view, this underrated national park has something for everyone. From families with young children to serious bushwalkers, Garigal’s diverse landscapes and activities make it a must-visit destination.

In this guide, we’ll explore the best things to do in Garigal National Park, from hidden beaches and scenic trails to wildlife encounters and Aboriginal heritage sites. We’ll also provide practical information to help you plan your visit, including the best time to go, how to get there, and what to bring.

Getting to Garigal National Park

Garigal National Park is easily accessible from Sydney, with multiple entry points around the North Shore. The most popular access points include:

• Davidson Park: Located under the Roseville Bridge, this is the main entrance with facilities including toilets, BBQs, and picnic tables. There’s a small entry fee for vehicles.
• Lindfield Oval: Perfect starting point for the Two Creeks Track.
• Seaforth Oval: Great access point for the Bluff Lookout walk.
• St Ives: Several trails begin from Hunter Avenue and Kitchener Street.

By public transport, you can take buses 141, 160X, 270, or 280 to various entry points around the park. If driving, there’s parking available at all major entry points, though Davidson Park can get busy on weekends.

Best Time to Visit Garigal National Park

Garigal National Park is beautiful year-round, but each season offers something special:

For the best experience, visit on weekdays when the park is quieter. If you must visit on weekends, arrive early (before 9am) to secure parking and enjoy the tranquility before crowds arrive.

Top Things to Do in Garigal National Park

1. Discover Flat Rock Beach – A Hidden Harbour Gem

One of Garigal’s best-kept secrets is Flat Rock Beach, a tiny sandy haven with remarkably clear water. Unlike many Sydney Harbour coves, this beach offers transparent waters and is surrounded by stunning natural beauty. The beach is accessible via a short but steep walk from Killarney Drive in Killarney Heights or as the endpoint of the Magazine Track.

What makes this beach special is its sheltered, shallow water that deepens gradually, making it perfect for families with children. Huge eucalyptus branches stretch over the sand, providing rare natural shade. Keep in mind that the beach is tide-dependent – at high tide, especially king tides, it nearly disappears!

2. Explore the Two Creeks Track – Sydney’s Forest Escape

The Two Creeks Track is arguably the most popular walk in Garigal National Park – and for good reason. This 6.3km trail offers an immediate escape from city life, with traffic noise quickly fading away to be replaced by kookaburra calls and rustling leaves.

Starting from Lindfield Oval, the track follows Middle Harbour Creek through beautiful bushland. About 2.5km in, you’ll be treated to stunning creek views, mangrove forests, and even a hidden oasis complete with palm trees and dense ferns. The relatively flat terrain makes this suitable for most fitness levels.

For a more adventurous experience, combine the Two Creeks Track with the Little Digger Track to create a 7km loop. This addition takes you through a rarely visited pocket of rainforest with small cascades – though be prepared for some overgrown sections that add to the wilderness feel.

3. Visit The Cascades – Tranquil Waterfall Setting

The Cascades is one of Garigal’s most enchanting spots – a series of small, picturesque waterfalls and rock pools creating a wonderfully serene atmosphere. It’s an idyllic location to spread out a picnic blanket and enjoy lunch surrounded by the sounds of trickling water and birdsong.

There are several ways to reach The Cascades:

• Stepping Stone Crossing: A 11.9km return walk from Hunter Avenue in St Ives, taking you through atmospheric wet eucalypt forest.
• Frenchs Creek Trail: A shorter 5.3km return journey from Wanniti Road in Belrose, offering beautiful bush views and the chance to visit two additional little-known waterfalls.
• Heath Trail: Can be combined with Frenchs Creek to create an 8.5km loop with minimal backtracking.

The Cascades is particularly impressive after rain when the waterfalls are flowing strongly. Kids (and adults!) love exploring the different levels, discovering little pools and mini-waterfalls. Just be careful on the rocks as they can be slippery.

4. Paddle Middle Harbour from Davidson Park

For a calm, sheltered paddling experience on Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour is outstanding, and Davidson Park (beneath the Roseville Bridge) serves as an excellent launch spot for canoes and kayaks. The park offers several convenient places to access the water, including a built platform on the eastern side of the bridge and sandy shoreline launch points further west.

From Davidson Park, paddlers have two appealing routes:

• Middle Harbour Creek: A more protected creek paddle, perfect for beginners and families.
• Bantry Bay: Slightly more open waters with stunning deep blue hues, ideal for more experienced paddlers.

Both routes offer incredible close-up views of the lush shoreline mangrove forests that fringe the waterways. Keep your eyes peeled for herons and cormorants patiently searching for their next meal along the water’s edge.

5. Meet Wild Wallabies at Davidson Park

Davidson Park offers a surprising sanctuary from Sydney’s urban pace and a fantastic opportunity to encounter native wildlife. The resident wallabies are commonly seen around the picnic area, particularly near the canoe ramp or towards the western end of the main picnic grounds. Your best chance of spotting these delightful marsupials is around dusk when they emerge to feed.

Beyond wildlife watching, Davidson Park provides excellent facilities for a day out:

• Spacious grassy areas perfect for picnics and games
• BBQ facilities for a classic Australian outdoor meal
• Shaded picnic tables under eucalyptus trees
• The scenic Lyrebird Track (2.7km one-way) along the creek

Davidson Park is the only section of Garigal National Park that requires an entry fee for vehicles ($8 per day), but the facilities and wildlife-spotting opportunities make it well worth the cost.

6. Soak in the Views from Bluff Lookout

For maximum scenic reward with minimal effort, the Bluff Lookout walk is unbeatable. This short, easy stroll through the forest leads to a natural rock platform offering stunning panoramic views across Bantry Bay and stretching all the way to the distant Sydney skyline.

Starting from the end of Grattan Crescent in Killarney Heights, the initial walk to the lookout is just 15 minutes. However, many visitors choose to continue down the steep forest track as it winds through dry woodland towards the shores of Bantry Bay. As you descend, you’ll pass impressive sandstone rock formations and catch beautiful glimpses of the mangrove forests lining the bay.

Once at the water’s edge, Bantry Bay Reserve offers a peaceful pier – the perfect spot for a picnic before tackling the climb back up. The complete return journey to the bay and back is approximately 2.5km and takes about 1-1.5 hours.

7. Explore the Magazine Track to Flat Rock Beach

The Magazine Track offers one of Garigal’s most peaceful walking experiences, with many hikers reporting they didn’t encounter another soul despite hiking in the middle of the day. The trail leads to one of the park’s hidden treasures – Flat Rock Beach, a secluded sandy cove that feels like your own private Robinson Crusoe beach.

Your adventure begins on an unassuming side path off Cook Street in Roseville, initially signed as the Bates Creek Track. Soon, this path merges with the main Magazine Track, guiding you through classic Australian dry forest, past towering grass trees. The trail dips into cooler, shadier gullies where delicate lace ferns flourish, and you might find yourself hopping across a small creek.

Further along, the canopy opens up, treating you to fabulous views overlooking the mangrove-lined edges of Bantry Bay before you finally descend to the secluded Flat Rock Beach. Remember to time your arrival with low tide to enjoy the beach’s sandy expanse!

There’s a section where the track runs alongside a fence (a remnant of the old Bantry Bay explosives depot) that veers away from the water, but despite this brief interlude, the overall experience is delightful. The diverse forest, creek crossings, and stunning bay views make The Magazine Track a favorite among Sydney bushwalkers.

8. Discover the Natural Bridge Track

The Natural Bridge Track offers a short but rewarding bush experience, taking you to one of Garigal’s most interesting geological features. This 3.8km return walk starts at Grattan Crescent in Frenchs Forest and can be combined with a visit to Bluff Lookout for a more comprehensive exploration.

The somewhat rough and rocky track heads downhill for 800m before you reach the Natural Bridge – a fascinating sandstone formation where water has carved a tunnel through the rock. After rainfall, the cascades come alive, creating a magical atmosphere with the constant sound of flowing water in the background.

Beyond the Natural Bridge, the track continues through dense vegetation before emerging at a rocky outcrop where you can see a reasonably well-preserved Aboriginal rock engraving of a kangaroo. This cultural connection adds another dimension to your bush experience, reminding visitors of the long human history in this area.

The Natural Bridge Track is perfect for those seeking a shorter walk with diverse attractions – geological features, flowing water, and Aboriginal heritage – all packed into a relatively easy 1-1.5 hour experience.

9. Wade Through Frenchs Creek to The Cascades

The walk along Frenchs Creek to The Cascades offers a wonderful opportunity for visitors of all ages to truly engage with the bush. This 5.3km return journey starts from the end of Wanniti Road in Belrose and follows a beautiful creek through lush forest.

What makes this track special is the interactive nature experience – imagine splashing in the cool, clear water, carefully hopping from rock to rock across the creek, and exploring the shady, fern-filled gullies. It’s a genuine “wild bush getaway” that starts right from a suburban street!

The highlight for many is reaching The Cascades – a beautiful series of small, picturesque waterfalls and rock pools creating a wonderfully serene atmosphere. It’s an idyllic spot to spread out a picnic blanket and enjoy lunch surrounded by the sounds of trickling water and birdsong.

For those feeling energetic, the Frenchs Creek track seamlessly connects to the Middle Harbour Track. Following this well-maintained path will eventually lead you all the way to Davidson Park, though this would make for a much longer day hike.

10. Discover Aboriginal Heritage Sites

The Aboriginal people have been residents of the Garigal National Park area for over 20,000 years, and their connection and legacy can be witnessed throughout the park. The park is named after the Guringai people, the traditional custodians of this land, and contains approximately 100 Aboriginal heritage sites, including cave art, grinding grooves, middens, rock engravings, and shelters.

Several walking tracks will take you past these significant cultural sites:

• The Natural Bridge Track features a well-preserved kangaroo engraving on a rocky outcrop.
• The Bantry Bay Track passes several rock shelters with evidence of Aboriginal occupation.
• Throughout the park, you may notice grinding grooves near creeks where tools were once sharpened.

When visiting these sites, please remember they are protected by law and hold deep cultural significance. Observe respectfully without touching the engravings or artwork, and stay on designated tracks to help preserve these irreplaceable cultural treasures.

Essential Information for Visiting Garigal National Park

What to Bring

Safety Information

Wildlife and Plant Life in Garigal National Park

Garigal National Park is home to diverse wildlife and plant species that have adapted to the unique Sydney sandstone environment. The park serves as an important wildlife corridor connecting Sydney Harbour to the Blue Mountains national parks.

Animals to Spot

• Eastern Water Dragons: These impressive subaquatic lizards are commonly seen basking on rocks near waterways. They’ve remained virtually unchanged for over 20 million years!
• Wallabies: Often spotted around Davidson Park, particularly at dawn and dusk.
• Birds: Listen for kookaburras, cockatoos, and look for herons and cormorants near the water.
• Endangered Species: The park provides habitat for threatened species like broad-headed snakes, red-crowned toadlets, and southern brown bandicoots.

Notable Plant Life

• Grass Trees: Distinctive Australian plants with long flower spikes that can be seen along many trails.
• Grey Mangroves: Found along the shorelines of Middle Harbour and its creeks.
• Scribbly Gums: Named for the distinctive “scribble” patterns created by moth larvae on their smooth bark.
• Sydney Red Gums and Red Bloodwoods: Common eucalyptus species throughout the park.
• Old Man Banksia: With their distinctive saw-toothed leaves and large flower cones.

The best wildlife viewing times are early morning and late afternoon when animals are most active. Bring binoculars if you’re keen on birdwatching, and always maintain a respectful distance from any wildlife you encounter.

Where to Stay Near Garigal National Park

While there’s no accommodation within Garigal National Park itself, the surrounding suburbs offer plenty of options within easy driving distance:

For a wider range of accommodation options, consider staying in nearby Chatswood or North Sydney, which offer hotels of various price points and are still within 15-20 minutes drive of the park.

Other Attractions Near Garigal National Park

While Garigal National Park offers plenty to keep you busy, there are several other attractions nearby worth exploring:

• Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park: Just north of Garigal, offering more extensive bushwalking trails, Aboriginal heritage sites, and spectacular water views.
• Manly Beach: About 15 minutes drive from the eastern sections of Garigal, perfect for swimming, surfing, or enjoying the beachside atmosphere.
• Sydney Harbour National Park: Explore more of Sydney’s beautiful harbour foreshore with walks, beaches, and historic sites.
• North Head Sanctuary: Historic military site with spectacular views of Sydney Harbour and the city skyline.
• Dee Why Beach and Headland: Beautiful Northern Beaches location with coastal walks, cafes, and ocean pools.

Many visitors combine a morning in Garigal National Park with an afternoon at one of Sydney’s Northern Beaches or a visit to nearby Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park for a full day of outdoor exploration.

Plan Your Garigal National Park Adventure

Garigal National Park truly is one of Sydney’s hidden gems – a wilderness escape just minutes from the city center. From secluded beaches and tranquil waterfalls to immersive forest walks and Aboriginal heritage, the park offers experiences that will appeal to nature lovers of all ages and abilities.

Whether you’re a Sydney local looking for weekend adventures or a visitor seeking to experience Australia’s natural beauty without traveling far from the city, Garigal National Park deserves a place on your itinerary. With its diverse landscapes, abundant wildlife, and rich cultural history, it showcases the very best of Sydney’s natural environment.

Pack your walking shoes, bring plenty of water, and prepare to be surprised by the tranquility and beauty you’ll discover in this North Shore gem. The trails are waiting, the wallabies are watching, and the ancient stories of the land are ready to be experienced.