60 Best Walks

With the help of our branches and walks leaders we’ve identified NPA’s 60 Best Walks. These walks will be part of our regular activities program in 2017 to help the NPA celebrate our 60th Birthday. You can get your Passport to the 60 Best Walks to help track how you are going walking them all.

1. Wyrrabalong NP
Grade 2
Lillipilli Loop and Burrawang Tracks. Beautiful Redgum (Angophora costata) forest saved from sand mining.

Sydney and surrounds
Central Coast Branch
2. Bouddi NP
Grade 3
Dingledei Picnic Area - Mt Bouddi Lookout - Maitland Bay - Bullimah Spur Lookout - Strom Track. beautiful and historic Maitland Bay Beach.

Sydney and surrounds
Central Coast Branch
3. Bouddi NP
Grade 3
Bouddi NP and Central Coast Reserves. Wagstaffe - Ettalong - Blackwall Mountain - Daleys Point Ridge - Strom Lookout - Hardys Bay - Wagstaffe. Flannel Flowers, great views of Brisbane Water, Aboriginal rock engraving site.

Sydney and surrounds
Central Coast Branch
4. Brisbane Water NP
Grade 3
Wondabyne Station – Pindar Cave – Pindar Brook Waterfall and return. Wildflowers, views of Hawkesbury River.

Sydney and surrounds
Central Coast Branch
5. Brisbane Water NP
Grade 3
Mooney Mooney Creek - Piles Creek - suspension bridge - Girrakool Circuit and return. Majestic Sydney Bluegums.

Sydney and surrounds
Central Coast Branch
6. Brisbane Water NP
Grade 3
Pearl Beach - Waterfall - Warrah Lookout and Trig - Elephant Rock - Patonga Beach - Crommelin Arboretum - Green Point - Pearl Beach. Beautiful beaches. Panorama ocean and Hawkesbury River views.

Sydney and surrounds
Central Coast Branch
7. Garigal NP
Grade 2
Belrose - Narrabeen. Deep Creek, Moon Rock Aboriginal engraving site, Slippery Dip fire trail, Morgan Road, Narrabeen Lagoon.

Sydney and surrounds
Sydney Branch
8. Sydney Harbour NP
Grade 3
Manly to the Spit; Taronga Park Zoo to the Spit; Manly to North Head, Sydney Harbour. Wildflowers, harbour views, colonial history.

Sydney and surrounds
Southern Sydney Branch
9. Botany Bay NP
Grade 3
Kurnell - Cape Solander - Cape Baily. Spectacular coastal views and vegetation.

Sydney and surrounds
Southern Sydney Branch
10. Royal NP
Grade 4
Coast Track from Otford to Bundeena via Burning Palms Beach, Garie Beach, Eagle Rock, Curracurrang, Wattamolla. Iconic coastal walk, spectacular views and vegetation.

Sydney and surrounds
Sydney Branch
11. Royal NP
Grade 3
Engadine Station to Bundeena via Engadine track crossing Kangaroo Creek, Audley, Winifred and Anice Falls, Cabbage Tree Basin. Historic tracks.

Sydney and surrounds
Illawarra Branch
12. Royal NP
Grade 3
Walk from Engadine Station via Audley along Uloola Ridge to Karloo Pool.

Sydney and surrounds
Southern Sydney Branch
13. Gardens of Stone NP
Grade 4
Sunnyside Ridge – Number 8 Lookout – Wombat Canyon – Sonntag Retreat – Fern Gully Ridge – Fire Trail No 8. A great introduction to canyons.

Sydney and surrounds
Sydney Branch
14. Gardens of Stone NP
Grade 4
Newnes SF & Gardens of Stone NP. Birds Rock Trail No 2 – Peregrine Point – Amphitheatre Creek – Middle Ridge – Birds Rock Trail No 1. Fabulous views, creek walking with canyon like features.

Sydney and surrounds
Sydney Branch
15.
Grade 4
Birds Rock Trail – Birds Lookout – The Pagoda Walls – Birds Creek - 1029 – Fire Trail No 4 – Bird Rock Flora Reserve - Birds Rock Trail. Spectacular pagoda country.

Sydney and surrounds
Sydney Branch
16.
Grade 4
Wollangambe Trail – Subsidence Row – Pagoda Gully – Snake Hill – Bungleboori Creek – Coopers Ridge – Waratah South Fire Trail – Bungleboori Creek – Holts Heaven. Fabulous scenery.

Sydney and surrounds
Sydney Branch
17. Wollemi NP
Grade 4
Milbrodale. Baiame Cave art site - 3 Poles Lookout - Old Bulga Road. 0ne of the great indigenous art sites of Eastern Australia. Follow one of the original convict-built roads.

Sydney and surrounds
Hunter Branch
18. Blue Mountains NP
Grade 3
Splendour Rock. The view is one of the best in the Blue Mountains.

Sydney and surrounds
Sydney Branch
19. Blue Mountains NP
Grade 3
Faulconbridge to Springwood. Riparian rainforest; fungi.

Sydney and surrounds
Southern Sydney Branch
20. Blue Mountains NP
Grade 3
Wentworth Falls to Katoomba via Conservation Hut, Lillian Bridge, Fairmont Resort, Federal and Prince Henry Walks, Leura Forest and Furber Steps. Good views and forest walking. Historic tracks.

Sydney and surrounds
Illawarra Branch
21. Blue Mountains NP
Grade 4
Blackheath - (Popes Glen - Govetts Leap - Cliff Walk) - Grand Canyon - Braeside Walk.

Sydney and surrounds
Southern Sydney Branch
22. Blue Mountains NP
Grade 3
Glenbrook to Faulconbridge: Crossing Glenbrook and Sassafras Creeks, Saint Helena Ridge fire trail, Lost World and Bunyan Lookouts, Perch Ponds and Clarinda Falls.

Sydney and surrounds
Illawarra Branch
23. Blue Mountains NP
Grade 2
Fortress Ridge. Views of Grose Valley.

Sydney and surrounds
Southern Sydney Branch
24. Blue Mountains NP
Grade 4
Mt Solitary Traverse via Kedumba Valley road, Mt. Solitary, Koorowall Knife Edge, Ruined Castle Ridge Track and Golden Stairs; Katoomba - Mt Solitary. Stunning ridge climb.

Sydney and surrounds
Illawarra Branch
25. Illawarra Escarpment SCA
Grade 4
Illawarra Escarpment Traverse. Stanwell Park - Forest Track - Austinmer. Great views of the Illawarra coast. The vegetation is varied along the walk including sections of rainforest. Iconic ladders and steps down the escarpment to finish.

South Coast
Illawarra Branch
26. Illawarra Escarpment SCA
Grade 3
Mt Keira Ring Track. Illawarra landmark, rainforest and spectacular views.

South Coast
Illawarra Branch
27. Illawarra Escarpment SCA
Grade 3
Mt Kembla Summit Track. Marvellous views of the southern Illawarra.

South Coast
Illawarra Branch
28. Macquarie Pass NP
Grade 2
A creeks and cascades walk through rainforest.

South Coast
Illawarra Branch
29. Barren Grounds NR
Grade 3
Drawing Room Rocks. Magnificent rock formations and beautiful lookout over the coast.

South Coast
Southern Highlands Branch
30. Barren Grounds NR
Grade 3
Griffiths Trail Loop Walk to a great lookout. A classic wildflower (seasonal) walk.

South Coast
Illawarra Branch
31. Morton NP
Grade 3
McPhails Fire Trail - Pipeline Lookout - around Mt Carrialoo - Kangaroo Valley. Historic track.

South Coast
Southern Highlands Branch
32. Morton NP
Grade 5
Long Gully - Kaliana Ridge - Castle Saddle - Monolith Valley via Nibelung Pass. Chain ascent to explore the valley: Natural Arch, Green Room and Seven Gods pinnacles. Spectacular views of the Budawang Range.

South Coast
Milton Branch
33. Morton NP
Grade 3
Mt Bushwalker and on to Gadara Point (side trips down Gaol House Pass and Beehive Pass).

South Coast
Milton Branch
34.
Grade 3
Murrays Beach - Governor Head then south through heathland and forest to the ruins of Cape St George Lighthouse and return via Hole in the Wall.

South Coast
Milton Branch
35.
Grade 2
Coastal tracks north and south-east of Ulladulla, including Warden Head and the One Track for All.

South Coast
Milton Branch
36. Murramarang NP
Grade 4
From Pretty Beach carpark, ascend Durras Mountain along forest tracks. Descend to coast via the east trail and return via coast.

South Coast
Milton Branch
37. Murramarang NP
Grade 3
Return walk from Lake Tabourie to Nuggan Point, along beaches and behind the dunes.

South Coast
Milton Branch
38. Ben Boyd NP
Grade 3
Light to Light Walk; Boyds Tower - Green Cape. Perhaps the best bit of coast walking in the state. Colourful rocks, beaches, bushland, scenery, campsites and the whales!

South Coast
Sydney Branch
39. Bournda NP
Grade 4
Kangarutha Track. Can be divided in to sections.

South Coast
Far South Coast Branch
40.
Grade 1
Bundian Way. Part of an ancient 265km Aboriginal pathway from Mt Kosciuszko to the coast.

South Coast
Far South Coast Branch
41. Coffs Coast RP
Grade 4
Solitary Islands coastal walk which can be done in sections from Red Rock to Sawtell.

North Coast
Coffs Harbour Branch
42. Dorrigo NP
Grade 2
Dorrigo Rain Forest Centre. Wonga Walk; Lyrebird Link Track

North Coast
Coffs Harbour Branch
43. Killabakh NR
Grade 5
Killabakh Mountain. According to the NPA website this is one of the 60 best walks in NSW. On a clear sunny day that may well be true. The changes in scenery and vegetation are amazing, no way anyone could get bored on this "black-hands" walk. killabakh-mountain_2022-05-04_photos by John Southcott.

North Coast
Mid North Coast Branch
44. Crowdy Bay NP
Grade 0
Diamond Head.

North Coast
Mid North Coast Branch
45. Barrington Tops NP
Grade 5
Lagoon Pinch to Careys Peak via The Corker. Long sustained climb to the Barrington Plateau. Altitudinal sequence from subtropical rainforest to cool temperate beech forest and subalpine woodland. Panoramic views from Careys Peak (1,534 m). The protection of this area from logging was a major impetus to NPA’s formation.

North Coast
Hunter Branch
46. Barrington Tops NP
Grade 3
Polblue. Mount Carson Trail - Kholwha Creek. Subalpine woodland and cool temperate beech forest.

North Coast
Hunter Branch
47. Glenrock SCA
Grade 2
Yuelarbah Track. Kahibah to Merewether (optional return). Wildflowers, mining heritage and coastal geology.

North Coast
Hunter Branch
48. Mount Royal NP
Grade 5
Mt Royal. Steep, mostly untracked ascent of Mt Royal in the southern Barrington Tops. Possibly the Hunter Valley's most spectacular day walk with panoramic views and varied rainforest. Follow in explorer Ludwig Leichhardt’s footsteps.

North Coast
Hunter Branch
49. Wallarah NP
Grade 2
Catherine Hill Bay. Wildflowers, mining heritage and coastal geology.

North Coast
Hunter Branch
50. Sugarloaf SCA
Grade 2
Sugarloaf Range.

North Coast
Hunter Branch
51. Goulburn River NP
Grade 2
The Drip. Short walk and boulder hop along riverbed through sandstone gorge. The Drip is a unique curtain of dripping ferns fed by natural seepage. The gentle patter of fine droplets provides a very tranquil setting. Recently protected from mining.

Country NSW
Hunter Branch
52. Towarri NP
Grade 4
Mt Tinagroo. Middle Brook along the Cedar Trail, with a side trip to Mt Tinagroo on the summit of the Liverpool Range (1230 m). Steady climb through eucalypt forest, ancient grass trees, tree ferns, snow gums and snowgrass. An abundance of wildlife.

Country NSW
Hunter Branch
53.
Grade 4
Short but extremely steep walk to the summit of Wallabadah Rock. Wallabadah Rock is a volcanic plug, and claimed to be the ‘biggest rock' in NSW.

Country NSW
Hunter Branch
54. Goobang NP
Grade 3
Goobang Creek. Interesting rock platforms and creek environs. Excellent bird watching.

Country NSW
Lachlan Valley Branch
55. Conimbla NP
Grade 2
Ironbark Track. Varying geological interest and a spectacular lookout into Cherry Creek Gorge.

Country NSW
Lachlan Valley Branch
56. South West Woodland NR
Grade 5
Black Range. Rough off track climb up a steep, boulder strewn escarpment. Outstanding view of western plains from western precipice.

Country NSW
Lachlan Valley Branch
57. Kosciuszko NP
Grade 4
Main Range Circuit; starting at Charlotte Pass or Thredbo. Australia's highest mountain (2,228 m) and the largest area of glaciated landscape on the mainland. Summer alpine flowers.

Snowy Mountains
Sydney Branch
58. Ku-ring-gai Chase NP
Grade 4
Pittwater Track. West Head - Elvina Bay. Walk the full length of the western Pittwater shoreline crossing 6 beaches, 1 youth hostel, 1 campground and 5 lookouts plus 2 water crossings. Rainforest to ridgetop heath, pristine creeks, wildlife (goanna and wallaby) and constant great water views.

Sydney and surrounds
Sydney Branch
59. Blue Mountains NP
Grade 3
Walk the 100 year old National Pass walking track along the cliffs and waterfalls. NOTE: NPWS has closed the National Pass track from 31 Aug 2017 for safety reasons.

Sydney and surrounds
Sydney Branch
60. Kosciuszko NP
Grade 4
Kiandra-Mt Jagungal-Round Mountain.

Snowy Mountains
Sydney Branch