10 Stunning Walks at the Royal National Park (Ranked by Grade!)

Have you been spending a little too much time inside bingeing on tv shows and baked goods? Yeah, us too, and that’s why we want to get out and about and enjoy some blue sky, the sound of the ocean and the warmth of the sun. Do you know what has all that? Sydney’s Royal National Park, which is located just south of the CBD – not too far from Cronulla – and is packed full of exhilarating cycling tracks, picnic spots, secluded beaches and walking tracks to suit experienced hikers or first-time walkers.

Due to its close proximity to the ocean, many of the walks in the Royal National Park end up at a beach, or run along the coastline, so not only will you be getting some exercise but you will also have plenty of insta-worthy opportunities to prove you left the couch. It’s a win-win situation.

It can be tough knowing where to go on a walk and which one will suit your abilities, so we have ranked the best of the Royal National Park’s walks from easiest to hardest, now all you have to do is pull on that activewear and get your body moving!

More of a lazy stroll than a hike, the walk to Bungoona Lookout is less than one kilometre for the whole round trip and is also wheelchair accessible.

The entire walk will take just 30 minutes and the softly winding track will lead you to the ridge top where you can take in views of the Hacking River. Due to its gentle nature and Grade 1 rating, this walk is a great activity for kids and an easy walk for adults of all ages.

If the walk is a little bit *too* easy and you need some extra excitement in your day, you should check out the nearby Illawarra Fly Treetops Walk, where you can look out over the rainforest from your vantage point at 30 metres above the ground across a 500-metre path. This one is for all fitness levels and ages so nobody will get left behind.

Water babies rejoice! This walk takes you past a selection of freshwater pools and creeks and finishes up at Marley Beach where you can swim and picnic until it is time to make the trip home.

The walk is rated a moderate Grade Two and should take anywhere from one and a half to two and a half hours to complete. The Bundeena Drive to Marley Beach Walk is an eight-kilometre round trip, which is the perfect distance to work up an appetite for lunch and still make you feel like you’ve had a decent workout. We love this walk because it has so many great things to do and see along the way, plus it’s a great free activity to do in Sydney with friends.

Still not quite ready to venture outside? Take a virtual tour of Bundeena Drive to Marley walk captured with Google Street View Trekker.

The aptly named Forest Path will transport you to another world that is fifty shades of green.  Forest Path is one of the oldest walking tracks in Royal National Park and is flanked by rainforest, with ferns licking at your ankles. This track, which follows the beautiful Bola Creek in parts, is an easy one to one-and-a-half hour trip and is suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels. The kids will love this walk too -  their imaginations can run wild in nature’s playground!

Bonus tip: Pack a picnic and settle in under the eucalypts and casuarinas near Bola Creek

One of the longer walks you can take through the Royal National Park, the Karloo Walking Track, is classed as a Grade Three that will take anywhere from three to five hours to complete. You will be rewarded for your efforts with plenty of scenic spots on the route, including waterfalls and water holes where you can take a dip!

If you are taking the train to the national park, this is a great hike for you. The Karloo Walking Track leads right from Waterfall Station and will lead you to Uloola Falls, which is close to the Uloola Campgrounds where you can set up your tent if you plan on staying overnight.

Remember to always let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return on any of these longer or harder tracks!

The Uloola Walking Track is on the upper end of the tricky scale as far as Grade 3 walks go. At 11 kilometres one way, getting a round trip done in a day is very do-able but if you haven’t walked that kind of distance before you might want to work up to it before giving it a go.

Considered to be one of the most charming and aesthetically pleasing walks (read Insta-worthy!), we recommend planning to camp overnight at the Uloola Falls Campground so that you can knock over 11 kilometres in one day and still spend some time snapping pics at the gorgeous waterfalls or surrounded by wildflowers near the Couranga Walking Track.

The Couranga Walking Track provides the most ideal option for fit and healthy people who are up for a challenge but really don’t want to risk overdoing it. A neat little 5.1 kilometres each way, picking this walking track will give you a fun day out with plenty of adventure, some visual surprises (think waterfalls and forests straight out of a picture book) and loads of lively backdrops for a sneaky photoshoot.

This National Park walk will have you feeling like a real explorer as you trek across the cliffs separating the bush from the sea. The decent 10-kilometre looped track will get the blood pumping, but with an estimated completion time of four to five hours, you will still be able to enjoy the outlook and you could even spot some whales if they happen to be on their migration journey.

Remember to pack your lunch so you can take advantage of the prime picnic spot at Curracurrong waterfall, where you can also take the perfect shot to prove to your friends that you do actually leave the house! 

The Palm Jungle Loop Track is exactly as it sounds and will lure you deep into the closest version of a jungle that southeastern New South Wales has to offer!

Brush your way past the clingy palms as you cross clifftops heading towards the coastline. Here you can stop and enjoy the vast, uninterrupted views of the Pacific Ocean, which is great... because you WILL be puffing, and will need time to catch your breath! This walk has some very steep sections so make sure your daily walk is more than just to the letterbox and back before you try this one!

Want a nice spot to stop for lunch? You will be spoilt for choice! We recommend Burning Palms Beach, where you can have a post-picnic swim before finishing off the track.

This is a loop walk so it will bring you right back to the car park, ready to head back to reality after your day trekking through the Aussie jungle! This is a spectacular, yet challenging walk and is a perfect re-introduction to The Great Outdoors for the more experienced walkers.

If you prefer to experience nature ‘au natural’ the Werrong Beach Track may be for you as it finishes at a nude beach in the Royal National Park. You cannot swim here - it’s too dangerous, but it is a really nice spot to have lunch and relax before heading back. This is a very challenging walk so you’ll want the rest - trust us! 

The Werrong Beach Track is only two kilometres each way but includes a steep section past a cliff before you delve deep into the lush rainforest that meets the shoreline. You shouldn’t need more than two-and-a-half hours for this one, so there is plenty of time to spend at the secluded beach before making your way up the steep path once more.\

Wowee, this one is a biggie and probably not something most people can attempt to complete in one day! The Coast Track will take you from Bundeena to Otford and measures a huge 26 kilometres one way.

If you’re up to the challenge, this is one of the best ways to see the coastline and some beautiful beaches on the way. It is one of the most spectacular walks you can do in Australia! Those who embark on the Coast Track in the Royal National Park will be lucky enough to visit Little Marley Beach, Wattamolla, Curracurrang Cove and Garie Beach, which are some of southern Sydney’s most private and prettiest beaches.

Thinking of tackling this one? Good for you! We want you to be safe and make the most of the trip, so we recommended that you plan to camp overnight and pre-book a spot at the popular North Era Campground to recuperate before you press on. It’s also recommended that you download the NPWS app and download maps for Royal National Park before you leave home.  Safety first people!

With so many walking tracks to choose from at the Royal National Park near Sydney, and with trails for beginners and experienced hikers, there are no excuses not to visit the Royal National Park and give them a whirl. 

If you were looking for something a little more hard-core than just a walk (even if some are VERY challenging!), then perhaps the Blue Mountains will be more up your alley…  here are two heart-pumping activities in the Blue Mountains:

Get the heart-pumping with a half day abseil in the spectacular Blue Mountains. Expect stunning vistas, breathtaking heights, and a great day spent outside after all this isolation!

Abseiling is great… but what about abseiling down a waterfall and into caves!? Canyoning in the Blue Mountains is such an epic experience, and definitely something for those looking for more than just a bush walk!

Time to head outside and get a serious dose of fresh air friends!