Royal National Park: The Coast Track is a 16.8 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Bundeena, New South Wales, Australia that features a waterfall and is rated as difficult. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, camping, and backpacking and is accessible year-round.
The Coast Track is an incredible coastal walk/trek within an hour drive south of Sydney running from Bundeena to Otford in one of the most popular and spectacular of the NSW National Parks, the Royal National Park. The Dharawal people inhabited this coastline prior to the arrival of Europeans, cohabitating with its abundances. Most hikers choose this route going north to south from Bundeena to Otford, but some hikers may be interested in the alternate south to north trek. This route is either a long day trip or an overnight backpacking trip staying at a campsite – north era campground for example. A bush camping permit is required if you're camping and booking in advance for the campground is recommended. Bring plenty of water, especially in the summer. A handful of creeks are along the trail for those with water filters. There are also some picnic areas along the way to stop and eat. There is a steep climb coming back out but the coastal views are unbeatable, and a number of wallabies can be sighted along the trail! This is an incredible, but demanding walk. It is absolutely a rewarding hike, although completing it in its entirety is not for the unmotivated. A great way to tick off a lot of must-sees in the park such as Otford Lookout, various swimming holes, Garie Beach, Eagle rock lookout, Wedding Cake Rock, Port Hacking and much more. Both ends are accessible by public transport, Otford Train station is a short walk from the trailhead in the south or alternatively at the north end by ferry to Bundeena.
February 13, 2021
January 14, 2021Amazing hike. Did it in around 5.5-6 hours. Really pushed it to make good time, only stopped for 3 short breaks and a 15 minute lunch. My fitness tracker logged around 39kms from Bundeena Wharf to the train station at Otford. Brilliant coast walk. (Take plenty of water, little resupply shop is available at Garie Beach)
January 2, 2021Great walk, stunning coast line, we did it in 1 day which is fairly achievable. Luckily we had someone drop us off and the man fetch us at Bundeena. Highly recommend!
December 29, 2020Stunning views throughout. As others have noted, it is largely made up of boardwalk now, particularly in the northern half. It was well populated, even on a relatively overcast Tuesda, albeit during the holiday period. I completed it in 6 hours including breaks but that required a brisk pace in order to catch an earlier train from Otford. I took 2L of water which was sufficient although more might have been required on a hot day.
December 12, 2020Unreal views and scenery
December 4, 2020Very scenic walk, fantastic views out to sea along the cliffs. We parked our car at Eric street Bundeena and started our walk, it’s well managed and signposted track.
November 15, 2020It was really good there was some difficult parts but not a lot and if you are looking for a nice place to go for a day go here
November 7, 2020There's a small kiosk open a couple of km before the campsite if going Bundeena to Otford.
October 29, 2020Easily broken down into sections for shorter walks or customised to suit desired length. I was lucky enough to come across a large diamond python on the trail. Very well maintained track for its length. An asset for anyone who likes to explore the outdoors. Being so close to the city the area gets very busy on weekends.
October 8, 2020Great track lots of people enjoying the day
October 6, 2020Started at Bundeena wharf and finished at Otford station, walked via Port Hacking Point and a detour near Wattamolla Beach (via Providential Point due to track closure) - total of 32km. Completed in just under 6 hours with a combination of walking and jogging for first 20km. As others have mentioned, a lot of the walk is along a raised boardwalk which makes the walking easy. Some steeper climbs / descents along the way but nothing too extreme. Much of the track has no shelter at all so walking in the cooler months is recommended, and plenty of water is required. The trail does take you along several beaches so be prepared to take your shoes on & off each time if you're wearing running shoes. Views are spectacular and scenery changes markedly throughout the walk. Trail was very lightly trafficked on the day I walked it (a Friday).
September 19, 2020We walked the Bundeena to Wattamolla segment of 9 to 10 km in 3 hours 15 minutes including a lunch stop. The path now has lengthy sections covered in man-made board walks. This improvement to the track conditions makes progress faster. However, what has not changed is the high exposure to wind, sun and rain. Besides the proximity of the the track to cliff edges, the surrounding scrub is no more than two metres high in many places; hence the high exposure. In summary: pretty, even dramatic, scenery; but best attempted in late autumn, winter or early spring.
September 13, 2020Australia’s beautiful coast line!! What an amazing trail with incredible infrastructure that make the walk more enjoyable and protect the landscape. Loved the experience. For a day trip Park at Cronulla and catch the 8.30am Ferry from Bundeena and end at Otford station (catch train back to Cronulla) full day walk. Or camp over night at North Era campground, about 20kms in. No fresh drinking water available so if camping take your own.
September 1, 2020Fantastic views. The climb out of the palm forest was a bit brutal.
August 31, 2020We did it in 8:30hrs Bundeena to Otford, I guess the other way around should be quite easy as during the end of the journey you’ll have clear trails to follow. We had a challenging ending especially when sun down and the trek down to Otford is quiet tough when your body is low in energy . Overall, It was amazing!
August 17, 2020We did Bundeena to Wattamolla and back. World class scenery! Gorgeous cliff formations, sandstone ledges, gorgeous shoreside flora and amazing bird life. Easy walking as much of it is board walk. Add in beaches, lagoons and streams and this coastal walk had it all.
August 10, 2020I’d rate as moderate more than hard. Finished in 8 hours even though planning on a multi-day hike. Some very beautiful views, most hard track and for maybe half the hike (far too long, imho) was a man-made raised walkway
July 22, 2020July 17, 2020Excellent trail. I completed it in one day starting from the bundeena wharf. The last 5kms were tough and uphill after a long day. If you’re catching the train back to Sydney keep an idea on the train timetable as on the weekends they aren’t that frequent.
June 30, 2020Really enjoyed the trail. Got as far as curracurrang and back in 6hrs. Perfect time of year to go. I was able to spot 10-12 whales migrating across the day. Was very beautiful! Reception 50% of the time. Mix of track and rocks but easy to follow. Recommend waterproof hiking shoes.
June 19, 2020June 2, 2020May 22, 2020More difficult between Otford and Garie. Rest of the trail is relatively flat. Raised path for majority of the trail.
May 18, 2020This trails connects Maianbar with Bonnie Vale Camp Ground and then onto Bundeena.
May 8, 2020Clear wide trail... can’t get lost. Most parts are boardwalk with some rocky parts also.
March 4, 2020Not a difficult track to do on a single day, we took the 8:30 ferry to Bundeena and were able to do the whole track in 6 hrs 35min, I think the first part was a walk in the park (all the way to Garies Beach) after that it gets a bit tougher and physical but quite good to be challenged!
