Royal Coast Track

Upgrades to the Royal Coast Track will deliver new visitor facilities and improved safety measures to this spectacular coastal walk south of Sydney. These works are being delivered as part of the largest visitor infrastructure program in national park history.

What the project involves

The Royal Coast Track is a 26-kilometre track along the coast of Royal National Park. The walk allows visitors to experience a natural landscape with dramatic scenery on the edge of metropolitan Sydney. The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is upgrading the track to deliver a quality walking experience along Sydney's southern coastline.

Impacts on visitation

As track works progress, closures may be in place for the safety of visitors and work crews. Please check current alerts before you visit.

Current alerts

Closures

Upgrades to the Royal Coast Track between Burning Palms and Werrong lookout will commence in August 2023. While the works are underway, the eastern section of the Palm Jungle loop track will also be closed between Burning Palms and Werrong lookout. Walking to/from Otford is possible, but walkers must divert via the Ridge Trail and Garawarra Farm.

These works are expected to take 12 months to complete.

Due to a landslide, Transport for NSW has closed Garie Road at the intersection with Sir Bertram Stevens Drive. Vehicles and pedestrians cannot use any part of Garie Road to access any part of Royal National Park. A reopening date for this road is unknown but is expected to be in mid to late 2024.

The Coast track is closed between Garie and Little Garie until further notice due to rock falls and erosion. It is not possible to pass through this section, and walkers must retrace their steps or exit the track at an earlier point. The best locations to exit the Coast track before you get to Garie are at Wattamolla or via the Curra Moors loop track.

Visitor access

Visitors can walk the Royal Coast Track south from Bundeena, but there is no access past Garie. Visitors must retrace their steps or exit the track before Garie via the Curra Moors loop track or at Wattamolla.

Visitors can access the Royal Coast Track from Otford via the Ridge Trail to Garawarra Farm but there is no access past Little Garie. Visitors will need to retrace their steps or exit the track before Little Garie. The best location to exit the Coast track from this direction before you get to Little Garie is via Garawarra Farm.

Figure 8 Pools can be reached from Otford via the Ridge trail or Garawarra Farm.

There are no restrictions to the Royal Coast Track between Bundeena and Wattamolla.

Timeframe for completion

This project commenced in 2016–17. Works have been staged and will be completed by 2024.

Why we are doing this and who benefits

The Royal National Park is Australia’s oldest national park and the second oldest national park in the world. The proposal includes major upgrade of the track surface and the provision of high-quality visitor facilities at key destinations along the route of the Royal Coast Track, including improvement of safety fencing and signage at Wedding Cake Rock and improvement to the visitor facilities at much loved Wattamolla. The project responds to both to the current pattern of visitor growth, as well as the attraction of new visitors through the offer of enhanced coastal experiences.

Protecting park values

Our national parks are managed to protect their unique values and provide for sustainable visitor use and enjoyment. This includes providing visitor experiences and, where appropriate, new visitor facilities including tracks and trails.

We are conducting environmental assessments to examine the significance of any likely environmental impacts of the proposal and will consider measures required to mitigate any impacts to the environment. This highlights the need to ensure public visitation and enjoyment is compatible with the protection of conservation and cultural heritage values.

Reflecting a sense of place

The Royal Coast Track provides visitors with an opportunity to enjoy a varied walking experience along the spectacular coastline of the Royal National Park. The track offers amazing views of the landscape and coastline and respects the park’s natural and cultural values. Places such as Wattamolla, Garie, Burning Palms, Era Beach and Eagle Rock can be accessed via the Coast Track, and provide stunning views. Visitors can experience the beauty of local landscapes and wildlife including whale watching.

Engaging stakeholders

The National Parks and Wildlife Service will continue to engage with stakeholders and interested community members with updates available from this webpage.