Located in Lake Macquarie is one of the most beautiful national parks north of Sydney. This park is Wallarah National Park. This small national park is located between Catherine Hill Bay and Caves Beach and has some of the best-hidden gems Lake Macquarie has to offer. This beautiful coastal area is a quick day trip from Sydney or Newcastle and is perfect for hiking, mountain biking, fishing or visiting secluded beaches.
While in the Newcastle region, find out what else there is to do in the area here
Below are some of the highlights of Wallarah National Park, however much of this national park does not offer reception so it could be a good idea to look at investing in a Personal Locator Beacon. Read about why it could be useful here.
Mountain Biking in Wallarah National Park
Mountain Biking is incredibly popular in Wallarah National Park. The Yondeo Trail is right off of the Pacific Highway and links up to the Scenic trail offering kms of mountain biking tracks. These steep and eroded tracks are surrounded by beautiful wildflowers and covered by eucalyptus trees.
These challenging tracks are some of the best mountain biking trails in Lake Macquarie, they are steep, cross creeks and offer beautiful views of the coastline! What more could you want?
For more information about mountain biking in Wallarah National Park, you can check out NPWS here
The Coastal Walking Track
The Coastal Walking track is a 5km return hike connecting Caves Beach to Pinny Beach. This moderately challenging hike takes you along the cliffs in Wallarah National Park offering unmatched views of Spoon Rocks and the headlands of Lake Macquarie.
This walk is well known for its pristine ocean views, and during the winter becomes a popular location for hikers hoping to catch glimpses of whales during their migration. Many people take a break on the edges of the cliffs and wait for the whales to pass and put on a show. It’s an amazing experience for walkers and offers some of the most memorable experiences you can have while hiking
Pinny Beach
Pinny Beach is a secluded beach in the Wallarah National Park located on the north side of the Quarries Head. There are multiple access points to this beach, however many are on rugged tracks. The most popular route is via Wallarah Coastal Walk from Caves Beach. Pinnys Beach is a popular rock fishing spot, and it is very common to see fishermen scattered along the rocks and beach trying to reel in the catch of the day.
The beach overall is considered a safe spot to swim and surf, however, it should be noted there are no life-saving services for this beach, so extra care always needs to be taken while in the water at this beach.
Split Rock
A little known Lake Macquarie hidden gem is Split Rock in Wallarah National Park. This unique rock formation has been formed after hundreds of thousands of years of waves crashing onto the headland, eroding it and essentially splitting the rock in half. This impressive site is a small detour off of the Coast Walking Track before you reach Pinny Beach. This is a great spot to stop, have a break and look for whales as they pass by!
Shark Hole
The infamous shark hole! Shark Hole is a popular abseiling spot in Wallarah National Park. Some cheeky hikers however have placed a ladder and ropes into the chasm though to help those wishing to explore to do so. For those who are brave enough to take on this area, you’ll find it south of Pinny Beach. The ladder is rickety and it is a potentially dangerous location so care needs to be taken. But anyone open to a big adventure will love exploring this chasm. At the bottom of the ropes, you’ll find giant boulders which have fallen and will be a reminder of how treacherous this location is.
You can read more about how to find Shark Hole and other hidden gems in Wallarah National Park here.
Catherine Hill Bay Bunkers
Did you know there were WWII bunkers in Lake Macquarie? Well, there is! And they are a great little spot to explore. These bunkers were part of a highly classified military operation that would alert the RAAF of any approaching Japanese aircrafts. Whilst the rest of the operation has since been removed the concrete bunkers remain and can be entered.
The Catherine Hill Bay Bunkers are accessible and there is also a rope to help you climb them and see the amazing view from the top. Unfortunately, some people have defaced the bunkers but they are an important part of the history of the region and a great little adventure!
For those looking at finding the bunkers in Wallarah National Park you can read about how to find them here
If you’re looking for more hikes in Lake Macquarie and Central Coast National Parks. Check out our guide book! It includes 40+ hikes to lookouts, hidden gems and wild swimming locations across this Central Coast region!