Paradise It's Closer Than You Think
Life can get pretty busy, with work especially in the city where it is noisy, annoying, busy and full of fumes. Just 40 minutes north of Sydney is the heart of Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park, a place where there are different types of walking tracks for everybody to enjoy.
To the right is a map showing the route from Sydney to Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park, the drive is around 32.2 km drive from the city and on an average day will take about 36 minutes to get there.
There are a lots of tracks in Ku-Ring-Gai that get walked thousands of times a week; the longest and most challenging being the Great North Walk which is a massive 250 km walk. There however is the Jerusalem Bay Track which covers 5 km of the Great North Walk and leads to the wonderful Jerusalem Bay. From Cowan Station, the walk passes through a variety of environments, with dryer vegetation near the freeway and moister rainforest-like plants near the water. Jerusalem Bay is a pretty area, shared by walkers and boaters, and a great place to relax before the walk back up to the station.
Barrenjoey Headland Walk will have one of the most amazing views over the ocean you have ever seen, on a clear day you can see sail boats everywhere. You can get an almost 360 degree view of the ocean and in the distance you can see the different headlands on the central coast. The length of the walk is 2.3 km and the upwards climb is 130 m this should take about 1 hour 40 minutes there and back. The walk has two different ways to go, the smugglers path is the harder of the two and involves a quite natural path with boulders in the way occasionally but the views of the northern beaches and ocean are magnificent, and the other is the walking path (stone brick path) which goes round the outside of the headland and gives great views of Pittwater.
Flint and Steel track is worth the walk for the beach which lies at the end of the track. The track its self is 2.1 km long and has a 209 m climb over a hill this should take about an hour to complete all up. This track is good for all levels and types of people it is a moderate walking track. This walk follows a scenic route to the secluded Flint and Steel Beach, which provides views across the Hawkesbury River to landmarks such as Lion Island, Patonga and Box Head. The walk passes through palm, pine and grass tree forests. There is a great diversity of flora and some fantastic sandstone rock formations along the way.
The America Bay track is a short walk that has a great range of scenery, making it a great choice if you have only a short time in this National Park. This track one of two ways to access America Bay - the other is by boat. The track cuts straight through the bush from West Head Rd to pass historic Aboriginal engravings and a large cliff with a small waterfall, which also gives an impressive view of the bay. The walk is only 2.2 km long with a 130 m climb which takes about 1 hour 15 minutes there and back. The walk is good for most people and you should have ease when you walk the track, as well as have some fun looking at the scenery.
This Perimeter Trail walk contours gently around the northern side of Terrey Hills on a wide mostly level trail, with occasional views across Ku-Ring-Gai National Park. However, it is the side trips that make this walk truly worthwhile - if you are only going to do one side trip, the look down into Cowan Creek from Wilkins Viewpoint is fabulous. With a variety of side trip options and easy access to the start and finish, this walk is well worth considering. The walk is 7.2 km long with a 214 m climb that takes about 2 hours 45 minutes to complete going one way. The walk is okay for all walkers the track is not flat it does have quite rough ground in areas but it is a nice relaxing walk for all to enjoy.
All you need for a relaxing time is to come to Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park it is so close to Sydney it is unbelievable. As it is just over 30 mins away from the city you and these tracks are my top 5 tracks but it is personal preference and there are many more tracks to choose from.
To the right is a map showing the route from Sydney to Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park, the drive is around 32.2 km drive from the city and on an average day will take about 36 minutes to get there.
There are a lots of tracks in Ku-Ring-Gai that get walked thousands of times a week; the longest and most challenging being the Great North Walk which is a massive 250 km walk. There however is the Jerusalem Bay Track which covers 5 km of the Great North Walk and leads to the wonderful Jerusalem Bay. From Cowan Station, the walk passes through a variety of environments, with dryer vegetation near the freeway and moister rainforest-like plants near the water. Jerusalem Bay is a pretty area, shared by walkers and boaters, and a great place to relax before the walk back up to the station.
Barrenjoey Headland Walk will have one of the most amazing views over the ocean you have ever seen, on a clear day you can see sail boats everywhere. You can get an almost 360 degree view of the ocean and in the distance you can see the different headlands on the central coast. The length of the walk is 2.3 km and the upwards climb is 130 m this should take about 1 hour 40 minutes there and back. The walk has two different ways to go, the smugglers path is the harder of the two and involves a quite natural path with boulders in the way occasionally but the views of the northern beaches and ocean are magnificent, and the other is the walking path (stone brick path) which goes round the outside of the headland and gives great views of Pittwater.
Flint and Steel track is worth the walk for the beach which lies at the end of the track. The track its self is 2.1 km long and has a 209 m climb over a hill this should take about an hour to complete all up. This track is good for all levels and types of people it is a moderate walking track. This walk follows a scenic route to the secluded Flint and Steel Beach, which provides views across the Hawkesbury River to landmarks such as Lion Island, Patonga and Box Head. The walk passes through palm, pine and grass tree forests. There is a great diversity of flora and some fantastic sandstone rock formations along the way.
The America Bay track is a short walk that has a great range of scenery, making it a great choice if you have only a short time in this National Park. This track one of two ways to access America Bay - the other is by boat. The track cuts straight through the bush from West Head Rd to pass historic Aboriginal engravings and a large cliff with a small waterfall, which also gives an impressive view of the bay. The walk is only 2.2 km long with a 130 m climb which takes about 1 hour 15 minutes there and back. The walk is good for most people and you should have ease when you walk the track, as well as have some fun looking at the scenery.
This Perimeter Trail walk contours gently around the northern side of Terrey Hills on a wide mostly level trail, with occasional views across Ku-Ring-Gai National Park. However, it is the side trips that make this walk truly worthwhile - if you are only going to do one side trip, the look down into Cowan Creek from Wilkins Viewpoint is fabulous. With a variety of side trip options and easy access to the start and finish, this walk is well worth considering. The walk is 7.2 km long with a 214 m climb that takes about 2 hours 45 minutes to complete going one way. The walk is okay for all walkers the track is not flat it does have quite rough ground in areas but it is a nice relaxing walk for all to enjoy.
All you need for a relaxing time is to come to Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park it is so close to Sydney it is unbelievable. As it is just over 30 mins away from the city you and these tracks are my top 5 tracks but it is personal preference and there are many more tracks to choose from.