Royal National Park
The Second Oldest National Park in the World
On the lands of the Dharawal people.
schedule 1 min read / Updated Apr 2026
Gazetted in 1879, just seven years after Yellowstone, the Royal was the second national park ever created anywhere in the world. It protects 15,000 hectares of coastal heath, sandstone cliffs and Hawkesbury River rainforest a 40 minute drive from central Sydney.
The Royal National Park was set aside in 1879 on Dharawal country at a time when Sydney was still a small colonial city. The name 'Royal' was granted after Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1954. Covering 15,091 hectares, it protects a stretch of sandstone cliff coast and a network of creeks and waterfalls that spill into the Pacific.
The 26 kilometre Coast Track from Bundeena to Otford is the park's signature walk, usually done as a two day hike with an overnight camp at North Era. Along the way it passes the Figure 8 Pools, Wedding Cake Rock, the Balconies, and Burning Palms Beach. The pools and Wedding Cake Rock are hazardous and have fenced-off sections after fatal falls.
Less dramatic but more family-friendly is the Lady Carrington Drive, a 10 kilometre rainforest track along the Hacking River, and the historic Audley Boat Shed where rowing boats have been hired out since the 1890s.
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Scenic views
Lookouts near Royal National Park.
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- Royal National Park - panoramio (50).jpg · Tony Hugo · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Royal National Park Cliff - panoramio.jpg · Tony Hugo · CC BY-SA 3.0
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