9 Best Walks in Bouddi National Park

Last updated: December 18, 2023

A guide to the nine best walks in Bouddi National Park, exploring scenic bushland, sandstone cliffs, beautiful coastal paths, and quiet beaches.

Bouddi National Park may not be on everyone’s to-do list when looking for new walking tracks to explore. But this 15 km2 national park is home to some very pretty and unique bush and coastal walks.

It was established in 1967 as a National Park, using the local Aboriginal name for the eastern headland of Maitland Bay. There are still many Aboriginal sites to be found in the area, such as middens, engravings, and rock shelters.

The best way to explore Bouddi’s distinct landscape is by hiking! Pick your favourite from the following nine best hikes in Bouddi National Park.

Top 9 Bouddi National Park Walks:

Walk Distance
1 Bouddi Coastal Walk 8 km (one way)
2 Putty Beach to Gerrin Point Lookout 2.6 km (return)
3 Maitland Bay Track 3.6 km (return)
4 Bullimah Spur Track 2.4 km (return)
5 Box Head Track 3.2 km (return)
6 Mount Bouddi Walking Track 2.4 km (return)
7 Little Beach Trail 1.5 km (return)
8 Rocky Point Trail to Allen Strom Lookout 2 km (return)
9 Daleys Point Walking Track 3.2 km (return)

Top 9 Bouddi National Park Walks

The following nine walking tracks in Bouddi National Park range from an easy 1.5 km to a more challenging 8 km in length.

If you prefer an even longer hike, it’s possible to combine some of these walks, as they are all located within close proximity.

1. Bouddi Coastal Walk

Bouddi Coastal Walk
Bouddi Coastal Walk

Enjoy 8 kilometres of quiet beaches, lookout points, boardwalks, and panoramic ocean views, as you hike from Putty Beach to MacMasters Beach along the coast of Bouddi National Park.

Some of the highlights of this classic Central Coast walking track include the Gerrin Point Lookout, Maitland Bay, and Bullimah Beach.

If 8 km is too long, this walk can easily be divided into smaller sections: MacMasters Beach to Little Beach, Little Beach to Maitland Bay, and Maitland Bay to Putty Beach.

Read more about this walking track on the NSW National Parks website.

Bouddi Coastal Walk
Distance: 8 km (one way)
Duration: 4 hours
Grade: Moderate

2. Putty Beach to Gerrin Point Lookout

Views from Gerrin Point Lookout
Views from Gerrin Point Lookout

Perhaps the most enjoyable section of the Bouddi Coastal Walk is the 2.6 km return walking trail between Putty Beach and Gerrin Point Lookout.

This is an easy, family-friendly walking track that takes in beautiful scenery, secluded beaches, lookout points and unique rock formations.

Ample parking is available at the Putty Beach campground, from where you can start this hike to the Tessellated Pavement, Bullimah Beach, and Gerrin Point.

Read more about the Putty Beach to Gerrin Point Lookout coastal walk.

Putty Beach to Gerrin Point Lookout
Distance: 2.6 km (return)
Duration: 1.5 hours
Grade: Easy

3. Maitland Bay Track

Maitland Bay
Maitland Bay

The Maitland Bay Track is a short but steep bushwalk that winds its way down from the Bouddi National Park Information Centre to the stunning beach of Maitland Bay through beautiful rainforest.

While the track down to the beach may be very easy, the return trip is quite challenging, with some very steep sections to conquer.

Once you’ve set foot on the yellow sand of the beach, it’s recommended to venture out further east towards Bouddi Point, where you can discover the remains of an old shipwreck.

Read more about the Maitland Bay Track.

Maitland Bay Track
Distance: 1.8 km (return)
Distance to Bouddi Point: 3.6 km (return)
Duration: 1.5 hours
Grade: Moderate (steep)

4. Bullimah Spur Track

Views from the Bullimah Outlook
Views from the Bullimah Outlook

Like the Maitland Bay track, the Bullimah Spur Track also starts at the Bouddi National Park information centre, but this walk goes southbound towards the Bullimah Outlook.

The exciting walking track meanders through bushland with fantastic views of Maitland Bay to take in along the way.

The views from the lookout at the end of the walk are incredible, with Putty Beach, Broken Bay, Palm Beach, Lion Island, and Box Head all visible on a clear day.

Parking is available at the Information Centre on Scenic Road. From there, follow the Maitland Bay Track for a short while until it branches out into the Bullimah Spur Track.

Read more about the Bullimah Spur Track.

Bullimah Spur Track
Distance: 2.4 km (return)
Duration: 1 hour
Grade: Easy

5. Box Head Track

Box Head Lookout in Bouddi National Park
Box Head Lookout

The 3.2 km Box Head Track winds its way down towards the ocean through a patch of thriving bushland, similar to the Maitland Bay track.

But in this case, the destination is a beautiful lookout point. The Box Head Lookout on the southernmost tip of the Bouddi National Park peninsula is indeed a beauty and very much worth the effort.

From the lookout, the panoramic views of Broken Pay, the Hawkesbury River, and the Barrenjoey Headland are amazing.

Read more about the Box Head Track.

Box Head Track
Distance: 3.2 km (return)
Duration: 1.5 hours
Grade: Easy

6. Mount Bouddi Walking Track

Mount Bouddi
Mount Bouddi

The short but pretty Mount Bouddi walking track starts at the Mount Bouddi (Dingeldei) picnic area, and guides hikers through beautiful bushland to the Bouddi Lookout, offering great views of Maitland Bay.

This walking trail connects with the Bouddi Coastal Walk and the Maitland Bay Track.

If you’re feeling energetic, you could return to the picnic area via the Maitland Bay Track and the Strom Trail, which would probably take an extra hour.

Read more about this walking track on the NSW National Parks website.

Mount Bouddi Walking Track
Distance: 2.4 km (return)
Duration: 1.5 hours
Grade: Easy / moderate

7. Little Beach Trail

Little Beach in Bouddi National Park
Little Beach

The short walking trail to Little Beach takes you through a peaceful stretch of rainforest and over a little bridge to the sand and rocks of Little Beach.

While perhaps not the best spot to go for a swim, Little Beach is great for exploring and relaxing with a picnic.

There are also several camping spots available right behind the beach with excellent BBQ facilities. The Bouddi Coastal Walk also runs past Little Beach.

Find the starting point of this walking track on Google Maps here.

Little Beach Trail
Distance: 1.5 km (return)
Duration: 1 hour
Grade: Easy

8. Rocky Point Trail to Allen Strom Lookout

Allen Strom Lookout in Bouddi National Park
Allen Strom Lookout

The Allen Strom Lookout faces west, offering scenic, panoramic views over Hardys Bay and Brisbane Water.

The Rocky Point Trail that leads to the lookout is an easy 2 km return walk through bush and woodland that is also popular as a beginner cycling track.

This is by no means a spectacular walking track, but it’s great for young children, and the lookout is very rewarding. You can park your car on Wards Hill Road at the intersection with Maitland Bay Drive.

Find the starting point of this walking track on Google Maps here.

Rocky Point Trail
Distance: 2 km (return)
Duration: 1 hour
Grade: Easy

9. Daleys Point Walking Track

The start of the Daleys Point Walking Track is very close to where the Rocky Point Trail starts.

It’s best to park your car on Wards Hill Road at the intersection with Maitland Bay Dr, and then make your way northwest towards the Daleys Point Lookout.

This easy 3.2 km return trip takes in several Aboriginal engraving sites, with large sandstone drawings visible at the end of the walking track.

From Daleys Point, you can enjoy scenic views of Cockle Bay Nature Reserve, Rileys Island and Brisbane Water.

Read more about this walking track on the NSW National Parks website.

Daleys Point Walking Track
Distance: 3.2 km (return)
Duration: 1.5 hours
Grade: Easy
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About Bouddi National Park

Located on the southern point of the New South Wales Central Coast near Gosford and Woy Woy, Bouddi National Park is an excellent weekend getaway destination from Sydney, with lots of opportunities for hiking, swimming, fishing, camping and cycling.

Bouddi National Park can be easily accessed via the M1 Pacific Motorway. You can either head into the park via Gosford (Central Coast Hwy and Avoca Dr), or via Woy Woy (Woy Woy Rd and Empire Bay Dr).

The Scenic Road runs right through Bouddi National Park and gets you to most of the walking and cycling tracks.

Information Centre

The Maitland Bay Information Centre is located at 227-231 The Scenic Rd in Killcare Heights (see map location). The centre is open from 11 am to 3 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The Information Centre is where you can start several walking tracks, such as the Maitland Bay Track and the Bullimah Spur Track. Most of these walks also connect with the Bouddi Coastal Walk.

Map of Bouddi National Park

 
 

9 Best walks in Bouddi National Park

 
6 Comments
  1. The Maitland Bay Track is a great walk, yes it is a bit steep but the reward of reaching the Bay is worth it. Plenty of parking is available near the Information Centre too. Highly recommend.

    Reply
  2. The Bouddi Coastal walk is one of the best walks around Sydney, and one of my favourite walks.

    For a shorter walk, take the Bullimah Spur track, which has great views over Maitland Bay, as well as across to Putty Beach. Continue past Bullimah Outlook and down to the Bouddi Coastal Track. You can then return via Maitland Bay to the car park.

    Reply
    • Does the Bullimah track join the coastal walk at the end? In short can you reach Putty beach while walking down the Bullimah spur track?

      Reply
      • Hello SD, officially the track ends at the lookout. However, it is possible to hike down to connect to the Coastal Track, but that is a steep descent and we wouldn’t recommend it for safety reasons. The alternative is to take the Maitland Bay Track to the beach and continue on the Coastal Track from there.

        Reply
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