Scenic trail
Wallarah National Park
Overview
Scenic trail is a challenging mountain bike ride - a steep scenic hike through coastal forest and heathland to views of the rugged coastline and access to Pinny Beach.
- Where
- Wallarah National Park
- Distance
- 2.8km one-way
- Time suggested
- 1hr
- Grade
- Hard
- Price
- Free
- What to
bring - Hat, drinking water, sunscreen
- Please note
- Remember to take your binoculars if you want to bird watch or whale watch.
- There is limited mobile reception in this park
Scenic trail is to mountain bikers what a good flight of office block stairs are to a jogger. Can you keep cycling for the entire 2.8km, no matter how steep the trail becomes? Set yourself the challenge.
The track is also an alternative access route to Pinny Beach and a great hiking trail. From Scenic Drive, the track begins in open forest and then takes you down a steep hill, across a small creek, and ends in coastal heath with scenic views of the coastline. Look out for glimpses of palm gully rainforest along the way and the woodland-dwelling blue wren. In summer, you’ll appreciate the cooler shaded gullies.
Even if you can’t ride the trail the first time, Wallarah is free to visit and always open, so just keep coming back as you build your strength and skills.
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/cycling-trails/scenic-trail/local-alerts
General enquiries
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Park info
- in Wallarah National Park in the North Coast region
Wallarah National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Scenic trail.
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
Scenic trail is in the northern precinct of Wallarah National Park. To get there:
- From the Pacific Highway, turn into Bowman Street, Swansea.
- Continue along Bowman into Park Avenue
- Turn left onto Scenic Drive
- The track commences near the end of Scenic Drive
Park entry points
- Scenic Drive carpark See on map
Parking
Parking is available on Scenic Drive at Caves Beach.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Wallarah National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Spring
Wildflower viewing in the heath along the Coastal walking track.
Winter
Whale watching from the beach and coastal tracks.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
17°C and 24°C
Highest recorded
42.4°C
Winter temperature
Average
10°C and 18°C
Lowest recorded
3.4°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
February
Driest month
August
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
246mm
Facilities
Drinking water is not available in this area, so it’s a good idea to bring your own.
Maps and downloads
Permitted
Fishing
A current NSW recreational fishing licence is required when fishing in all waters.
Prohibited
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Nearby towns
Cessnock (42 km)
Some of the finest wines in the world are created in the Hunter Valley and its towns, gourmet food is acclaimed and luxury, boutique accommodations are matched by the most beautiful natural scenery.
Newcastle (24 km)
Newcastle is a harbour city surrounded by amazing surf beaches that are linked by a great coastal walk, the Bathers Way. The walk from Nobbys Beach to Merewether Beach takes about three hours and is a great way to explore the city.
Swansea (6 km)
Swansea is an energetic Lake Macquarie town with wonderful boating. It's situated on an isthmus between the lake and the sea.
Learn more
Scenic trail is in Wallarah National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Don't just stand there
Do you like to surf, or are you more into fishing? Are you the type who loves to hike, or do you prefer cycling? Are you an ocean-gazer or a forest-walker? Wallarah allows you to do any or all of these activities, so bring your gear and enjoy this natural playground.
- Coastal walking track The Coastal walking track links Caves Beach with the headland just south of Pinny Beach, giving spectacular views over the coastline and ocean along the way.
- Scenic trail Scenic trail is a challenging mountain bike ride - a steep scenic hike through coastal forest and heathland to views of the rugged coastline and access to Pinny Beach.
- Yondeo trail A scenic walk or cycle on Yondeo trail in Wallarah National Park with places to picnic, birdwatching and whale watching opportunities and fishing at Pinny Beach.
Happy wandering
There are various vegetation communities in Wallarah, including heathland, spotted gum and ironbark forest, open smooth-barked apple forest and palm gully rainforest with a canopy dominated by cabbage-tree palm. Follow the various walking tracks through the park to experience these. Keep an eye out for blooming wattle and the intriguing scribbly gum, whose attractive artwork is, in fact, the tunnelling journey of scribbly gum moth's larvae. By the way, the purple-flowered vine you'll see growing throughout the park is known commonly as happy wanderer.
- Coastal walking track The Coastal walking track links Caves Beach with the headland just south of Pinny Beach, giving spectacular views over the coastline and ocean along the way.
- Scenic trail Scenic trail is a challenging mountain bike ride - a steep scenic hike through coastal forest and heathland to views of the rugged coastline and access to Pinny Beach.
- Yondeo trail A scenic walk or cycle on Yondeo trail in Wallarah National Park with places to picnic, birdwatching and whale watching opportunities and fishing at Pinny Beach.
Living Aboriginal culture
Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council represents the Aboriginal community in the area that is now covered by Wallarah National Park. Physical evidence of Aboriginal people's lives in the area has remained in the form of middens found just south of Swansea. Only a few middens have been recorded, though it is probable that sand mining along this coast over the years has destroyed a large portion of middens that were there prior to European settlement.
Wild and free
Wallarah has an awesome collection of birds and animals due to the diversity of vegetation and habitats in the park. During the day, look out for sea eagles soaring along the coast, honeyeaters in the springtime flowering heath, lizards lolling on warm boulders, pods of dolphins in the ocean and passing whales during the winter months. At night, you may see the predatory powerful owl, a microbat, or the threatened squirrel glider that glides for up to 50m between trees. Bring along your binoculars to get a closer look at these natural beauties.
- Coastal walking track The Coastal walking track links Caves Beach with the headland just south of Pinny Beach, giving spectacular views over the coastline and ocean along the way.
