Riverside Park
Hunter Wetlands National Park
Overview
The family-friendly Riverside Park, near Newcastle, is the perfect base for cycling, walking, fishing and birdwatching on Ash Island.
- Type
- Picnic areas
- Where
- Hunter Wetlands National Park in North Coast
- Accessibility
- Medium
- What to
bring - Drinking water, insect repellent, hat, sunscreen, binoculars
What better place to set up for a day of exploring than Riverside Park? Located at the northern end of Ash Island, near Newcastle, it’s a blissfully peaceful spot with sheltered picnic tables and a large deepwater jetty. What to bring with you? The kids, their bikes, a good pair of walking shoes, a fishing line, and your binoculars.
With its relaxing outlook over the Hunter River, you could easily open the Sunday papers and take it easy while the young at heart frolic on the large expanses of grass. But go for a walk and explore some of the other nearby landscapes – there are wetlands nearby, as well as remnants of coastal rainforest. The roads here are especially suitable for cyclists of all levels and take you all over the island, including to the old World War II radar station. Take some time when you pedal past the river foreshore to stop and birdwatch, as this is a popular spot for pelicans and white-faced herons.
Take a virtual tour of Riverside Park captured with Google Street View Trekker.
Map
Map legend
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/picnic-areas/riverside-park/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 Hunter Wetlands National Park in the North Coast region
Hunter Wetlands 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 Riverside Park.
Getting there and parking
Riverside Park is in the Ash Island precinct of Hunter Wetlands National Park. To get there from Newcastle:
- Follow the Pacific Highway north towards Hexham
- Turn right onto Ash Island Bridge
- Follow the signs to Riverside Park
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
There's a bitumen carpark at the picnic area.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Hunter Wetlands National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
With the weather mild, now is the time to get those bicycles out and ride the paths around Ash Island.
Spring
Pack a picnic to eat at Scotts Point or Riverside Park This is also the time you'll see the cream flowers of the mangroves .
Summer
This is the best time for birdwatching at Stockton Sandspit, as many of the migratory birds are here feeding. Make sure you're there at low-tide.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
20°C and 25°C
Highest recorded
42°C
Winter temperature
Average
10°C and 18°C
Lowest recorded
1.8°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
March
Driest month
November
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
283.7mm
Facilities
Toilets
- Flush toilets
Picnic tables
There are accessible picnic tables set on concrete slabs at the picnic area. The picnic tables are located along hard-packed ground and gravel paths.
Step-free access
There's step-free access from the carpark to the picnic tables, jetty and toilets along hard-packed ground and gravel paths.
- Step-free outdoor pathways
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - medium
- There's step-free access around the picnic area and to the facilities along hard-packed ground and gravel pathways.
- There are accessible picnic tables.
- The toilets are not accessible.
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.
Learn more
Riverside Park is in Hunter Wetlands National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
All-ages adventure
The action all starts at Riverside Park. Here, you'll find a picnic area and paths leading off around Ash Island. They're all flat and wide, so perfect for getting kids on their bikes for some fresh air. Take a walk through the wetlands and identify different species of birds. Head to the deepwater jetty and do some fishing. There's quite the underwater bounty around here and, whether your spot is the jetty or the river foreshores, you can haul in flathead, whiting, tailor and bream.
- Rainforest walk to Riverside Park Rainforest walk to Riverside Park, near Newcastle, is suitable for walking or cycling and crosses Ash Island, ending by the river where you can fish and birdwatch.
- Riverside Park The family-friendly Riverside Park, near Newcastle, is the perfect base for cycling, walking, fishing and birdwatching on Ash Island.
- Scotts Point Way to Riverside Park trail Enjoy an easy walk or bike ride along the river on the Scott Point to Riverside Park trail, Ash Island, as it takes you past excellent spots for fishing and birdwatching.
Early evidence
Get a taste of some of the area's history. From the picnic area at Riverside Park, you can walk through the Kooragang City Farm precinct and find the ruins of the farmhouse and dairy built by William Milham, who ran a property here with the first European owner of Ash Island, AW Scott. Also on the island is a heritage-listed World War II radar 'igloo'.
- Rainforest walk to Riverside Park Rainforest walk to Riverside Park, near Newcastle, is suitable for walking or cycling and crosses Ash Island, ending by the river where you can fish and birdwatch.
- Scotts Point Way to Riverside Park trail Enjoy an easy walk or bike ride along the river on the Scott Point to Riverside Park trail, Ash Island, as it takes you past excellent spots for fishing and birdwatching.
Feather bluster
The Hunter River and its estuaries are home to a number of habitats - freshwater wetlands, mangroves and coastal rainforest among them - making the area a haven for birdlife. More than 200 species of birds live here or pass through on their migration. Head to Stockton Sandspit, where shorebirds - plovers, oystercatchers and curlews, to name a few - roost and feed on the mud flats. Along the river foreshore, you'll also likely see pelicans, spoonbills, black swans and, sweeping over the water searching for fish, sea eagles and swamp harriers.
- Guided kayak adventures at Smiths Island Spend a day exploring mangrove forests and islands by kayak on this tour of Hunter Wetlands National Park with the friendly guides from the School of Yak. It’s a great way to reconnect with nature in this birdwatchers’ paradise around Smiths Island.
- The Earth's environment Did you know that over 10 per cent of NSW is a national park? That’s over 7 million hectares. This Stage 2 (Years 3-4) Geography excursion is delivered Hunter Wetlands National Park.
World-class wetlands
Hunter Wetlands National Park makes up part of the Hunter Estuary Wetlands Ramsar site (the Ramsar convention recognises wetlands of international importance). This peaceful area is important for many species of birds, including 45 that migrate internationally. The green and golden bell frogs, both threatened species, breed in the freshwater lagoons. The mangroves here also provide maternity roosts for tiny bats, including the eastern free-tail bat.
- Rainforest walk to Riverside Park Rainforest walk to Riverside Park, near Newcastle, is suitable for walking or cycling and crosses Ash Island, ending by the river where you can fish and birdwatch.
- Riverside Park The family-friendly Riverside Park, near Newcastle, is the perfect base for cycling, walking, fishing and birdwatching on Ash Island.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
-
Grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus)
The grey-headed flying fox is Australia's largest native bat, with a wingspan up to 1m. This threatened species travels up and down south-eastern Australia and plays a vital role in pollinating plants and spreading seeds in our native forests.
Plants
-
Grey mangrove (Avicennia marina)
Grey mangrove is the most common and widespread mangrove found within intertidal zones across Australia, and throughout the world. Growing to a height of 3-10m, they thrive best in estuaries with a mix of fresh and salt water. They excrete excess salt through their long thick leaves, and absorb oxygen through their aerial root system.