Where

Palm Grove Nature Reserve in Sydney and surrounds

Distance

2.8km one-way

Time suggested

1hr 30min - 2hrs 30min

Grade

Grade 3

Opening times

Great North walk – Palm Grove Nature Reserve is open at all times.

What to
bring

Hat, sunscreen, drinking water

Please note

• Remember to take your binoculars if you want to go birdwatching.
• Check the weather before you set out as a creek crossing on Kilkenny Road is required to get to Palm Grove Nature Reserve.
• There is limited/no mobile reception in this park.

The iconic and much-loved Great North walk is a 250km track that runs between Sydney and Newcastle in NSW. In Palm Grove Nature Reserve, visitors can enjoy a picturesque sample of this walk, making it either a great self-contained bushwalk or part of a bigger walking adventure. The trail’s scenic views begin at the end of Kilkenny Road on the Somersby Plateau and finish on Ourimbah Creek Road, Palm Grove.

Meander through open forests dominated by majestic Sydney blue gums, Sydney peppermint, blackbutt, ironbark and turpentine before descending into the cool moist rainforest over a pristine creek, where cabbage tree palms, corkwood, sassafras and giant strangler figs flourish over a carpet of green ferns, vines, shrubs and orchids.

The track is undulating with some small, steep sections and a creek crossing. It’s a short, accessible walk that brings you to a beautiful forested area, where you can enjoy birdwatching and wildlife photography. The calls of the frogs that call the area home can be heard throughout the reserve, particularly after heavy rain.

Interpretative signs located along the track provide visitors with a deeper understanding of the plants and animals found along the way and encourage you to explore the environment through your sense of smell, hearing and touch. For a longer section of the walk be sure to try Great North walk - Brisbane Water National Park.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Getting there and parking

Best times to visit

Weather, temperature and rainfall

Facilities

Maps and downloads

Learn more

A prized conservation area

Palm Grove Nature Reserve has been recognised by local conservationists as an area of great wilderness significance worth acknowledging and protecting. Its unique plants include remnants of ancient rainforest communities, including the threatened magenta lilly pilly and bristly shield fern. The reserve’s ridges and slopes support six woodland and forest communities, which are dominated by species that have adapted to the Hawkesbury sandstone surrounds. Wander amongst red cedars, bangalows, palms and brackens. In the spring, keep your eyes open for the lovely creamy flowers of the angophoras and turpentines and the various beautiful native orchids.

A rich history

The Ourimbah Creek area was a booming area of industry for early European settlers, dating all the way back to the 1820s. Prior to the reserve being gazetted, highly priced red cedar, turpentine and other eucalypt species were harvested for use in the construction of homes, railway sleepers and mine props.

Aboriginal occupation

Throughout the reserve, you’ll find evidence of early Aboriginal occupation. Among them, Aboriginal axe-grinding grooves in sandstone outcrops and shelters that have managed to withstand the test of time in Palm Grove Nature Reserve.

Beautiful birds and fantastic frogs

Frog enthusiasts love the reserve for the opportunity to spot many colourful and unusual species including colourful red-eyed green tree frogs and rocky river frogs. Those who enjoy birdwatching are in for a treat here too, as over 80 birds have been recorded in the area, including five listed as threatened species. Among them, masked and powerful owls, glossy black and gang gang cockatoos.