Seven Mile Beach National Park
Overview
Seven Mile Beach National Park offers a great day out for the whole family between Kiama and Nowra. Activities include fishing, swimming, picnicking and walking options for everyone.
Read more about Seven Mile Beach National Park
Extending from Shoalhaven Heads east of Nowra to Gerroa, Seven Mile Beach National Park is a small coastal park packed with options for everyone.
Head to Beach Road picnic area with the family for a barbecue by the beach and a game of beach cricket. Wander up to the lookout and take in the stunning ocean views and golden sandy beach stretching into the distance.
Experience the unique coastal environment on the Sand track. Walk through the forest, admiring the local wildlife, then kick off your shoes and feel the sand between your toes as you stroll back along the beach.
Pack a gourmet picnic and spend a lazy afternoon under the shade of a nearby tree at secluded spots like Gerroa picnic area. Then get away from it all and enjoy a long walk on the beach, with only the crashing waves to disturb the peace.
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/seven-mile-beach-national-park/local-alerts
Contact
- in the South Coast region
Seven Mile Beach National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
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Nowra office
02 4428 6300
Contact hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. - 104 Flatrock Road, Mundamia NSW 2540
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Email: npws.shoalhaven@environment.nsw.gov.au
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Nowra office
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Seven Mile Beach National Park.
Map
Map legend
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
From Sydney or Wollongong:
- Turn off the Princes Highway to Gerringong
- Drive south through Gerroa to reach the park
From Nowra:
- Turn right off the Princes Highway at Bolong Road in Bomaderry
- Follow Bolong Road which becomes Gerroa Road to reach the park
Parking
- Beach Road picnic area See on map
- Gerroa picnic area See on map
Road quality
- Sealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
By bike
Check out the Bicycle information for NSW website for more information.
By public transport
For information about public transport options, visit the NSW country transport info website.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Seven Mile Beach National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Walk among the tall forest trees and enjoy a leisurely picnic surrounded by bush at Gerroa picnic area.
Spring
Enjoy the flowering wattles and birds nesting as you wander through the forest and dunes.
Summer
Start your day with an early morning swim, followed by breakfast at the beach picnic area, then a stroll along the long stretch of beach.
Winter
Feel the cool sea breeze on your face as you take in the tranquillity of the beach in winter, enjoy the scenic views, then head to the protected Beach Road picnic area for a leisurely lunch.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
17°C and 25°C
Highest recorded
42.4°C
Winter temperature
Average
8°C and 18°C
Lowest recorded
2.3°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
March
Driest month
September
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
728.7mm
Facilities
Amenities
Toilets
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
Drinking water
Showers
Maps and downloads
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
Gerringong (5 km)
Gerringong is ideally located for outdoor fun at the beach. Werri Beach is one of the best surfing beaches on the South Coast while Seven Mile Beach is one of the best for wind surfing. You can learn to surf at either beach with local experts.
Berry (8 km)
Berry is an attractive and stylish village. Rustic and sophisticated its surrounded by rich dairy country below the coastal escarpment.
Nowra (23 km)
Nowra is a historic city and the commercial heart of the Shoalhaven. It's on the Shoalhaven River close to beaches and national parks.
Learn more
Seven Mile Beach National Park is a special place. Here are just some of the reasons why:
Unique landscape
This park supports several significant and endangered natural habitats. The forests are one of the last intact areas of Bangalay and blackbutt sand dune forest on the south coast. Coomonderry Swamp is also the only large semi-permanent freshwater wetland on the south coast. The area is significant as it shows a relatively intact example of a large scale dune barrier formed during the end of the last ice age, approximately 6000 years ago.
- Sand track walk (north) Take the Sand track walk through the forest and admire the birdlife at Seven Mile Beach National Park, near Nowra. Pack a picnic lunch, and enjoy sweeping views at the end.
- Sand track walk (south) Take the Sand track walk through the ancient and untouched forest at Seven Mile Beach National Park, near Nowra, where you can go fishing, swimming, birdwatching and picnic.
It's a wild world
For animal-lovers, Seven Mile Beach National Park has lots to offer. There are great birdwatching opportunities in the tall forests and at Coomonderry Swamp. Rainbow lorikeets, king parrots, and rosellas can all be seen, whilst thornbills, wrens, New Holland honeyeaters and brown cuckoo doves are also in abundance. There are also plenty of small mammals to see, such as antechinus and a range of tree-dwelling mammal species. As you wander through the forests, keep your eyes out for the greater gliders found in the park. Gliders are best seen at night, so be sure to enquire about a spotlight walk with NPWS Discovery Ranger.
- Sand track walk (north) Take the Sand track walk through the forest and admire the birdlife at Seven Mile Beach National Park, near Nowra. Pack a picnic lunch, and enjoy sweeping views at the end.
Aviation history
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith started his historic 1933 trans-Tasman flight to New Plymouth in New Zealand from Seven Mile Beach. This flight led to the inauguration of the trans-Tasman airmail service, making Seven Mile Beach a significant place in aviation history. In November 1933, Kingsford Smith ran passenger flights from the beach and in 1934, he used it for an emergency landing.
Aboriginal culture
The park’s beach, forest and wetland environments near Coomonderry Swamp were once important sources of food and materials for Aboriginal people. Part of the Dharawal language group, they had strong associations with other groups north to Sydney, inland to the southern highlands and south as far as Gippsland in Victoria. Today, you can see shell middens along the length of the foredune and in the forest. There are also several important ceremonial and culturally significant sites for Aboriginal people within the park.
- Then and now: Aboriginal culture Aboriginal culture then and now is a Stage 1 (Years 1-2) school excursion in Seven Mile Beach National Park, focusing on HSIE. Through story and creative expression, the life and culture of the local people are shared.
Education resources (1)
School excursions (1)
What we're doing
Seven Mile Beach National Park has management strategies in place to protect and conserve the values of this park. Visit the OEH website for detailed park and fire management documents.