Tyagarah Nature Reserve
Overview
Tyagarah Nature Reserve protects 7km of coastline where you can swim, sunbathe, fish, birdwatch or eat at the picnic area.
Read more about Tyagarah Nature Reserve
Tyagarah Nature Reserve protects a lovely strip of coastline, which runs for 7km between Byron Bay and Brunswick Heads. The coastal heath provides a gorgeous backdrop to the reserve’s unspoilt beach.
Catch a few waves, stroll by the water, build sandcastles with the kids or throw your line into the water for a spot of fishing – all within easy reach of Byron Bay township, yet peacefully away from the crowds.
In spring, eager whale-watchers gather on the beach, hoping to catch sight of the humpback whale mums and their new calves passing by on their way home from the Great Barrier Reef to Antarctica.
There are bushwalking tracks behind the dunes that self-reliant bushwalkers will enjoy exploring. Or, you can just kick back and relax in the picnic area.
The beach adjacent to the reserve, south of the picnic area at the end of Grays Lane, has been designated a ‘clothes optional beach’ (nudist beach) by Byron Shire Council.
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/tyagarah-nature-reserve/local-alerts
Contact
- in the North Coast region
Tyagarah Nature Reserve is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
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Park entry fees:
$8 per vehicle per day. Tap and pay card or phone payments accepted at pay machines. Cash and credit cards accepted at Byron Bay Office.
Buy annual pass. -
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Byron Bay office
02 6639 8300
Contact hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm. - 22 Tallow Beach Road, Byron Bay 2481
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Email: npws.tweedbyron@environment.nsw.gov.au
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Byron Bay office
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Tyagarah Nature Reserve.
Map
Map legend
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
From Byron Bay:
- Exit the M1 Pacific Highway at the Tyagarah exit and head south along Yarun Road until you come to Grays Lane. Turn left.
- Follow Grays Lane to the end of the road, where you’ll find a carpark.
- Please note, there is no direct exit from the Pacific Highway onto Grays Lane.
Parking
Parking is available at the carpark located at the end of Grays Lane.
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 transport info website.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Tyagarah Nature Reserve. Here are some of the highlights.
Spring
Watch from the dunes and beach as humpback whale mums and their new calves pass by on their way home from the Great Barrier Reef to Antarctica.
Summer
The perfect time to enjoy swimming, sunbathing and fishing on the reserve's gorgeous beach, or eating and relaxing in the picnic area.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
22°C and 27°C
Highest recorded
35.1°C
Winter temperature
Average
12°C and 20°C
Lowest recorded
3.3°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
March
Driest month
September
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
350.4mm
Maps and downloads
Fees and passes
Park entry fees:
$8 per vehicle per day. Tap and pay card or phone payments accepted at pay machines. Cash and credit cards accepted at Byron Bay Office.
- All Parks Pass - For all parks in NSW (including Kosciuszko NP) $190 (1 year) / $335 (2 years)
- Multi Parks Pass - For all parks in NSW (except Kosciuszko) $65 (1 year) / $115 (2 years)
- Country Parks Pass - For all parks in Country NSW (except Kosciuszko) $45 (1 year) / $75 (2 years)
- Single Country Park Pass - For entry to a single park in country NSW (except Kosciuszko). $22 (1 year) / $40 (2 years)
Annual passes and entry fees (https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/passes-and-fees)
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
Mullumbimby (10 km)
Mullumbimby sits on the Brunswick River and is overshadowed by subtropical hills.
Byron Bay (13 km)
Byron Bay is Australia's easternmost town and 'style capital' of the North Coast. It's a place of outstanding natural beauty, set against lush volcanic hills.
Ballina (36 km)
Ballina is a bustling holiday town and service centre and home of the Big Prawn. It's situated at the mouth of the Richmond River, close to superb beaches.
Learn more
Tyagarah Nature Reserve is a special place. Here are just some of the reasons why:
Unique, endangered ecology
The reserve protects six endangered ecological communities in the north coast bioregion: coastal saltmarsh; swamp sclerophyll forest; littoral rainforest; lowland rainforest on floodplain; subtropical coastal floodplain forest; and swamp oak floodplain forest. A huge total of 33 threatened plant species are known, or likely to occur, within the reserve such as stinking crypotocarya, red lilly pilly and green-leaved rose walnut.
- Tyagarah Nature Reserve picnic area Relax at this lovely picnic area next to Tyagarah Nature Reserve. Wander the nearby bush tracks, or head to the beach for swimming, sunbathing or fishing.
Generations of Aboriginal history
The reserve falls within the Bundjalung nation and is of importance to the local Arakwal people who have affiliations and connections to the reserve and surrounds. The abundant resources of the reserve have been used by generations of Bundjalung people, who are the original custodians of northern coastal areas of NSW.
Colourful wildlife
Among the diverse wildlife you may encounter here are Australian bush turkeys wandering the nearby tracks in search of food. Ospreys, brahminy kits and majestic white-bellied sea eagles patrol the coast, sometimes swooping dramatically to snatch food from the sea. Pied oystercatchers, with their distinctive long red beaks, may be seen searching for pippis along the beach. If you're especially lucky, you may even come across a wallaby grazing beside the track that runs from Grays Lane to Brunswick Heads. Threatened species recorded in the reserve include the long-nosed potoroo, wallum froglet, and the Mitchells Rainforest snail.
Education resources (1)
What we're doing
Tyagarah Nature Reserve 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.