Jerusalem Bay Track (Cowan to Brooklyn via The Great North Walk) - Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

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Route: Cowan, Jerusalem Creek, Jerusalem Bay Track, Windybanks, Jerusalem Bay, Campbells Crater Track junction, Campbells Creek, The Great North Walk, Brooklyn Dam, Brooklyn Dam Trail, Brooklyn Loop Fire Trail, Brooklyn, Flat Rock Point

Date: 22/07/2023
From: Cowan Station

Parking: N/A
Start Point: Cowan Station
Finish Point: Brooklyn
Region: Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Route length: 12.9km
Time taken: 03:41
Average speed: 4.0km/h
Ascent: 494m
Descent: 687m

Points of Interest: Jerusalem Bay

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park lies just 25km north of Sydney's CBD. The park gets its name from the Guringai Aboriginal people who were long thought to be the traditional owners of the area with the word Chase meaning the space is open, unfenced bush. The national park is the third oldest in Australia after it was declared in 1894 (Royal National Park to the south of Sydney is the oldest).

 

Ku-ring-gai Chase is dominated by water. The enormous Cowan Creek cuts through the heart of the park while the even larger Hawkesbury River bounds the northern side as it flows into Broken Bay and the Pacific Ocean. This one-way hike forms part of the Great North Walk, visiting the beautiful Jerusalem Bay. It is a popular trail that links the village of Cowan to Brooklyn via the Brooklyn Dam.

I started my day at Cowan station, one of several rail stations along a ridge of land between Sydney and the Hawkesbury River. The stations (including Hornsby, Berowra and Mount Ku-ring-gai) can be used as beginning or endpoints for several hikes in Berowra Waters or Ku-ring-gai Chase National Parks.

The entrance to the National Park at Cowan Station

After crossing the railway line at the station, the Great North Walk begins its descent towards Jerusalem Bay, following the pretty Jerusalem Creek. The scenery is mostly dense forest along this section, while a couple of small creek crossings keep things interesting. After about half an hour, you'll get some fleeting glimpses of the bay through the trees.

The Jerusalem Bay Track

The path is very rocky in places

Jerusalem Creek

Jerusalem Creek

Jerusalem Creek opens up into the bay

Eventually, the trees begin to thin as you reach an opening that overlooks the water, revealing a wonderful view of Jerusalem Bay. It was once home to a boatshed that was built by George and Agnes Rhodes where they rented boats to visitors from Sydney. The boatshed no longer remains, though the couple were also responsible for the path and the tall palm tree you'll find standing today.

Jerusalem Bay

Jerusalem Creek

The tall palm planted by the Rhodes family

Jerusalem Bay

Jerusalem Bay

Gaining access to the water is easy thanks to the gentle slope of the shore so a short swim could add a refreshing interlude to your hike. The Great North Walk path also reaches the shore a little further on and this short section of the track is far and away the highlight of this hike.

The Great North Walk

Jerusalem Bay

Jerusalem Bay

Jerusalem Bay

Jerusalem Bay

Jerusalem Bay

The dry creek at the head of the bay

Now comes a tricky bit - there is a fair amount of elevation gain in this hike with much of it required to escape Jerusalem Bay. The path from the bay is steep and unrelenting, save for one or two flatter sections, and climbs some 200m in total. You'll have earned a break when you reach the top - enough time to sign the walker's registry inside a green letterbox. 

Climbing out of the valley

There's a rock platform part of the way - good for a quick break

Climbing still

Views over the National Park open up

More climbing

The Great North Walk

The walkers register at the top of the hill

The next part of the hike is a bit of a rollercoaster. No sooner than reaching the top of the steep trail, the path descends again towards Campbell Creek and has some great views over the expanse of gum trees that make up Ku-ring-gai Chase. After reaching the depths of the creek, another climb beckons though this one is not as steep as the climb from Jerusalem Bay and has some interesting rocks to clamber over along the way - keep an eye out for the small Great North Walk direction markers. Finally, I negotiated a final large rock with its three metal rungs before I reached the main ridge and fire trail above the M1 Pacific Motorway.

It's 6km to Brooklyn from the hiker's register

The Pacific Highway (hidden in a cutting) and the main railway line follow the valley of Seymours Creek

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Looking back along the route from Jerusalem Bay

This marks the end of the bush tracks and the beginning of a long section of wide trail that follows the electrical power lines established to supply power for the Central Coast and Newcastle railway lines. Thankfully, there are no more steep climbs to tackle. While the trail could be more interesting, it is quick and fairly untaxing. There are also a few spots where you can seek out a view across the park, mostly where the power lines are located.

The Great North Walk

Views of the Hawkesbury River

After around 2km of hiking, you’ll get your first view of the Hawkesbury River and the picturesque Brooklyn Bridge. The fire trail continues along the ridge before turning east where it starts to sweep down the end of the ridge. You can opt to follow the fire trail in its entirety, however, there is a shortcut straight to Brooklyn Dam which involves following a fairly steep, rocky path, saving around 30 minutes.

Long Island

Sandbrook Inlet and Kangaroo Point

Hawkesbury River Rail Bridge

The Hawkesbury River

Long Island and the Hawkesbury Rail Bridge

Short cut to Brooklyn Dam

The dam was built in the 1890s to provide water to the steam trains that operated on the main northern rail line until it was electrified. Now, it acts as the focal point of a fairly basic camping area - perfect if you are tackling the Great North Walk as a thru-hike. For me, it marked the beginning of the end of the Cowan to Brooklyn hike.

On the Brooklyn Dam Trail

Brooklyn Dam

Brooklyn Dam

Brooklyn Dam Trail

A further fire trail leads away from the dam through the bush eventually making a very steep descent to the village of Brooklyn. The steep, concreted section is corrugated so it has plenty of grip but is pretty taxing on the knees. Once in the village, my final destination was Flat Rock Point, located at the eastern end of McKell Park. The promontory has a sweeping view of the Hawkesbury River and the sheltered Parsley Bay. Luckily for me, I had already arranged a lift back to Sydney but if you are using public transport, trains leave the Hawkesbury River Station every hour

Flat Rock Point

Hawkesbury River

Parsley Bay