Looking for the ultimate car-free day hike near Sydney? The Mount Kuring-gai to Berowra track is a spectacular 10 km station-to-station walk through the heart of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. This challenging section of the famous Great North Walk drops down into deep, mist-shrouded rainforest gullies, snakes along the pristine waters of Cowan Creek, and climbs back up rugged sandstone escarpments for sweeping valley views. Best of all, with both the start and finish lines sitting directly at train stations, you can leave the car behind and plunge straight into one of Sydney's most iconic wilderness adventures.
The Berowra Track - Mount Kuring-gai to Cowan
📍 KU-RING-GAI CHASE NATIONAL PARK
Distance10.1 km
Duration03:11 hrs
Elev Gain+324 m
Elev Lost-316 m
Date
25 January 2025
Starting Point
Mount Kuring-gai
Difficulty
Hard
Pace / Gear
3.9 km/h — Full day pack
Highlights
Firefighters Rest, Cowan Creek, Waratah Bay
🗺️ Interactive Route MapPinch or use wheel to zoom
The Mount Ku-ring-gai to Berowra Station track is one of Sydney's premier station-to-station walks, blending pristine scenery with rich Aboriginal and historic heritage inside Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Only an hour from Sydney, it’s a great bush getaway, taking in several fascinating historic sites. It's one of the more popular sections of the Great North Walk, both ends are accessible by train.
Footbridge over the M1 motorway
Starting the Mount Ku-ring-gai Track
The walk from Mount Kuring-gai to Berowra is equally enjoyable in either direction, with comparable elevation gain in either direction. However, the ascent/descent from Berowra is steeper than from Mount Kuring-gai, so this may be a factor in your decision. I began in Mount Kuring-gai where the Berowra Track begins as a wide, sandy fire trail. The trail remains fairly flat for around 1 km as it heads away from the station into the National Park.
Mount Ku-ring-gai Track
An unnamed lookout with a view eastwards
The trail narrows as it descends towards Cowan Creek. At the beginning of this descent, there's an unmarked path to the left leading to The Firefighters Rest. This memorial is dedicated to four National Parks and Wildlife Service officers who tragically lost their lives in 2000 after a hazard reduction burn flared out of control. Three other officers were severely injured.
Firefighters Rest
Firefighters Rest memorial
The Berowra Track steepens, featuring stone steps in a few sections. Along this section, I was lucky enough to spot a pair of Lyrebirds scratching around on the ground. The birds are notable for their impressive ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment — even the sound of ambient background noise of a city. As the trail approaches the water, there are glimpses of Cowan Creek.
Mount Ku-ring-gai Track
Superb Lyrebird
Mount Ku-ring-gai Track
Cowan Creek
Cowan Creek
Apple Tree Bay
The Ku-ring-gai track intersects with the Berowra Track at the bottom of the slope. If you turn right, it's a short walk to Apple Tree Bay and Bobbin Head (however, this track is closed at the time of writing). Turning left leads you along the Berowra Track, which closely follows the shoreline of Cowan Creek on its way towards Berowra station. There are four bays fed by four small creeks that the path skirts on its journey north.
Mount Ku-ring-gai Track
Berowra Track
Cowan Creek
The first of the four bays is unnamed and is preceded by Cowan Creek View, where there's a sandstone platform alongside Cowan Creek. The path crosses a small creek before continuing around the next headland to Winson Bay. Just before crossing Winson Gully (the second creek), there's a sandstone ledge offering more views down Cowan Creek.
Berowra Track alongside Cowan Creek
Berowra Track at the first unamed bay
Berowra Track
Cowan Creek
Cowan Creek
Winson Bay
Winson Bay
The third and smallest of the bays is Lords Bay. The trail then continues along a long section of coastline before following the last headland around to Waratah Bay, the final and largest of the four bays.
Cowan Creek
Berowra Track
Berowra Track
Cowan Creek
Waratah Bay
Waratah Bay is the location of a rusting metal structure that was once the home of Edward Windybank and his family. Windybank worked on the construction of the nearby railway line in the late 1880s. Windybank also named the bay and acquired a life-long lease to use it, going on to operate a boat building and hire business on site after the area was established as a national park.
Remains of the houseboat in Waratah Bay
Remains of the houseboat in Waratah Bay
Waratah Bay
From Waratah Bay, the track climbs to Berowra, first winding through shady forest alongside Waratah Creek. After crossing the old bridge site over the sandstone creek bed, the path ascends through stands of casuarina, eucalypts, and grass trees. The climb concludes at a footbridge leading to Berowra station, which spans the M1 Pacific Motorway.
Waratah Creek
Berowra Track
Berowra Track
Berowra Track
Berowra Track
For those who enjoy a good bush walk and stunning water vistas without the hassle of driving, the Berowra Track is a clear winner. Its unique advantage lies in how extensively it hugs the coastline, providing unparalleled and continuous water views. It's a great option for those who appreciate a long stroll in nature.
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