Berowra Waters (Mount Kuring-gai to Cowan via the Great North Walk)

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Route: Mount Kuring-gai, Pacific Highway, Lyrebird Gully Track, Lyrebird Falls, Calna Creek, Great North Walk, Sams Creek, Berkeley Firetrail, Naa Badu Lookout, Great North Walk, Washtub Gully, Berowra Waters, Great North Walk, Joe Crafts Creek, Glendale Road, Cowan

Date: 19/04/2025
From: Mount Kuring-gai

Parking: N/A
Start Point: Mount Kuring-gai
Finish Point: Cowan
Region: Berowra Waters National Park

Route length: 18.2 km
Time taken: 06:26
Average speed: 3.52 km
Ascent: 812m
Descent: 842m

The Mount Ku-ring-gai to Cowan walk seamlessly combines two of Sydney’s best station-to-station hikes. This beautiful bush trail offers a remarkable amount of diversity, featuring everything from towering tree ferns and hanging vines to tranquil mangroves and salt marshes. It includes one of the more challenging, hilly sections of the Great North Walk, which can be particularly demanding on a hot day. However, you will be rewarded with impressive creek views, picturesque rock overhangs, and the Berowra Valley’s best lookout at Naa Badu. 

The start of the hike can be found on the opposite side of the Pacific Highway, after you leave the train station. Once across the footbridge, you'll notice the small Great North Walk signs directing you to the entry gate to the national park. Once inside the park boundary, the trail descends immediately along a paved road, with attractive bushland flanking both sides.

The GNW signs alongside the Pacific Highway

Entering the national park

The paved path makes the initial steep descent both quick and manageable. After approximately 500 metres, the track transitions to a dirt path and levels out briefly. Shortly after, you’ll come across signage for the trail and the Great North Walk register. The track then continues along a flat section for about 350 metres before descending once more, this time over a rockier and slightly more challenging stretch. From here, the walk takes on the feel of a true bush track.

Berowra Waters is around the halfway mark on my hike

The Lyrebird Gully Track

A small clearing along the track

The concrete ends and the bush track begins

After a further descent equipped with handrails for safety, the Lyrebird Gully Track brings you alongside the creek, where the vegetation becomes noticeably lusher, creating a pleasant, shady environment. While the path is fairly flat through this section, it's pretty uneven and rocky, so requires some care. After crossing the creek, the path continues along the creek for around 1 km, leading to Lyrebird Falls, a small waterfall that is most impressive after rainfall. Just beyond are some impressive rock overhang — Lyrebird Cave.

Entering Lyrebird Gully

Lyrebird Gully

The track is always interesting

Lyrebird Gully

Lyrebird Gully

Lyrebird Gully

Lyrebird Gully

Lyrebird Falls

Lyrebird Cave

Just beyond the caves, the track leads to Calna Creek, where the landscape becomes noticeably greener and wild. It's a real highlight of this hike. You'll have to cross the creek, however, this is made easier by a series of large boulders, complete with carved footholds for stability.

Heading for Calna Creek

Calna Creek

There are GNW signs dotted along the route

Calna Creek

Reflections in the pools

Calna Creek

Calna Creek

Calna Creek

As you reach the mangroves, the path becomes noticeably smoother, allowing for a brisk and easy walk through this section. The trail continues on a flat dirt track between the mangroves and the forest, passing a small campsite before arriving at a junction. Here, follow the signs toward Berowra Waters to access a picturesque boardwalk that winds through the salt marshes. This area, surrounded by marshland, is quite different to anything else on this hike.

The GNW emerges into the sunlight

Calna Creek

You'll encounter more signs for the GNW

Berowra Creek

The saltmarsh boardwalk

Crossing the saltmarsh

After a few hundred metres, the trail begins to follow the wide Berowra Creek. The path narrows, becoming rocky and undulating, before reaching a smaller crossing at Sams Creek. Shortly after, the first big ascent of the hike begins.

Great North Walk

Berowra Creek

Sams Creek

Steps, handrails, and switchbacks help you as the Great North Walks climbs some 150m to the Berkeley Firetrail and then to Naa Badu Lookout. The lookout is one of the highlights along the Mount Ku-ring-gai to Cowan section of the Great North Walk with a sweeping view over Berowra Creek and the surrounding bushland.

Berkeley Firetrail

Naa Badu Lookout

“Naa Badu” means “see water” in the local Aboriginal language, reflecting the spectacular water views that can be enjoyed from this spot. It’s especially beautiful at sunrise or sunset, when the light enhances the landscape’s natural colours.

Berowra Creek

Berowra Creek

For some, this marks the end of the hike as they head to Berowra to catch the train back to Sydney. Not me, however, as I was intent on stringing the two station to station hikes together (Kuring-gai to Berowra and Berowra to Cowan). After the lookout, Berkeley Firetrail continues to the north, where the Great North Walk heads back into the bush at Banggarai Creek.

Berkeley Firetrail

The track undulates along the side of the valley above Berowra Waters before descending steeply to the water's edge. The path crosses Washtub Gully using a natural rock platform, and pass by unique sights like a partly submerged old boat and a well-known—but risky—jumping spot. Once past any daredevil jumpers, the path emerges at the ferry ramp on Berowra Waters Road.

The Great North Walk

The Great North Walk

The beautiful banding of the Hawkesbury Sandstone

Berowra Creek

Heading down towards Berowra Waters

There is a steep descend to Washtub Gully

Berowra Waters

This is the perfect spot to take a break and, using the picnic area water taps, replenish some supplies as there is plenty of climbing left on this hike. Berowra Waters actually references the entire suburb, which is taken up mostly by the enormous Berowra Creek - a tributary of the Hawkesbury River. A free three-lane ferry, which operates 24/7, connects the two sides of Berowra Waters.

Berowra Waters at Washtub Gully

Berowra Waters

Berowra Waters

Berowra Waters

From the end of Kirkpatrick Way, Great North Walk continues, hugging the rocky shoreline with the water just to your left. This is a short stretch before more climbing is required  following the signs to Cowan, starting a steep ascent up timber and stone steps. At the top, there's a small clearing and an unfenced rock platform with a beautiful view back over the Berowra Valley.

The Great North Walk

The Great North Walk

The Great North Walk

Berowra Waters

From the ridge top, the Great North Walk heads east, descending to a pretty creek before climbing between rock slabs with the help of metal pegs and a handrail. After a brief level section, the ascent continues past sandstone caves and through narrow rock cracks, again aided by pegs. The trail flattens after a final scramble and rises gently to a small saddle marked by Great North Walk arrows. It's a fair amount of effort to reach the Ridge Top campground clearing.

Down we go

More climbing

Even more climbing

At Ridge Top

Berowra Creek

Adjacent to the campground is the Muogamarra Nature Reserve, with a couple of side trails and quiet lookouts—the perfect spot to capture a more aerial perspective of Berowra Waters.

Berowra Creek

Berowra Creek and Joe Crafts Creek (right)

Berowra Creek and Joe Crafts Creek (right)

Berowra Valley

Once I had stowed the drone I continued on the Great North Walk which follows the ridge top for a few hundred metres before beginning another descent  —  a bit dispiriting after all the previous climbing. The track descends for about a kilometre, navigating a series of short, rocky, and sometimes steep sections, finally arriving beside the waters of Joe Crafts Creek.

Ridge Top Campground

Heading down to Joe Crafts Creek

Joe Crafts Creek

Joe Crafts Creek

After crossing Joe Crafts Creek, there is a final steep climb with stone steps leading through rugged rock crevices. The climb reaches a wooden staircase and a rock platform with views of Berowra Valley. The trail then follows the ridgeline, briefly levelling out before one last rocky climb into the bush.

More climbing

Steps assist with some sections

Approaching the top, finally

At the top of the steeper section is this rock platform

Once up the final climb, the trail emerges onto Glendale Road but crosses it to head back into the bush, descending a rocky path through forest. The path makes its way around the head of Bujwa Creek before reaching a locked gate brings that leads to the footpath alongside the Pacific Highway, directly across from Cowan Station. This marks the end of the hike, marked by a Great North Walk sign pointing back to Sydney Cove.

The final ascent of the day

Heading into the golden hour

Bujwa Creek valley

Cowan

The Mount Ku-ring-gai to Cowan walk is one of Sydney’s most rewarding and adventurous bush walks, but also one of it's most challenging. Calna Creek’s jungle-like surrounds, with mossy boulders and dramatic hanging vines, is a particular highlight and the spectacular Naa Badu Lookout commanding sweeping views. You'll know you've had a work-out thanks to those three stiff climbs.