The Illawarra and surrounds is home to some of the most breathtaking natural scenery on offer anywhere in NSW.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And nowhere is this more evident than in our beautiful national parks, nature reserves, regional parks and state conservation areas, all of which are managed by NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service.
So whether you are in town for the 2022 UCI Road World Championships or just want to get back to nature this weekend, why not check out one of the 12 parks in or near the Illawarra.
Please note: A number of alerts are in place in national parks in the area due to recent heavy rains, including closures of areas and entire parks in some cases. Please go to the alerts page and search for the park you wish to visit before going.
Read more: What to do in the Illawarra
Budderoo National Park is on the NSW South Coast, inland from Kiama, and is known for its gorgeous waterfalls and lookouts.
Nature-lovers can explore the pristine rainforest, gorgeous waterfalls and stunning lookouts.
The award-winning Minnamurra Rainforest Centre is located in the park, and is the perfect place to start your day. Set off on one of its elevated walkways and paved tracks where you will find yourself surrounded by the lush beauty of the rainforest.
The Lyrebird Loop Walk is perfect for young children and you may spot a shy lyrebird foraging in the undergrowth. From there you can join the Minnamurra Falls Walk which takes you to the breathtaking waterfall.
Afterwards, drive up to the plateau above Minnamurra Rainforest and discover the jaw-dropping views from Jamberoo lookout or bring your mountain bike and ride the 24km Budderoo Track.
Other attractions include Carrington Falls, which has its own campground.
There is also a rainforest centre, picnic areas, Izzards lookout, Missingham lookout, Warris Chair lookout, Budderoo Track, and various picnic areas, including Nellies Glen picnic area.
Details: Click here
Dharawal National Park, near Helensburgh, is an important place for Aboriginal people and a great place to spend the day thanks to its walking and bike tracks, waterfalls and rock pools.
Highlights include Maddens Falls, Minerva Pool walking track, 10B cycling trail, Jingga walking track and O'Hares Creek lookout.
The Minerva Pool walking track winds through the traditional country of the Aboriginal Dharawal People. The short bushwalk takes you to a picnic area and the Minerva Pool. The pool is a sacred women's place so only women and children can enter the water.
Details: Click here
Morton National Park
There are a number of waterfalls, including the famed Fitzroy Falls, as well as plenty of bushwalks, lookouts, picnic areas and even mountain biking track.
There are also camping grounds for those who want to stay longer and take it all in.
Highlights include Fitzroy Falls, Pigeon House Mountain Didthul and Belmore Falls.
Details: Click here
The nature reserve encircles the rocky cliffs at the top of Jamberoo Pass, and offers a wealth of birdlife and unique plant species, including heathland wildflowers which burst to life in spring.
Bushwalks range from 2km to 20km, with magnificent views awaiting you at Illawarra lookout.
If you are not a walker, you can still view plenty of the park from the comfort of a vehicle thanks to the Illawarra tourism route, which is one of the best scenic drives in the area.
The 120km one-way trip allows you to take in the beauty of the Southern Highlands, Illawarra and Morton National Park and leads you straight to Fitzroy Falls Visitor Centre and Belmore Falls.
Details: Click here
Bomaderry Creek Regional Park
Bomaderry Creek Regional Park is a beautiful bushland oasis just north of Nowra.
The centrepiece of this park is Bomaderry Creek Gorge. A short walk will take you to cool forest, soaring sandstone cliff faces and running water. In spring the gorge will also come alive with wildflowers.
There are walking trails, lookouts and picnic areas.
You may even see a threatened glossy black cockatoo feeding on the casuarinas.
Details: Click here
Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area
The Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area offers dramatic 30 million-years-old rock formations, scenic lookouts, hiking, walking, bird spotting and picnic spots all in one place.
Featuring dramatic sandstone cliffs, different forest types, from sub-tropical rainforest to olive-green eucalypts and towering cedars as well as an abundance of colonial and Aboriginal heritage. Animal lovers will spot an abundance of bird life while whales can be seen during their annual migration.
Walkers and cyclists can take advantage of the many tracks.
Highlights include the Forest Walk, Sublime Point Track, Mount Keira Ring Track, Mount Kembla Ring Track and Robertson lookout.
Details: Click here
Macquarie Pass National Park
Close to the Illawarra escarpment, near Wollongong and Kiama, you will find Macquarie Pass National Park.
Offering healthland, rainforest, towering eucalypts, Illawarra flame trees and scenic views of the ocean, this national park allows you to feel like you are a million miles from civilisation thanks to its steep sandstone ridges and gullies.
There is a diverse range of wildlife including lyrebirds, satin bowerbirds, koalas, possums, wombats, swamp wallabies, goannas and platypus, as well as threatened tiger quolls and long-nosed potoroos.
There are terrific bushwalking and birdwatching opportunities in the park. Highlights include the Cascades walk, which takes you to a beautiful waterfall and natural pool.
Details: Click here
Nattai National Park
Located west of Wollongong is Nattai National Park.
Serious bushwalkers and backpackers will love the remote setting and astonishing beauty on offer. Highlights include the Nattai River, Hawkesbury sandstone cliffs, Mount Jellore and Wollondilly lookout.
There is also a variety of wildlife in the park, including wallaroos, emus, wallabies, grey kangaroos, wombats and dingoes.
You may even spot a platypus in the river, squirrel gliders and koalas in the trees, or rock wallabies, while more than 160 species of birds, including owls and birds of prey can be found in the park.
Walkers can traverse Starlight's trail or the 14-kilometre return Couridjah Corridor walk. Those wishing to stay longer can stay at the remote campground at Emitts Flat.
Details: Click here
Seven Mile Beach National Park
Extending from Shoalhaven Heads to Gerroa, the small coastal park offers a great day out for the whole family thanks to activities including fishing, swimming, picnicking and walking.
There are two sand tracks, heading north and south.
The south track starts from the southern end of the Beach Road picnic area, and takes you through an ancient and untouched forest of majestic blackbutt trees, rare bangalay sand forest and littoral rainforest before you emerge in the middle of Seven Mile Beach, halfway between Gerroa and Shoalhaven Heads.
The north track also starts at the Beach Road picnic area and meanders north through dune blackbutt, bangalay forests and a littoral rainforest where you can spot birds including thornbills, wrens, honeyeaters and the brown cuckoo dove.
There are picnic areas at either end, and of course, the golden sands of Seven Mile Beach.
Details: Click here
Bargo State Conservation Area
Less than an hour west of Wollongong is Bargo State Conservation Area.
An oasis, it offers a perfect place to go walking, hiking, birdwatching and even swimming in the refreshing natural pools of Little River or Moore Creek.
You will find pockets of warm-temperate rainforest filled with eucalypts and acacias as well as seasonal wildflowers like banksia and geebung.
As the traditional land of the Dharawal People, a number of significant Aboriginal sites still exist there today.
Those wishing to explore the park from a vehicle can enjoy the Greater Blue Mountains drive - Wollondilly trail, which offers scenic views of Mittagong Nattai and Thirlmere Lakes.
Details: Click here
Cambewarra Range Nature Reserve
The park is actually made up of a number of parcels of land spread across Cambewarra Mountain Range.
Drive up towards Red Rocks trig station (a trig station is a surveying point erected for the purpose of mapping) and take a short walk to see the views across the rural patchwork and forested landscape of Kangaroo Valley.
From your vantage point, gaze out over Kangaroo Valley, Morton National Park and Budderoo National Park. On a clear day, you'll be able to see Mount Skanzi, Mount Moollattoo and Mount Carrialoo.
Other highlights include Browns Mountain trail for walking or mountain biking.
Details: Click here
Royal National Park
Taking in the northern tip of the Illawarra is the 16,000-hectare Royal National Park.
The second oldest national park in the world, it offers plenty of opportunities for bushwalking, cycling, birdwatching, swimming, picnicking and even whale watching.
Featuring unique heritage attractions, fascinating plants, birds and animals, it is a perfect place for bushwalking, cycling, surfing, picnicking or whale watching.
Highlights include various walks, walking tracks and paths, including the well-known Karloo walking track, the Coast track and Uloola walking track. There are also beaches, waterfalls and swimming holes, as well as the famed Figure Eight Pools.
While you are there, stop off at the Royal National Park visitor centre to plan your day.
Those wishing to stay longer can book into the Bonnie Vale camping ground or one of the others in the park.
No visit is complete without a trip to Audley, which has a weir, boatshed, dance hall and cafe.
Details: Click here