Narrabeen Lagoon
Relaxed Family Friendly Walk
Narrabeen Lagoon Circuit | Approx. 8.4km | 1.5 Hours + coffee stop | Easy
The walking path around Narrabeen Lagoon is a very popular well-formed track, perfect for families and prams. It is divided into four sections by four picnic grounds, Middle Creek, Jamieson, Berry and Bilarong reserves. Each of these reserves has toilets, wheelchair access, tables, shelters, electric barbecues and water bubblers. The only reserve with coffee however is Berry Reserve, which is home to several cafes and restaurants.
You can start the Narrabeen Lagoon circuit from any of these reserves all of which have car parks with metered parking, but be warned they can fill up quite quickly on weekends. If you are after free on-street parking, try the residential areas at North Narrabeen and Wheeler Heights. Buses also run up Pittwater Road and stop at Narrabeen shops near Berry Reserve.
Narrabeen Lagoon Trail winds through bush, parklands and lush ecosystems that are home to an abundance of wildlife.
Middle Creek to Jamieson Park (3.5km)
We started our walk from Middle Creek, which was the last part of the circuit to be completed in 2015. A beautiful wooden boardwalk and steel bridges make it now possible to do a full uninterrupted loop around the lagoon.
Walking anti clockwise past the Sydney Academy of Sport and across a series of bridges, toward Jamieson Park, you walk through lush rainforest with endangered vegetation communities, such as Cabbage Palm Woodlands. At Jamieson Park you can hire equipment for kayaking and stand-up-paddling. With its sheltered waters Narrabeen Lagoon is the perfect place to try out a bit of water sports action.
Jamieson Park to Berry Reserve (1.5km)
From Jamieson Park the walk continues along a path next to the road for a short distance before turning into a long narrow parkland that is Berry Reserve.
You are now over half way around the lagoon and deserve to stop and take advantage of the wide variety of eateries along Pittwater Road and on the waters edge in the reserve – this is the only spot on the trail where you can buy food and drink.
We stopped at H2O Café for a hot drink and a muffin, and availed ourselves of their chairs on the lawn next to the lagoon, for a break and a chat.
Berry Reserve to Bilarong Reserve (1.2km)
Once you are refuelled, follow the path as it goes up alongside the road to cross the bridge. The traffic can be busy and noisy here, but a new overwater boardwalk is being planned to move people away from the road and provide a better crossing over the lagoon.
Follow the road to the left as it swings into Narrabeen Parkway. The Narrabeen Lagoon bush trail walk leaves the road and continues alongside the lagoon again as you enter Bilarong Reserve, a lovely open space with lovely grassy spaces for picnics and a huge playground. This is also a popular spot for boating enthusiasts who launch their boats here.
Bilarong Reserve to Middle Creek (2.2km)
The walk around Narrabeen Lagoon continues by hugging the foreshore back to Middle Creek, and includes a newly built over-water boardwalk. It’s quite a spectacular boardwalk that brings the trail away from the busy Wakehurst Parkway over the lagoon to protect the environmentally-sensitive foreshore here. Some sections of this part of the track are a bit narrow and can feel congested if there are lots of walkers and cyclists around, however the views over the lagoon are lovely.
