Steep slopes close to the sea and a moderately fertile soil support the growth of extensive areas of tall moist forest and rainforest. It is uncommon to find spotted gums and temperate (as opposed to littoral) rainforest growing so close to the sea. The spotted gum forest is the biggest continuous stand preserved in NSW national parks.
The main vegetation communities in the park are:
Open or tall open forest, dominated by spotted gum with an understorey dominated by burrawangs, grows on fertile soils and slopes. Other eucalypt species, as well as she-oaks occur amongst the spotted gums.
Low forest, formed by spotted gums that achieve a lesser height closer to the coast.
Woodland, closely interlinked with areas of scrub or heath. Eucalypt species here include the blue leaved and the white stringybark and grey ironbark. Swamp oak also grows among the eucalypts in some woodlands.
Closed scrub, which grows behind the beaches and on some headlands. It may include she-oak, banksia, tea-tree and coast rosemary.
Communities of swamp oak mixed with paperbarks and various rushes and sedges that grow on the foreshores of Durras Lake.
Warm temperate rainforest, which occurs in some of the gullies formed by the steep slopes between Pretty Beach and Depot Beach and on the western side of Durras Mountain; the main species are lilly pilly, coachwood and cabbage tree palms.
