Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Wheelchair facilities

The following areas in the park are suitable for wheelchairs. We have assessed each facility's difficulty of access for an average wheelchair user:

• Easy: Access is free of obstacles such as steps, rough terrain or significant slopes, and may have ramps or boardwalks.
• Medium: Access presents some minor difficulties, such as a grassy surface. However, you should be able to get around without assistance.
• Hard: Access is via steps or a steep slope, or you'll have to move across a rough surface (with potholes, tree roots, rocks and/or similar obstacles). Assistance will be necessary.

Wheelchair-friendly campgrounds

The Basin campground

Wheelchair access: medium

Assistance may be required to access this area.

• Wheelchair access is by ferry only
• Wheelchair-accessible toilet

Activities: walking, paddling, liloing, swimming, picnicking, playing and socialising, camping

Location:  shown on West Head and The Basin map

Getting there: The Basin campground is on the western foreshores of Pittwater in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. To get there

• Take the ferry which departs on the hour between 9am - 5pm from Palm Beach Wharf
• If you own a boat, anchor in the sheltered bay opposite the picnic and campground.
• Drive or ride your mountain bike through the park along West Head Road, then walk or cycle along the 2.8km Basin Track to The Basin.

Opening hours: The campground is open from sunrise to sunset. Entry to the campground after sunset is for pre-booked campers only.

Facilities: amenities block, cold showers, flush toilets, gas/electric barbecues, wood barbecues (firewood supplied), drinking water, picnic tables, public phone

Online bookings: use a secure payment facility to book online

Alternatively, please contact the Customer Experience Team on 13000 PARKS (13000 72757).

NB: All reservations incur a booking fee of 2.5% in addition to the total amount payable

Wheelchair-friendly places

Akuna Bay

Wheelchair access: easy

This area is fully wheelchair accessible. Access is available from the carpark to the marina and aafe.

Set sail for beautiful Akuna Bay, tucked away at the end of Coal and Candle Creek. The popular d'Albora Marina can also be reached by road via the scenic Liberator General San Martin Drive.

Make the most of the marina’s great facilities and bring your picnic hamper. The public barbecue and seating area is a lovely, family-friendly space with shaded tables. Or, if you feel like letting someone else prepare your breakfast or lunch, pop into the marina’s Driftwood Cafe.

At d'Albora Marina, you’ll find wet berths and a dry stack area for small boats. There are also boat hire facilities, shops, a restaurant and function centre and plenty of parking for cars and boat trailers.

• d'Albora Marinas Akuna Bay 
• Driftwood Cafe Akuna Bay

Activities: motor boating, paddling, sailing and boating, sailing, fishing, picnicking, playing and socialising

Getting there: On entering Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, follow McCarrs Creek Road and turn onto Liberator General San Martin Drive. Akuna Bay is part way along the scenic Coal and Candle creek.

Road access: Sealed road - 2WD vehicles.

Opening hours: The picnic tables and barbecue are open seven days a week between 8.30am and 5pm. Driftwood Cafe is closed on Tuesdays.

Facilities: picnic tables, gas/electric barbecues, cafe/kiosk, boat ramp

Apple Tree picnic area

Wheelchair access: medium

Assistance may be required to access this area.

Apple Tree picnic area is only an hour’s drive from Sydney and one of the gateways to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park’s many walking trails, waterways and lookouts. Apple Tree picnic area provides an easily accessible spot to park your car and re-energise, before you head off into the park and explore. You can buy drinks and food at the café or make use of the shaded picnic tables and barbecues. The Berowra walking track begins at this point, but if you have a boat, you can also set sail from Apple Tree picnic area’s boat ramp.

Activities: picnics and barbecues, motor boating, sailing, walking

Location:  shown on Bobbin Head map

Getting there: On entering Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

• Take Bobbin Head Road through North Turramurra, or Ku-ring-gai Chase Road, Mount Colah near Hornsby.

Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 2WD vehicles.

Facilities: picnic tables, gas/electric barbecues, flush toilets, drinking water, boat ramp, carpark, trackhead/access point

Bobbin Head

Wheelchair access: medium

Assistance may be required to access this area

• The southern part of Bobbin Head wheelchair accessible

Located in the west of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Bobbin Head is a large area offering lots of attractions and facilities. As well as being a great place to bushwalk, paddle or go fishing, Bobbin Head is the perfect waterfront picnic spot.

The area features barbecues, picnic tables, shelters and plenty of green space for an impromptu frisbee session or a spot of cricket. There’s also a children’s playground that’s sure to be a hit with kids and you can pick up a coffee at the Bobbin Head Inn Café or tuck into some beautiful Mediterranean cuisine at Galley Foods Restaurant and Kiosk.

Visit Empire Marina Bobbin Head to hire a run-a-bout with fishing licence, or follow any of the number of walking tracks and collect maps and brochures from Bobbin Inn Visitor Centre. Stroll the mangrove boardwalk behind the picnic area and see if you can spot some of the park’s many birds.

Activities: fishing, picnics and barbecues, motor boating, sailing

Location:  shown on Bobbin Head map

Getting there: On entering Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, take Bobbin Head Road through North Turramurra, or Ku-ring-gai Chase Road, Mount Colah near Hornsby.

Road access: Sealed road - 2WD vehicles.

Facilities: picnic tables, gas/electric barbecues, flush toilets, drinking water, public phone

Vehicle entry fee: $11 per vehicle per day. If you're arriving by bus or taxi you'll need to pay daily entry fees of $4.40 adults, $2.20 children; there is no daily entry fee for teachers/educational supervisors (1 adult per 10 children)

Contact: Sydney North (Bobbin Inn, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park), Phone: 02 9472 8949

Bobbin Inn Visitor Centre

Wheelchair access: medium

Wheelchair access is via the café

Make the most of your day trip to Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park with a visit to the historic Bobbin Inn, which now houses the visitor centre. The friendly staff can provide the lowdown on walking tracks, paddling routes, or the best picnic spot to suit a family outing or impress your visitors.

Whether you’re picking up a brochure or wanting to discover more about parks and reserves in the northern Sydney area, find out about the plants and animals of the region before heading out. You can enquire about school and group activities and tours, as well as pick up a great range of books, maps and souvenirs with an Australian theme.

It’s a short walk along Birrawanna walking track to nearby Kalkari Discovery Centre, where you can learn about the people of the Guringai Aboriginal Nation. Suitably inspired, head out with a picnic and enjoy your day exploring Sydney’s nature playground.

Activities: walking, paddling, birdwatching, picnicking, playing and socialising

Getting there: Bobbin Inn Visitor Centre is in the Bobbin Head precinct of Ku-ring-gai National Park. To get there, follow Bobbin Head Road and follow the signs.

Road access: Sealed road - 2WD vehicles.

Opening hours: Bobbin Inn Visitor Centre is:

• open 10am-12pm and 12.30pm-4pm (Monday to Sunday)
• open 9am-12pm and 12.30pm-4pm (summer school holidays)
• closed on Christmas Day

Facilities: picnic tables, cafe/kiosk, carpark, flush toilets, trackhead/access point, visitor centre

Contact: Sydney North (Bobbin Inn, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park), Phone: 02 9472 8949

Kalkari Discovery Centre

Wheelchair access: easy

This area is fully wheelchair-accessible.

Immerse yourself in the knowledge Kalkari Discovery Centre has to offer. At Kalkari, you’ll be inspired to learn more about the park’s plants, animals and Aboriginal history, under the guidance of Kalkari’s knowledgeable volunteers. Find out more about the Discovery trail and the range of educational activities for adults and children on offer. You may find yourself making a model wombat and burrow, sipping morning tea with visitors from around the world, or playing Aboriginal games.

From the Discovery Centre, it’s a short walk along Birrawanna walking track to Bobbin Head, which is a great place to stop for lunch.

Activities: walking, birdwatching, picnics and barbecues

Getting there: Kalkari Discovery Centre in the Bobbin Head precinct of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. To get there, enter the park from Ku-ring-gai Chase Road, off Pacific Highway.

Road access: Sealed road - 2WD vehicles.

Opening hours: The Kalkari Discovery Centre is:

• open 9am – 5pm (Monday – Sunday)
• closed on Christmas Day

Facilities: amenities block, visitor centre

Contact: Sydney North (Kalkari Discovery Centre), Phone: 02 9472 9300 or 02 9472 9301

Resolute picnic area

Wheelchair access: medium

Assistance may be required to access this area

• A wheelchair-accessible bathroom is available
• There are picnic tables that can be accessed via a sealed track from the carpark

Enjoy a quiet picnic surrounded by Sydney red gums at West Head’s Resolute picnic area.

Resolute picnic area is a terrific spot for a barbecue or picnic. It’s also a good place to take a breather after a bushwalk. Aboriginal Heritage walk departs from the picnic area, taking you past the park’s best-known Aboriginal rock art to the nearby West Head lookout.

Grab a picnic table and tuck into your lunch while taking in the beautiful bush setting. There’s plenty of parking, as well as a bus-turnaround area and an environmentally-friendly toilet block. But remember it’s BYO drinking water, so be sure to pack your drink bottle.

Activities: walking, picnicking, playing and socialising

Location:  shown on West Head and The Basin map

Getting there: Aboriginal Heritage walk starts at Resolute picnic area in the West Head precinct of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. To get there, follow West Head Road to the end.

Road access: Sealed road - 2WD vehicles.

Facilities: picnic tables, gas/electric barbecues, non-flush toilets, flush toilets

Water supply: There is no drinking water available at Resolute picnic area – please bring your own.

Sphinx Memorial

Wheelchair access: easy

This area is fully wheelchair-accessible.

Sphinx Memorial is a sandstone monument created in memory of lives lost in the First World War and was created by a returned soldier in the 1920s. Bushwalkers exploring Sphinx Memorial to Bobbin Head loop track might be surprised to find this unusual symbol of Australian military history tucked away in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.

Grab something to eat at nearby Bobbin Head, or pack your lunch and stop for a picnic at Sphinx Memorial, where you’ll find plenty of grassy spots to sit and relax.

Activities: walking, picnics and barbecues

Location:  shown on Bobbin Head map

Getting there: Sphinx Memorial is in the Bobbin Head precinct of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.

To get there:

• Take Bobbin Head Road to the southern entrance to the park
• Just inside the park, turn right onto Sphinx Road and follow to the end.

Road access: Sealed road - 2WD vehicles.

Opening hours: Sphinx Memorial closes at 5.30pm (Monday - Sunday).

Facilities: picnic tables

The Station picnic shelter

Wheelchair access: easy

There is car access to the parking area within 5 metres of the shelter, then flat ground to the shelter and tables. The tables in sections 1 and 3 have wheelchair access.

Getting there: The Station is on the southern side of the Bobbin Head picnic area, next to the education centre. Access is via either Bobbin Head Road in North Turramurra or Ku-ring-gai Chase Road in Mount Colah.

Road access: Sealed road - 2WD vehicles.

Venue hire: See details

Vehicle entry fee:

• $11 per vehicle per day.
• For vehicles of 8 seats or more the vehicle entry fee is $4.40 per adult and $2.20 per child.

Contact: Sydney North (Bobbin Inn, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park), Phone: 02 9472 8949

West Head lookout

Wheelchair access: easy

This area is fully wheelchair accessible

Prepare to be impressed – the views from West Head lookout are some of Sydney’s best. On your visit, you’ll be greeted with a real visual feast. From West Head lookout, you can see Broken Bay on your left, Pittwater on your right and Barrenjoey Headland and Lighthouse in front.

You can also enjoy amazing vistas across the Hawkesbury River to Lion Island Nature Reserve and the beaches of the Central Coast, including Patonga and Umina Beach.

The lookout itself is a large sandstone viewing area with a number of informative interpretive signs. Rest on one of the benches and absorb the sounds of the birds and waves below before heading to nearby Resolute picnic area for lunch or taking a walk on Aboriginal Heritage walk.

Cultural heritage: The battlements on West Head date back to the Second World War.

Location:  shown on West Head and The Basin map

Getting there: West Head lookout is in the West Head precinct of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. To get there, follow West Head Road or access the lookout from the Resolute picnic area, along the West Head lookout track (1.9km).

Road access: Sealed road - 2WD vehicles.

Facilities: lookout