Wyrrabalong National Park (NSW): Open 5.30am to 8pm in Daylight Saving, Where to Park at Crackneck Point and Bateau Bay, and the Walks

Wyrrabalong National Park near The Entrance is open from 5.30am to 8pm during daylight saving and from 5.30am to 6pm the rest of the year, and its visitor info page lists accessible parking at the Bateau Bay Beach picnic area and Crackneck Point lookout. It is the last patch of coastal rainforest on the Central Coast, with beaches, lookouts and three signposted walks. The details below come from the NSW National Parks pages for the park, its lookouts, walks and tours, read on 9 November 2026.

What time is the park open?

The park page says Wyrrabalong National Park is open from 5.30am to 8pm during daylight saving and from 5.30am to 6pm the rest of the year. The same line appears on the pages for the picnic area, the lookouts and the walks.

How do I get there, and where do I park?

The park is in two sections. The visitor info page gives directions from The Entrance: drive north on Wilfred Barrett Drive to reach the northern section, or take The Entrance Road and then Bateau Bay Road to reach the southern section. It lists two park entry points, Cromarty Hill Road and the Lillypilly loop trail start.

For parking, the page lists accessible parking at three places:

Place	Parking listed	Facilities listed
Bateau Bay Beach picnic area	Accessible parking	Toilets and picnic tables
Crackneck Point lookout	Accessible parking	Picnic tables
Pelican Beach Road lookout	Listed under parking	Picnic tables

The page does not give the number of spaces or say whether parking is charged. It says there is limited mobile phone reception in the park. By bike, the page points to the Bicycle information for NSW website.

Is there an entry fee?

The visitor info page for the park does not list an entry fee. The tour pages are less clear: the Junior ranger coastal adventure page says its price includes the park entry fee. The park pages do not say whether vehicles are charged; the National Parks Contact Centre is on 1300 072 757 (7am to 7pm daily). For comparison, the nearby Brisbane Water National Park and Bouddi National Park pages do state a per-vehicle entry fee.

Where can I watch whales from?

The Crackneck Point lookout page says the lookout gives views over The Entrance and Shelly Beach, with whales passing on their northern migration between May and August. Surfers use it to check wave conditions, and the page says it is a popular spot for hang gliding. It describes benches, accessible picnic tables and grass to spread out a rug. The park’s visitor info page names Wyrrabalong and Crackneck lookouts as the high headlands for winter whale watching.

The Pelican Beach Road lookout page describes views north to Pelican Point and south to The Entrance, and says the beach is popular for fishing and surfing. Both lookout pages say to take binoculars for whale watching.

What walks are there, and how long do they take?

Walk	Length	Time suggested	Grade
The Coast walking track (Bateau Bay Beach picnic area to Forresters Beach)	3km one way, about 6km return	1hr 15min to 1hr 45min	Grade 3
Lillypilly loop trail	3.5km loop	1hr 15min to 1hr 45min	Grade 3
Red Gum trail	3.4km loop	1hr 15min to 1hr 45min	Grade 3

The Coast walking track runs through a narrow strip of forest along the clifftops between Forresters and Bateau Bay beaches. The Crackneck lookout page says the track runs about 2km north from the lookout to the Bateau Bay Beach picnic area, or about 1.5km south to Forresters Beach. The park says spring brings ground orchids and flannel flowers, and suggests sunscreen, a hat and drinking water.

The Lillypilly loop trail goes through the largest remaining stand of coastal rainforest on the Central Coast, with views over wetlands bordering Tuggerah Lakes, and the page says you may see a white bellied sea eagle nest. Its accessibility rating is Hard. The Red Gum trail loops through red gum forest to a lookout with views of the mountains, Toukley and Tuggerah Lake, and also has a Hard accessibility rating. Both pages say the loops can be linked with the Burrawang track for a longer walk, and the Red Gum page says there is a picnic area near its carpark.

Can I swim, and is it safe?

The Bateau Bay Beach picnic area page describes a sheltered spot behind the north end of the beach, shaded by large trees, with barbecues nearby and rock pools for children. It says the beach is good for swimming, fishing and snorkelling. On the Red Gum trail page, the park warns that strong rips and currents may be present at Pelican Beach, and asks you to supervise children at all times. In summer, the visitor info page says it is a good time to fish for prawns and blue swimmer crabs at Tuggerah Lake.

The park’s safety notes say to dial Triple Zero (000) in an emergency, and to download the Emergency Plus app before you visit, because it helps emergency services locate you from your phone’s GPS. The walk pages suggest drinking water, a hat and sunscreen.

What tours and bookings are there?

NSW National Parks runs junior ranger tours for children at Crackneck Point lookout, at $18 per child with the accompanying adult free. They include a school-holiday whale watching walk and a monthly Saturday coastal walk, and bookings are required on 1300 072 757 or online. For the dates, times and details of the next one, see our separate guide to the Junior Ranger walk at Crackneck Point.

A third option is tandem paragliding with Cloudbase Paragliding, which the park lists as running from September to mid-May, with flights of around 30 minutes starting from Crackneck lookout or Cromarty Hill. Times and prices are given by the operator, not on the park page.

What are the rules?

• Pets and domestic animals are not permitted, other than certified assistance animals.
• NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
• Mobile phone reception is limited in the park.

The park’s pages give the weather averages as 20°C to 25°C in summer (highest recorded 42.4°C) and 10°C to 17°C in winter (lowest recorded 3.4°C). February is the wettest month and August the driest.

Who do I contact?

The National Parks Contact Centre is on 1300 072 757, 7am to 7pm daily. The Lake Munmorah office on (02) 4972 9000 takes enquiries Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4pm, at 1 Blue Wren Drive, Wybung. Gosford is listed as 16km away. For road closures that can affect the drive, see our guide to checking Central Coast road closures.

Sources

• NSW National Parks — Wyrrabalong National Park (checked 9 November 2026)
• NSW National Parks — Wyrrabalong visitor info (checked 9 November 2026)
• NSW National Parks — Wyrrabalong local alerts (checked 9 November 2026)
• NSW National Parks pages for the Coast walking track, Lillypilly loop trail, Red Gum trail, Crackneck Point lookout, Pelican Beach Road lookout, Bateau Bay Beach picnic area and the junior ranger and paragliding tours (linked above, checked 9 November 2026)

Featured image: a walking track in Wyrrabalong National Park (photo: Maurice van Creij / CC BY 3.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service or Cloudbase Paragliding. Hours and fees are as NPWS listed them on 9 November 2026.