Royal National Park, Sydney: $12 a Vehicle, Opening Hours, Parking at Audley, Wattamolla, Garie and Bundeena (NSW)

Royal National Park costs $12 per vehicle per day to enter, and it is open from 7am to 8.30pm, according to the NSW National Parks visitor information page, checked on Saturday 7 November 2026. The park can close at times because of poor weather or fire danger. The main entry points are along the Princes Highway at Farnell Avenue, just south of Loftus, and at McKell Avenue in Waterfall, with a third entry at Lady Wakehurst Drive in Otford. This guide combines the park’s own pages for the park as a whole, the Visitor Centre at Audley, Wattamolla, Garie Beach and Bonnie Vale at Bundeena.

How much does it cost to enter Royal National Park?

The park’s visitor information page lists the following fees.

What	Price
Park entry, per vehicle per day	$12
Vehicles with more than 8 seats, per adult per day	$4.40
Vehicles with more than 8 seats, per child per day	$2.20
Teachers and educational supervisors	Free (1 adult per 10 students)
Multi Parks Pass (all NSW parks except Kosciuszko)	$65 for 1 year, $115 for 2 years
All Parks Pass (all NSW parks including Kosciuszko National Park)	$190 for 1 year, $335 for 2 years

Prices are as of November 2026. The page says you can pay at the Royal National Park Visitor Centre, at the vehicle entry stations, at pay machines or with the Park’nPay app. It also says that large areas of the park have no mobile reception.

What time does the park open and close?

National Parks says Royal National Park is open from 7am to 8.30pm, but may have to close at times because of poor weather or fire danger. The Visitor Centre has shorter hours: 8.30am to 4.30pm daily, closed on Christmas Day. The centre is at 2 Lady Carrington Drive, Audley, NSW 2232, and its phone numbers are 02 9542 0648, and 1300 072 757 for campground and cottage bookings.

One hours detail matters at the beach end of the park. The Garie Beach page says the car park is locked overnight, so you should leave before sunset.

Which road do I take from Sydney or Wollongong?

From Sydney, the park’s main entry points are along the Princes Highway. The page says to turn off the highway at either Farnell Avenue, just south of Loftus, or at McKell Avenue at Waterfall. From Wollongong, you can reach the park along the Princes Highway, or via Otford, which is north of Stanwell Park.

The page also warns that roads in the park can be extremely busy and that traffic delays should be expected on weekends and public holidays during summer. It recommends checking Live Traffic for up-to-date traffic information. All the roads it describes are sealed and suit 2WD vehicles.

How do I get to Audley and the Visitor Centre?

The Visitor Centre page describes two routes. From Loftus, turn off the Princes Highway at Farnell Avenue, continue down the hill, drive across Audley Weir and turn right into the Triangle car park just after the weir. From Waterfall, turn off the highway at Waterfall train station, follow McKell Avenue to the end, turn left onto Sir Bertram Stevens Drive and follow it to Audley, then turn left into the Triangle car park just before the weir.

The page says parking at the Visitor Centre is in a gravel car park. The wider park page lists parking at the Audley boatshed, accessible parking at the Audley Dance Hall Cafe, and parking at more picnic areas and lookouts, including Currawong Flat, Pool Flat, Red Cedar Flat, Reids Flat, Upper Causeway, Warumbul, Waterfall Flat and Wattle Forest.

Where do I park at Wattamolla?

The Wattamolla page says the picnic area is in the eastern part of the park. From Audley, drive across Audley Weir and continue along Sir Bertram Stevens Drive for about 11 km, then turn left onto Wattamolla Road, 250 m past Bundeena Drive. From Waterfall, follow McKell Avenue to the end, turn left onto Sir Bertram Stevens Drive and continue for about 9 km, then turn right onto Wattamolla Road.

Parking is available, but National Parks says it can get very busy on weekends and may be limited. It suggests car pooling, because the number of visitors often exceeds the spaces. The page adds that the car park often fills before midday on a hot weekend, and that there is no lifeguard service at Wattamolla. There are flush toilets, picnic tables and free gas or electric barbecues, and you need to bring your own drinking water.

Where do I park at Garie Beach?

The Garie Beach page places the picnic area in the southern part of the park. From Audley, drive across Audley Weir, continue along Sir Bertram Stevens Drive and turn left onto Garie Road. From Waterfall, follow McKell Avenue to the end, turn left onto Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, continue for about 5 km and turn right onto Garie Road.

Parking is available but can be limited on weekends, and the car park is locked overnight. The page again suggests car pooling for Wattamolla, Bonnie Vale and Garie.

Is Garie Beach patrolled?

The official pages do not agree, so check before you swim. The park page says beaches in the park are not patrolled by lifeguards and can have strong rip currents, and that the safest place to swim is at a patrolled beach between the red and yellow flags. The Visitor Centre page says Garie Beach is patrolled by surf lifesavers in summer. National Parks directs visitors to the Beachsafe website to find the nearest patrolled beach.

How do I get to Bundeena and Bonnie Vale?

The Bonnie Vale page says to drive from Audley across Audley Weir and along Sir Bertram Stevens Drive for about 10 km, then turn left onto Bundeena Drive and continue to Bundeena. As you enter the town, turn left onto Sea Breeze Lane and follow the signs. Parking is available, and the page again suggests car pooling because visitor numbers often exceed the spaces.

The other way in is by train and ferry. The page says to take a train to Cronulla, walk for 5 minutes to the Cronulla ferry wharf, and take the ferry from Cronulla wharf to Bundeena wharf. At Bundeena wharf there is a map showing the walk to Bonnie Vale, which takes about 15 minutes.

Can I get there by public transport?

National Parks says many attractions can be reached by public transport. Some can be reached from the train stations at Cronulla, Loftus, Heathcote, Waterfall and Otford, which is at the southern end of the park, and it points visitors to the Transport for NSW website for timetables. The park page does not list timetables, so use the Transport for NSW trip planner for your own trip. Cyclists are directed to the Bicycle information for NSW website.

What is not allowed in the park?

Wood fires and camp fires are prohibited. Gas or heat bead cookers are permitted if they are elevated off the ground and residues are cooled and placed in a bin, but they are also prohibited if a total fire ban is declared. Flying a drone for recreation is prohibited. Pets and domestic animals are not permitted, other than certified assistance animals. NSW national parks are no smoking areas, and commercial filming or photography needs prior consent.

What facilities are there?

The park page lists toilets at the Visitor Centre, Audley, Wattamolla, Garie Beach, Bonnie Vale and most picnic areas. Showers are listed at Bonnie Vale campground, Hilltop Cottage, Reids Flat Cottage and Weemalah Cottage. Cafes and kiosks are listed at the Audley boatshed, the Audley Dance Hall Cafe, Hilltop Cottage, Ironbark Flat picnic area, Reids Flat Cottage and Weemalah Cottage. The only public phone listed is at the Audley Dance Hall Cafe. In an emergency, dial Triple Zero (000), and note that the page says mobile reception is limited.

When is the best time to go?

The park page says spring brings heathland wildflowers along the Coast track and the Curra Moors Loop track, and that summer suits swimming at Wattamolla lagoon, Jibbon Beach and Bonnie Vale. It lists average summer temperatures of 16 to 27 degrees and average winter temperatures of 6 to 17 degrees, with March the wettest month. Whales can be seen from the cliffs between June and August, according to the park page; the Visitor Centre page says May to August. The Coast track from Bundeena to Otford is 26 km, which the page says you can walk in sections or over two days.

Sources

• NSW National Parks — Royal National Park visitor info (checked 7 November 2026)
• NSW National Parks — Royal National Park Visitor Centre
• NSW National Parks — Wattamolla picnic area
• NSW National Parks — Garie Beach picnic area
• NSW National Parks — Bonnie Vale picnic area

Featured image: Garie Beach, Royal National Park (photo: Alberto Camillo / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service or the NSW Government. Check the park alerts before you go, as the park can close at short notice.