The Barrenjoey Lighthouse walk - to give it its official name - is top of the hit list for most people visiting Palm Beach. This short trail offers some of the most gorgeous views in all of Sydney, looking back on two bays; Station Beach and Palm Beach, as well as lots of pretty bushland.
As well as incredible views, you can get up close to the lighthouse itself, whale watch from the cliff top and - if you’re feeling adventurous - find the secret cave or daredevil ledge, which is popular with photographers.
We’ll share everything you need to know about the trail as well as the best photo spots and how to find the hidden cave.
The Palm Beach Lighthouse Walk
The stats
Distance: 2.5km total from The Boathouse cafe
Elevation: 96m
Difficulty: Easy (but steep)
Type of trail: Partial circuit
The walk from Palm Beach to Barranjoey Lighthouse isn’t very long, but it is steep. It’s a well paved track, with stairs for the Smugglers Track, and a wide path for the Access Track.
Most people will be fine on this walk given enough time for breathers - it helps when you can catch your breath with the stunning views this walk offers!
The map below shows the walking trails, plus the two side trails which we go into more detail about below.
What to expect from the Palm Beach Lighthouse Walk
Starting the trail at The Boathouse
We’re going to start this trail at The Boathouse cafe. Not just because it’s our favourite in Palm Beach and we always stop here first, but because the official trail starts part way down Station Beach, and as you have to get to the trail head on foot, the stats make more sense from here.
The wharf at the Boathouse at Palm Beach
From The Boathouse you’ll head straight along Station Beach. This is a lovely calm bay, however it was seriously sea-weedy on our visit! It’s not normally as bad as this, but even on its best day, Station Beach is never as pristine and picturesque as neighbouring Palm Beach (we still love you though!).
After 600m walking along Station Beach, you’ll see the turning for the lighthouse walk, and the official start of the trail.
Heading up the Smugglers Track
At this point you have a decision to make: you can head up the shorter and steeper Smugglers Track, which is 400m long and takes around ten minutes; or you can head up the Access Trail, which is 800m long and takes around 15 minutes.
We usually prefer a steep ascent and a gentler descent, but you can always pick the shallower trail each way if you don't want to do the steeper track. In our opinion, the Access Trail also has the better views, so definitely opt to do it at least one way.
The Smugglers Track is basically a series of staircases, with the occasional bit of flat path in-between to catch your breath.
It has some beautiful views along the way and stopping for photos is the perfect excuse if you're feeling out of breath!
The views from the Smugglers Track
Around half way up you'll see the lighthouse ahead of you, and then you're just five minutes from the top, which is a total distance of 1.1km from The Boathouse. The final stairs are a little more worn than those further down, but they are generally all in pretty good condition.
The Barrenjoey Lighthouse
The Barrenjoey Lighthouse is one of Sydney's heritage lighthouses, built in 1881 and sits beside the lighthouse keepers cottages.
You can only go inside the lighthouse on a guided tour which takes place on Sundays.
An adult ticket is $5 and a it's $2 for children. We’ve never visited at the right time to go inside, so can’t comment on what it’s like, if you do the tour please let us know what you think!
From the area around the lighthouse you get more magnificent views, including over to Broken Bay, Ku-ring-gai National Park and the Central Coast.
It’s a truly lovely spot and all the little white sail boats always remind of us of the Whitsunday Islands.
The views from Barrenjoey Lighthouse
If you’re visiting between May and October it’s also a prime whale watching spot. There’s a nice little concrete seat you can sit on whilst you look out to sea.
You are quite high up, so you’re at a great vantage point to look for them, but consequently they will also seem quite far away.
Descending on the Access Trail
The Access Trail is our preferred route down, primarily because it’s much less steep and doesn’t have any steps!
It’s still a steep path, but an easier steep path. There’s a fine layer of sand over the concrete track and normally when I see this, I think it’s going to be really slippery, but luckily that’s not the case.
There is gorgeous bushland on both sides of the track and truly spectacular views along the first part of the walk on your left.
This is where you’ll find lots of wide rocky ledges which are a favourite spot for photos and picnics! When you see them you’ll know why, it’s incredibly picturesque, and the ledges are usually 30 seconds to a minute off the main trail, so they are really easy to access.
It goes without saying to be careful around any edges, but generally speaking these ledges and wide and not at all scary, so they are the perfect spot to stop and take in the magnificent bay views.
As you descend further down the track the bush closes in around you temporarily, and then you’ll come back out to Station Beach.
We usually see Brush Turkeys on this part of the walk, although this time it was even better because we saw them walking along the beach, which was a new one for us!!
If you love coastal walks, we’ve rounded up our Sydney favourites in this post.
Side Trail: The secret cave
So if you’re feeling a little adventurous you might want to find Barrenjoey’s hidden cave, which also just so happens to be our favourite sunset spot in Palm Beach!
Getting to the cave doesn’t take long at all, but it is a bit of a bush bash and some of that bush is unfortunately quite prickly! If you’re undeterred, this is how you do it.
The cave at Barrenjoey
Getting to the cave
The secret cave lies just off the Access Trail.
If you have a GPS, you need to head towards -33.57967854289577 151.32663487485084 (you should be able to see it on Google Maps if you click on the co-ordinates).
As you are heading up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse along the Access Trail, you will see a couple of beaten tracks on the left side of the trail (around 200-300m before the lighthouse). They aren’t too obvious, and many are overgrown, but they will lead to the cave.
Following the beaten down track, the path heads to the top of the ridge and then heads left (west) away from Barrenjoey Lighthouse.
Keep walking west - you will see West Head and Ku-ring-gai Coast on the horizon - until you see a hole in a large rock platform on the northern side of the ridge. It is really obvious and it’s the last place you can walk to until there’s a big drop down!
The cave doesn’t require descending the cliff at all.
The path to the cave
The hole into the cave
There are plenty of times you may have thought you must have got there, but keep going west until you can’t go any further without having to drop down 10-20 metres.
The cave
The cave itself is pretty small, but it offers a really epic view of Lion Island and the Central Coast.
You can get in by dropping through the hole in the roof, or (my preferred option) of walking downhill and clambering in through the bottom.
The entry from below
The view from the cave
The chamber inside has a couple of windows and it’s certainly one of the more unique spots at Barrenjoey!
Side trail: The ‘Instagram’ ledge
If the cave wasn’t enough adventure for one day, your second side trip option is to the secret ledge, which has become a bit of an Instagram sensation. You might wonder how it can be secret if it’s a sensation? Well, this is the first time anyone has actually written the instructions on how to get there, and believe me without them it’s not that easy to find!
The ledge
A word of caution on the ledge though: I’d seen so many pictures of girls in dresses looking really serene on the edge of the ledge and even people dangling off the end, and had assumed it couldn’t possibly be as gnarly as it looked. And in someways that’s true - there is a second ledge underneath it, so if you fell you wouldn’t fall that far.
Having said that - in my personal opinion - it would still be enough of a fall that you should be super careful about sitting on the edge. Whilst it is considerably wider than it looks in photos, the end of it slants downwards towards the drop.
Were it not for this fact I’d probably say it wasn’t very scary at all, but because of that I thought it was a bit unnerving and kudos to anyone sitting right on the edge and looking so serene about it!
As you can see from our photo I wasn’t completely on the edge and only sat there briefly before moving further back along the rock and just enjoying the view, which is truly spectacular. You feel much closer to Palm Beach than at any other point along either track.
If you get there and don’t feel confident, don’t sit near the edge, you can still get good photos further back, or just go to the bigger ledges along the Access Track which aren’t scary at all.
Finding the ledge
So with all that said, here’s how you get there.
From the lighthouse head right down the stairs and along the clear walking track. You will pass the grave of George Mulhall - the first lighthouse keeper.
The path carries on past the grave and along the ridge. Look out for social trails (overgrown, but still beaten down paths) that head towards Palm Beach. From the path you should see a rocky shelf. Head down towards this clear ledge and walk along until you find the ledge. It should only take five minutes to reach from the lighthouse.
If you check the angles from the photos, you should be able to work out exactly where the spot is.
This is the view of the lighthouse from the ledge
However, there are several other good spots around this area, so you won’t miss out if the ledge isn’t for you!
Essential information about the Barrenjoey Lighthouse Walk
Parking for the walk
There is plenty of parking by Station Beach and The Boathouse but it is extremely expensive. You can park for up to 12 hours and they stop charging you after four hours. But those four hours will cost you a rather obscene $40 in peak season. For less than four hours it is $10 per hour. These charges occur between 7am and 7pm every day from 1 October to 30 April.
In off peak season it drops a fraction to $35 for 4-12 hours or $8 an hour under four hours.
If you’re as horrified by those prices as we were then we have some good news. Palm Beach does have some free and unlimited parking less than a 10 minute walk away! Try Waratah Road or Beach Road, as these are both outside the fee zone.
Public transport to the walk
If you don’t have a car you can still get to Palm Beach using the B1 bus from Wynyard, which takes about 1.5 hours. From there it’s a 10 minute walk to Station Beach.
Packing suggestions for the walk
Having the right gear can make a huge difference. Here’s what we pack and have relied upon for years:
Sunscreen: Cancer Council Active. With a high SPF, but not the greasy feel of other sunscreens. Makes a big difference when you’re working up a sweat on a sunny day! Check it out on Amazon
Good Rain Jacket: North Face This is an essential item we always pack in our bag! This jacket from North Face is designed to keep you dry but also comfortably warm (many rain jackets will make you feel like you’re in a sauna). Check it out on Amazon
Bushman Spray: Good for keeping off the mozzies and any other bugs. Check it out on Amazon.
Day Pack: Osprey Talon 22 (we’ve owned this for years). Check on Amazon or direct with Osprey
Hiking Boots: Merrell Moab (for men and women). We’ve both used these for over three years and they just keep going. Check them out on Amazon
Trekking poles: We’ve used Black Diamond for years as they are light, solid and durable. Check them out on Amazon.
Reusable water bottle: To avoid single-use plastic. Check them out on Amazon
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Are you planning a trip to Palm Beach? What is your favourite coastal walk in Sydney? Let us know in the comments below!
