Tucked between suburbs and following a river, Lane Cove’s riverside walks are a perfect way to spend an afternoon when you’re looking for a taste of nature but don’t want to travel too far.

It’s walkable from a few train stations or bus stops, but once you’re inside the park and on the trails it feels like the city is a world away.

There’s a few different tracks you can do here. We tend to favour the walk along the north banks of the river, which is also part of the Great North Walk. It’s one of our go-tos in winter when we want to be near the water, but not battle the cold breeze that tends to come off the ocean. (Riverside walks are great for that!)

Length of walk

We usually walk about 7-8km return. But, the true length of this walk is totally up to you as there are multiple routes you can take. We typically start at the car park off Lady Game Drive and follow the track toward Blue Hole on the north side of the river.

There are two paths you can take from the car park though, one on each side of the river. You can either do a loop (which is about 10km), or out-and-back walks along either side in a distance that’s comfortable for you.

We tend to favour the north side of the river. It’s a bushier track that feels more rugged; it’s more interesting to us. If you’re looking for something less challenging or if you have any mobility issues, the walk on the south side is lovely, too. You’ll still get great views of the river and surrounding bushland

Read more about these walks on All Trails: Riverside Walking Track, Lane Cove to Epping, Lane Cove Riverside Walk (Loop)

Difficulty

Neither walk is particularly challenging.

We rate the walk along the north side of the river a 3.5/5, and the south side walk a 2/5. The north side has a few areas where you need to climb or take large, uneven steps around rocks. There is a bit of up-and-down, too, which makes it the more challenging side.

NSW Parks rates the Riverside Walking Track (South side) as a Grade 3 and it rates Fiddens Wharf Walking Track. The latter is a good portion of the northern side of the river, as a Grade 4.

All Trails rates all three tracks, the loop walk, a 9km stretch of the north side (which it calls Great North Track: West Lindfield) and the Riverside Walking Track all as Moderate.

Terrain

It’s a very different walk depending on which side you choose, so we’ll separate this into walking along the north side and the south side of the river. If you’re doing the loop, then you’ll experience both.

North side terrain

From the parking area, you’ll need to climb a slightly steep track that’s mostly loose rocks. (We recommend wearing sturdy footwear as they can roll around a bit underfoot). We find thisthe toughest part of the track, but that could just be because we’re not yet warmed up.

Once at the top, the path does zig zag with a quiet, paved road before becoming a bush track. It’s clearly defined the whole way from here.

It’ll be a mix between forest floor (dirt, leaves and the odd tree root) and large rocks that may require you to step up or climb, depending on your flexibility and height. It’s not difficult, but worth noting in case you have any trouble with your ankles, knees or hips.

The most scenic spots are about 2km into the track when it follows along the banks of the river with clear views of the water.

South side terrain

Much of the walk along the southern banks of Lane Cove River are through picnic areas and parkland rather than along a bushwalking track. Although, there are parts that are like this too.

You can expect this side to be a combination of paved paths, roads, grass and some first tracks as well.

Wildlife and nature

Lane Cove National Park is surrounded by the Sydney suburbs, but does have a surprising amount of flora and fauna within its 1,700 acres.

Thick bush sits on both sides of the river and trees come just about right down to the river’s edge and there’s plenty of critters living within it.

Here, we’ve seen echidnas, kookaburras, fairy wrens, cockatoos, lace monitors and plenty of other lizards. During the late-winter and early spring, plenty of wildflowers can be round throughout the park. Year-round, you’ll see the usual suspects in Sydney, including banksias, gum trees, grass trees and more plants.

Facilities and amenities

Compared to many national parks, Lane Cove is pretty well set up and you won’t need to worry about packing food or finding toilets ahead of time if you’re plannin on spending the day in the park.

Here’s what you’ll find at the parking areas or along the trails:

• Picnic areas (along the south side of the river)
• Toilets (at Carter Creek picnic area, Casuarina Point picnic area, Commandment Rock picnic area, Cottonwood Glen picnic area, Haynes Flat picnic area)
• Barbecues (Bakers Flat picnic area, Carter Creek picnic area, Casuarina Point picnic area, Commandment Rock picnic area, at Cottonwood Glen picnic area)
• Cafe/kiosk
• Drinking water

Getting to Lane Cove National Park

It’s easiest to get to Lane Cove National Park by car, but it is possible by public transport as well.

Driving

If you’re driving in, you’ll need to pay an $8 per vehicle entry fee (regardless of how many people are inside the car). If you have a season pass for NSW National Parks, then your parking fee is covered by this.

Public transport

The nearest train stations are Roseville and Chatswood. If you’re taking the train, we recommend going to Roseville as the walk from there is a bit nicer. You can walk along Shirley Road to where it meets a walking track. That will take you along Blue Gum Creek path to Lady Game Drive where the entrance to the national park is. It’ll add about 800m to each end of the walk.

Alternatively, you can take the 256 or 516 bus from Chatswood and walk into the park.

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