Saltwater Beach and its surrounds are a cultural landscape of great importance to the local Aboriginal Biripi tribe. There are several sites related to the Dreamtime within the park, and the area is declared an Aboriginal Place. Joint management with Aboriginal people and local residents, in association with Saltwater Tribal Council and NPWS, gives this park special local importance. 

Parts of the park are listed as endangered ecological communities and there are a number of rare and lovely plant species to be spotted here. Keep your eyes out on the walking tracks for magenta lilly pilly, a small tree with dark shiny leaves, magenta-coloured fruit and white-flowered wax plant. Pink-flowering pinnate boronia, and the golden flowers of the wallum banksia, among others, can all be seen in Saltwater National Park. The park also supports many marine-dependant species, such as the white-bellied sea eagle, as well as endangered or vulnerable species including the pied oystercatcher, little tern, the flesh-footed shearwater and osprey.

Saltwater Beach's headland is a highly popular surfing point break used for recreational surfing, as well as club and competition surf events. Take a stroll through a rainforest walking track, and be sure to do a spot of whale watching at Saltwater Point. The adjacent Saltwater Beach and Wallabi Beach are popular surfing and swimming areas.

Saltwater headland, which separates Wallabi Beach and Saltwater Beach, is one of only three headlands between Wallis Lake and the Manning River. Khappinghat Creek, which borders the park, is the largest area of undeveloped wetlands and the only naturally opening and closing estuarine system on the mid-north coast of NSW.