Lillypilly loop trail
Wyrrabalong National Park
Overview
The easy Lillypilly loop trail is a lovely rainforest walk on the NSW Central Coast. Enjoy birdwatching and scenic views over Tuggerah Lakes.
- Accessibility
- Hard
- Distance
- 3.5km loop
- Time suggested
- 1hr 15min - 1hr 45min
- Grade
- Grade 3
- What to
bring - Drinking water, hat, sunscreen
- Please note
You can link this trail with the Burrawang track and the Red gum trail to make a longer walk.
The splendid Lillypilly loop trail allows you to experience the Central Coast’s largest remaining stand of coastal or ‘littoral’ rainforest - you won’t help but be impressed.
Gaze at the canopy of towering corkwoods, cabbage tree palms and tuckeroos, and be treated to views over important wetlands bordering Tuggerah Lakes along this easy walk. Check out the burrawangs and lush, vine-covered vegetation as you advance along the sandy track. And watch for birds and butterflies – you might even spot a white bellied sea eagle nest.
Countless photo opportunities await you along this picturesque track, so it’s a good idea to keep your camera handy. Join up with Red gum trail for a longer walk and be sure to drive up the road to Pelican Beach Road lookout when you're finished to cool off with a swim.
Map
Map legend
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/lillypilly-loop-trail/local-alerts
General enquiries
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Park info
- in Wyrrabalong National Park in the Sydney and surrounds region
Wyrrabalong National Park is open from 5.30am to 8pm during daylight saving and 5.30am to 6pm rest of year.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Lillypilly loop trail.
Track grading
Features of this track
Distance
3.5km loop
Time
1hr 15min - 1hr 45min
Quality of markings
Clearly sign posted
Experience required
Some bushwalking experience recommended
Steps
Occasional steps
Gradient
Very steep: The start of the track at the southern end of the loop is a steep uphill for around 300m. It then levels out towards the lake.
After passing the lake, the western end of the loop the track is has gentle hills. The section of the track that splits off to Red Gum trail slopes back downhill gradually to the carpark.
Quality of path
Formed track: The track is 4m wide and hard-packed ground combined with rubber canvas (conveyor belt) material to support the surface of the track. The rubber canvas material can be slippery.
There are protruding tree roots at points throughout the track.
Other barriers
Gates: There's a vehicle gate along the track. The gate has pedestrian access.
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
Lillypilly loop trail is in the northern section of Wyrrabalong National Park.
To get there:
Travel north along Wilfred Barnett Drive from The Entrance
After about 7km, you'll see a small carpark on your left, approximately 1.5km past Magenta Shores Golf Course.
Parking
There's an informal hard-packed ground parking area just of the main road at the beginning of the Lillypilly loop trail.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Wyrrabalong National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Spring
A spring visit allows you to see gorgeous wildflower displays as you walk through the park.
Summer
It's summertime and the water's great – visit to surf, swim or snorkel in the park's superb beaches and it's a great time of year to fish for prawns and blue swimmer crabs at Tuggerah Lake.
Winter
Head to Wyrrabalong or Crackneck lookouts – these high headlands are perfect posts for watching whales on their northern migration.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
20°C and 25°C
Highest recorded
42.4°C
Winter temperature
Average
10°C and 17°C
Lowest recorded
3.4°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
February
Driest month
August
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
246mm
Facilities
Step-free access
Starting at the southern end of the loop track, it begins steeply uphill for about 300m then levels out towards the lake. Past the lake along the western end of the loop the track is undulating and the section that can split off to Red Gum and Burrawang slopes back downhill gradually to the carpark area. The section with conveyor belt materials can be slippery and a path has been worn into the environment off to the side to avoid. Throughout the track there are protruding tree roots which need to be navigated. vehicle gates with pedestrian access available.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - hard
- The loop trail is 4m wide and made of hard-packed ground mixed with rubber canvas to support the track. The rubber canvas material can be slippery.
- There's a gate along the track, which has pedestrian access.
- At the start of the southern end of the loop, the track goes steeply uphill for 300m. It then levels out towards the lake and has gentle hills.
- The section of the track that splits off to Red Gum trail slopes back downhill gradually to the carpark.
Prohibited
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Learn more
Lillypilly loop trail is in Wyrrabalong National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Aboriginal culture
North Wyrrabalong forms part of traditional Country of the Awabakal People, with south Wyrrabalong (cut off from the north by The Entrance channel) being Darkinjung Country. The park has a rich Aboriginal history and protects many significant cultural sites, including an extensive midden at Pelican Point. You can take a guided tour with Nyanga Walang to find out more about local Darkinjung history.
- Wyrrabalong Aboriginal cultural tour Walk alongside an Aboriginal guide in Wyrrabalong National Park and learn about the plants, animals and landscape while listening to cultural stories.
Red gum forest
The northern section of Wyrrabalong National Park protects the largest stand of Sydney red gums, or Angophoras, on the Central Coast. Explore the red gum forest and enjoy the shade of these magnificent native trees along the Red Gum trail in north Wyrrabalong. See how the forest changes depending on the season – trunks change from orange in summer to pinkish-grey in winter. Visit around December to see the trees adorned with white flowers, and spot honeyeaters in the branches in wintertime. The park is also an important haven for a variety of wildlife, including a number of threatened migratory birds that visit the coastal strip between Forresters Beach and Blue Lagoon in the park’s southern section. There’s even a population of marine turtles in Tuggerah Lake – if you’re lucky, you might see a loggerhead turtle; they have a large head in proportion to the rest of its body.
- Lillypilly loop trail The easy Lillypilly loop trail is a lovely rainforest walk on the NSW Central Coast. Enjoy birdwatching and scenic views over Tuggerah Lakes.
- Pelican Beach Road lookout Pelican Beach Road lookout offers scenic views over The Entrance and Pelican Beach and is a great spot for whale watching. The beach is popular for fishing and surfing.
- Wyrrabalong Aboriginal cultural tour Walk alongside an Aboriginal guide in Wyrrabalong National Park and learn about the plants, animals and landscape while listening to cultural stories.
Whale watching
The park's spectacular coastal lookouts - both north and south - are ideal vantage points for whale watchers. Bring your binoculars to Crackneck Point lookout in whale watching season and prepare to be astounded. Whales are frequently seen breaching and tail-slapping nearby. And watch for the blow as they surface for air - there's really nothing like it.
- Tandem paragliding on the NSW Central Coast Take a tandem flight with Cloudbase Paragliding and be treated to a stunning bird’s eye view of Wyrrabalong National Park on the NSW Central Coast.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
-
Australian pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)
The curious pelican is Australia’s largest flying bird and has the longest bill of any bird in the world. These Australian birds are found throughout Australian waterways and the pelican uses its throat pouch to trawl for fish. Pelicans breed all year round, congregating in large colonies on secluded beaches and islands.
-
Brown-striped frog (Lymnastes peronii)
One of the most common frogs found in Australia, the ground-dwelling brown-striped frog lives in ponds, dams and swamps along the east coast. Also known as the striped marsh frog, this amphibian grows to 6.5cm across and has a distinctive ‘tok’ call that can be heard all year round.
Plants
-
Cabbage palm (Livistona australis)
With glossy green leaves spanning 3-4m in length and a trunk reaching a height of up to 30m, the cabbage tree palm, or fan palm, is one of the tallest Australian native plants. Thriving in rainforest margins along the east coast of NSW, in summer this giant palm produces striking spikes of cream flowers which resemble cabbages.
-
Old man banksia (Banksia serrata)
Hardy Australian native plants, old man banksias can be found along the coast, and in the dry sclerophyll forests and sandstone mountain ranges of NSW. With roughened bark and gnarled limbs, they produce a distinctive cylindrical yellow-green banksia flower which blossoms from summer to early autumn.