11 best secluded picnic spots in Sydney
by ling and jace
home / back to australia
‘Sydney’ is located on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Traditional Owners.
Our picnic baskets are packed at the very first hint of spring. Over the last few weeks we’ve found some of the best secluded spots.
We’ve included picnic locations both inside Sydney and out in the nearby national parks. Some are at the start of beautiful hiking trails and others are best for ocean and harbour views.
Hawkesbury River, Cattai National Park
Distance from Sydney: 1 hours’ drive
Our ideal picnic is at sunset on the river, surrounded by kangaroos. Cattai National Park is the first place that we’d recommend for this. It’s the best spot for a quiet and hidden afternoon picnic, away from the city.
The national park is filled with kangaroos which head out onto the fields near the main entrance (via Caddie Road) in the late afternoon. The road winds through most of the national park as well, so you can stop along the way before heading down towards the Cattai picnic and campgrounds, next to the Hawkesbury River.
When you get to the end of the road near the river, you’ll find a picnic area and parking. There is a wharf hidden along the riverfront which is our favourite place to set up for a secret picnic.
MAP HERE
Picnic at Cattai National Park, on the Hawkesbury River
Wattamolla Beach, Royal National Park
Distance from Sydney: 1 hours’ drive
The falls over Wattamolla Beach make for a beautiful picnic backdrop.
Wattamolla Beach gets crowded on most weekends, but we couldn’t leave it off the list as it’s one of the most unique spots just outside of Sydney. If you’re able to get out of the city early or on a week day, you’ll be lucky enough to find Wattamolla Beach—and most of the Royal National Park—completely empty.
To get there, drive to the Wattamolla parking area, and then it’s a short walk down to the water, across a stream and onto the beach.
MAP HERE
After the picnic, Wattamolla is also the perfect place to start the Royal National Park’s Coast Track—we’d really recommend walking the 4km track to Curracurrong Falls, which run over the cliffs and into the sea. The track is mostly a boardwalk, so it’s easy and very comfortable, on top of being an incredibly scenic coastal walk. We’ve put up our full guide about hiking from Wattamolla to Curracurrong Falls here.
Picnic at Wattamolla Beach, Royal National Park
Clifton Gardens Wharf, Chowder Bay
Distance from Sydney: 30 minutes’ drive
Chowder Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches in Sydney owing to its exceptionally clear water. There’s a cute yellow hut at the end of the wharf which would be the ideal place for a hidden picnic.
You can either stay on the beach or wharf in Chowder Bay, or follow the Taylors Bay Track into the bush and around the coast to find even more secluded, smaller beaches in the area.
MAP HERE
Rocky Point Island and Balmoral Beach
Distance from Sydney: 30 minutes’ drive
Rocky Point Island is perfect for a secluded picnic by the sea. It looks over Sydney’s Balmoral Beach and Edwards Beach. We’d recommend going at sunset—even though you won’t see the sun setting from here, the sky always turns pink over the water.
There is paid street parking in the area and it’s a very short walk onto Rocky Point Island.
MAP HERE
Picnic at Rocky Point Island
Station Beach
Distance from Sydney: 1.5 hours’ drive
Palm Beach is usually very popular, but there are more secluded spots tucked away on the other side of the split, towards the end of Station Beach.
Pick up food from the Boathouse and head down to the end of Station Beach to find a secluded picnic spot.
If you go at the right time of year and know where to find them, you can also follow a hidden trail around Barranjoey Head to a colony of seals. Our post about secluded walks in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park has more details about spotting them.
MAP HERE
Picnic next to seals, Barranjoey Head and Station Beach
Resolute Picnic area, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Distance from Sydney: 50 minutes’ drive.
Resolute Picnic area sits within Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, surrounded by beautiful trails and Australian native plants. There is parking at the picnic area itself, which has been set up with private benches so you can enjoy your picnic. We’d recommend eating here and then choosing one of the nearby tracks for a hike, or just carrying what you can down through the trails and setting up in a hidden spot on the sand.
There are so many beautiful trails leading from this area, including to a view over Mackerel Beach, and hikes going down to the Basin and other secluded beaches along the coast. We’ve put up a full post with our favourite 1 day walks in the area here.
MAP HERE
Hike after Resolute Picnic Area
Clontarf Beach
Distance from Sydney: 30 minutes’ drive
Clontarf Beach has always been one of our favourite beaches while growing up in Sydney, especially because it’s sheltered and the water is always very calm. The area is getting more and more crowded, but you can usually find a secluded picnic spot during the week.
If you follow this map and walk to the very end of Clontarf Point, there is a staircase and short trail which leads to the more hidden beaches along the headland.
MAP HERE
Mount Annan
Distance from Sydney: 50 minutes’ drive
The Australian Botanic Garden at Mount Annan is a huge area with plenty of space for a secluded picnic if you’re closer to southwestern Sydney. We’d recommend visiting in late September or early October when the park, and especially the paper daisies, are in bloom. If the main gardens are crowded, just keep driving around the hills, and there are usually smaller pockets of flowers by the side of the road.
MAP HERE
Bullimah Beach, Bouddi National Park
Distance from Sydney: 1 hours’ drive
Bullimah Beach is a tiny stretch along the coastal walk in Bouddi National Park that’s perfect for a secluded picnic. If you’re looking to get out of the city for a day, we couldn’t recommend this place more.
To get to Bullimah Beach, park at Putty Beach campground and follow the Bouddi coastal walk for around 1km. After about 15 minutes, you will come to a fork—if you take the path to the right you’ll end up on the boardwalk right over Bullimah Beach itself, which you can follow all the way down onto the sand.
The rock formations along the coast are surreal, and once you get on to Bullimah Beach, you’ll find some hidden rock coves that you can set up in, right by the water.
MAP HERE
Bennelong Lawn, Royal Botanic Gardens
Location: Sydney Harbour
For an iconic Sydney Harbour backdrop for your picnic, the Royal Botanic Garden is the best place to head for views of both the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. The entire garden along the waterfront is beautiful, and Bennelong Lawn has the best views.
MAP HERE
Brooklyn
Distance from Sydney: 50 minutes’ drive
After a day of hiking in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, we found the best spot for a secluded picnic thanks to a wrong turn. Kangaroo Point is on the Hawkesbury river near Brooklyn.
If you’re to the north of Sydney and planning a day in the area, we’d recommend hiking along part of the Great North Walk in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park before coming here to set up here for a sunset picnic. Our post about secluded 1-day hikes in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park has details of the best short hike nearby, which leads to Jerusalem Bay.
MAP HERE
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