If you are thinking about starting bushwalking and a total beginner, it can be a little intimidating to take off into the wilderness – that’s why we created this easy trails guide! Bushwalking for beginners can be a little intimidating, but we’ve made it simple for you. The most important thing is having a reasonable ability to be able to walk and know where to go, that’s where we can help. Bushwalking allows you to restore and reset if life has been a little stressful lately, get some exercise and immerse yourself in nature – even beginners will get all of these benefits and more. Our easy trails guides’ will give you all the essential tips and tricks for beginners to ensure a safe and fun bushwalk.
Wollongong and the surrounding area boasts a huge range of beautiful environments making this special region perfect for exploring on foot. A selection of local Illawarra easy trails including bushwalking and parks suitable for families, beginner bushwalkers and those with reduced mobility. Here we introduce the best walks for visitors and residents alike, ranging from waterfall rainforest walks to leisurely urban strolls. Detailed descriptions and maps assist with guidance to parks, bushland, waterfalls and interesting urban nature areas. In all easy trails guides’ we provide a summary of the walks including distances, facilities and highlights to help you find the right bushwalk for you!
These easy trails guides’ are ideal for the following…!
- Beginners
- Anyone who is cautious about navigation that requires an easy to follow trail
- Those with reduced fitness levels
- Plenty of signage or easy navigation
- Not too steep, not too many stairs
- Great for families and younger kids
Cascades Trail, Macquarie Pass National Park
Enjoy one of Wollongong’s most suitable walks for beginners and those with limited fitness. This walk a beautiful stroll through lush rainforest and close to a beautiful stream. Enjoy the flora and fauna, with the reward of the beautiful cascades at the end of the walk.
Bradford Breaker Trail, Mt Kembla
The trail is essentially a service road converted to a walker friendly gravel trail. The trail is marked as 1.2km long with an easy consistent ascent. It’s definitely graded as an easy walk, it is a suitable trail for a 4WD pram and I would say a good walk to take the smaller toddlers on to get them out of the house and get used to the idea of bush walking .
Madden’s Falls, Dharawal National Park
- Scenic waterfall
- Beautiful heath and woodland with lots of birds
- A lower grade walk that is reasonably flat with mostly boardwalks, suitable for families
Nellie’s Glen, Budderoo National Park
A great spot for the whole family and options to really expand the walks to a full day of adventure and exploration. The trails are well marked and there are close by adventures in and around Nellie’s Glen including; Blue Pool, Missingham Lookouts and Carrington falls.
Mangerton reserve is a small reserve hiding an abundance of birds both big and small. The tracks are still very well defined so it’s good to see the locals are getting out and about enjoying this little oasis so close to the CBD of Wollongong. A little creek runs through the middle and I was lucky enough to see a log full of fungus.
Illawarra Rhododendron Gardens
Not always does our physical mobility give us the luxury of escaping deep into the bush of the escarpment, thankfully Wollongong shares a beautiful garden that fuses native bushland with a majestic botanically rich garden. The Illawarra Rhododendron Garden enjoys a luscious location where the rainforest from the Northern Mt Keira, gracefully merges with blooms, ponds, nested gazebos and interesting indigenous species.
Waterfalls continue to mesmerise the generations. When you can easily reach them and take in all the glory, sometimes it can be even more special for when you need a quick little ‘waterfall hit’. Take a tiny adventure to waterfalls that pack a big punch, don’t let the distance from the carpark deter you from these beauties.