Marley Track (12km)

This walk through the Royal National Park is a quiet circuit that takes you from bushland to coastline, with plenty of opportunities to enjoy waterfalls, beaches, and secluded swimming spots. Starting from the car park on the northern side of Bundeena Drive, around 1.7 km east of Mainbar Road, the trail begins by crossing the road and heading into the scrub between two posts marked with an arrow. A short way in, you’ll pass a sign for the Marley Track and begin a gentle descent into denser bush.

The path narrows as it winds downhill, passing a few rock platforms and an old concrete pipe marked with white spray-painted arrows. Not far from here, you’ll reach Deer Pool, a peaceful spot where a small waterfall spills into a sandy-bottomed pool, fed by Marley Creek. This creek flows on to Marley Lagoon, behind Big Marley Beach. Once popular with deer in the park’s earlier days, this is now a tranquil place to rest or take a refreshing dip. While a sign mentions that camping is allowed with a permit, permits are no longer issued for this site.

From Deer Pool, the track climbs southeast through thick scrub, following white painted dashes on the rock to a rocky platform and eventually reaching a ridgeline. Turning left at the intersection, you’ll follow a wide management trail downhill, with views over Marley Lagoon appearing through the trees. As the trail reaches a clearing, a narrow bush track continues across the open space and heads toward the coast, joining the Coast Track at a ‘T’ intersection.

Here, turning left leads you toward Big Marley Beach. The track descends steeply down a rough section to the beach, a 400 metre arc of soft yellow sand backed by extensive dunes. Behind the dunes lies Marley Lagoon, nourished by the same creek that feeds Deer Pool. The beach isn’t patrolled and has no facilities, so it’s best approached with a bit of care and preparation.

Returning from the beach, the trail follows the cliffs southward, winding down to Little Marley Beach. At 140 metres long, this smaller beach faces northeast and is tucked between rocky platforms at each end. Like Big Marley, it offers a wild, remote feel, free from crowds or infrastructure.

From Little Marley, the path climbs back up to the clifftop and follows the rugged coastline, occasionally crossing metal footbridges and exposed rocky shelves. This section offers glimpses of the ocean between thick stretches of scrub before reaching another signposted intersection with the Coast Track. A short detour from here brings you to Wattamolla Dam, a shallow sandstone-lined pool along Wattamolla Creek. It’s a great spot to cool off on a warm day, shaded and generally quiet.

Back on the main loop, the return route turns north-west, descending gently along a spur before crossing a saddle and re-entering the bush. The track continues to a junction with a wider trail, which twists east through dense, low-growing scrub and eventually returns to the Deer Pool track. The final section retraces your earlier path, climbing steadily past rock platforms and the old pipe before reaching the original sign for the Marley Track near Bundeena Drive. The car park sits just across the road, closing the loop on a walk that blends coastal beauty with secluded bushland, and offers the chance for a quiet swim, sweeping views, and a sense of solitude within one of Australia’s oldest national parks.