Parking
Start at Curra Moors Carpark off Sir Bertram Stevens Drive; parking can be busy on weekends. A one-way hike needs a pickup at Garie Beach.
Overview
About Curra Moors to Garie Beach
Why go
- A full heath-to-coast change in a half-day walk
- Spring flowers brighten the heath before the coastal stretch
Heads up
- Rough, uneven footing on a hard-grade route
- Carry your own drinking water
Map & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Royal alerts
- ClosureOvernight closures for deer-control operationsSpecified areas of Royal National Park are closed between sunset and sunrise from Monday to Thursday, excluding school holidays, through 18 December 2026 so NPWS can carry out deer-control operations.Official details
- ClosureUnauthorised trail between East Heathcote and Waterfall closedThe unauthorised trail between East Heathcote and Waterfall is formally and physically closed; access is not permitted.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Royal Tour Guide
Your drive to Curra Moors to Garie Beach, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Royal National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Curra Moors Heath and Coastal Loop0:00 / 0:28
“You're coming up on the Curra Moors trailhead, for a loop through woodland and open heath to the coastal cliffs near Curracurrong Falls.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Royal Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Governor Game Lookout and Spring Heath
- Garie Beach and Its Surf Lifesavers
- Wallumarra Track to Bola Creek
- A Wallaby in the Undergrowth
- 43 audio storiesacross Royal’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Humpback Whale, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Koala, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 69 trails, 58 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Curra Moors to Garie Beach
A heath-to-coast return walkCurra Moors to Garie Beach is a 9 km out-and-back, about 4.
Curra Moors to Garie Beach is a 9 km out-and-back, about 4.5 km each way, from Curra Moors Carpark. Allow 3 to 4 hours for the rough track, the beach and the return. Pick it for the change from low heath to open coast; if you can arrange a pickup at Garie, the one-way walk cuts the distance in half. This is separate from the 10 km Curra Moors Loop.
Across the moorsThe path leaves the carpark through low coastal heath and scrub, where banksias and hakeas…
The path leaves the carpark through low coastal heath and scrub, where banksias and hakeas flower in spring. Follow Curra Moors Track to the southern branch on Curra Moors Track South, then continue onto the Coast Track. The route gradually drops toward the shoreline; rock shelves are where the ocean views open up. At the junction, keep to the southbound connection toward Garie rather than following the full loop back inland.
Garie BeachThe walk ends at a broad sandy beach beneath steep headlands and deep gullies.
The walk ends at a broad sandy beach beneath steep headlands and deep gullies. Retrace the same path to return to Curra Moors. If you stop for a photo, frame the sweep of sand with the headlands behind it; that shows the shape of the cove better than a close shot of the water.
What to plan forThis is a hard, Grade 4 walk with uneven track, sand and exposed rock shelves.
This is a hard, Grade 4 walk with uneven track, sand and exposed rock shelves. Bring all your drinking water; no reliable refill is listed along the route. Curra Moors Carpark is off Sir Bertram Stevens Drive and can be busy on weekends. Pets are prohibited in Royal National Park.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Royal
56 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
68 sightingsWhite-bellied Sea-EagleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
12 sightingsKoalaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
33 sightingsJavan RusaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
69 sightingsShort-beaked EchidnaMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
11 sightingsRed FoxMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Royal. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
