Parking
Flat Rock Creek Carpark, just west of Flat Rock Creek bridge on Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, about 6.6 km south of Audley.
Overview
About Flat Rock Creek Walk
Why go
- A short, marked path to a red sandstone creek bed
- Shallow pools and small cascades in a bush setting
Heads up
- Only 300 m return, so it is a brief stop
- High water and wet rock can complicate the walk after rain
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 Flat Rock Creek Walk, 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
Flat Rock Creek’s Red Sandstone0:00 / 0:22
“Flat Rock Creek's walking access is coming up, for a quick look at a red sandstone creek bed dotted with shallow pools and small cascades.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Royal Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- One Bird, Many Voices
- Who Scribbled on the Gums?
- Mount Bass Trail to Winifred Falls
- The Sundew’s Sticky Trap
- 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 Flat Rock Creek Walk
A quick creek walkFlat Rock Creek Walk is a 300 m out-and-back from Flat Rock Creek Carpark to the creek and back.
Flat Rock Creek Walk is a 300 m out-and-back from Flat Rock Creek Carpark to the creek and back. A signed, well-defined path descends gently through dry sclerophyll forest and over sandstone to a flat, red-hued creek bed. Allow about 15 minutes. It is a quick creek stop rather than a substantial bushwalk. The distance counts both legs; the mapped line follows the track one way.
The creek bedShallow pools and small cascades punctuate the sandstone bed, which stands out against the…
Shallow pools and small cascades punctuate the sandstone bed, which stands out against the water and surrounding bush. The approach passes weathered rock formations, and native wildflowers may appear in spring. After rain, higher water can make the walk impassable and wet sandstone can be slippery.
Start and returnPark at Flat Rock Creek Carpark, just west of Flat Rock Creek bridge on Sir Bertram Stevens…
Park at Flat Rock Creek Carpark, just west of Flat Rock Creek bridge on Sir Bertram Stevens Drive, about 6.6 km south of Audley. Follow the marked path down to the creek, then return the same way. Dogs and other domestic pets are not permitted in NSW national parks.
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.
