Located just outside of the Greater Sydney area, the Figure Eight Pools is one of the most popular hikes in the area. People come from all over to take a picture with the uniquely-shaped pools.
The normal hike for the Figure Eight Pools heads through the dense rainforest of the national park. Due to ongoing maintenance of the track, it’s currently closed throughout some days of the week.
The park rangers explained this Coast Track to the Figure Eight Pools was more beautiful than Garrawarra Ridge. Although I haven’t done the first walk, I agree this coastal route is completely stunning, and worth it the extra distance.
The Coast Track to the Figure Eight Pools heads over hills, along the beach and through enchanting forests before reaching the Burning Palms Beach. Atop of the hills, there’s nearly 360-degree views of the surrounding area, and if you pick a good time of day to do the hike, it might be quiet too.
Attempting an overnight hike? Check out my overnight hike packing list to stock up on everything you may need.
Table of Contents
Getting There
As the Figure Eight Pools is along the coast, hikers have to go deep into the Royal National Park to reach this park. Thankfully the roads are pretty well-maintained and it’s easy to reach. The Coast Track to the Figure Eight Pools begins at Garie Beach carpark. Garie Beach is about 60 kilometres from Sydney, or an hour drive.
Park-use fees apply here, and can be purchased in the parking lot or at road stops before arriving. Fees are A$12 per vehicle per day or seasons passes can be purchased.
At the parking lot there’s also toilets and showers available, along with picnic tables and other benches. The parking lot can get full quick as people also head there for fishing, surfing and sightseeing. It’s best to arrive early to avoid missing out on parking.
About the Coast Track to the Figure Eight Pools
The Figure Eight Pools can get really busy, sometimes with hundreds of people waiting to take a photo in the pool. It’s good to arrive early to do the hike, but remember to only do the track during a low tide.
When doing the track, I started at about 8 a.m., my partner and I were the first and only ones at the Figure Eight Pools for the morning. But on the way back there were bigger groups heading there.
For route times, the Coast Track to the Figure Eight Pools from Garie Beach is 9 km and takes over two hours each way. It’s a bit longer than the track from Garrawarra Farm carpark at 6 km, for about the same time span.
NSW National Parks is very open about accidents on the track and how difficult it is. I was able to do the track in a shorter time span than recommended, but it’s better to anticipate a slower journey rather than creating a hazard for the trip. The best time to do this hike depends on tide times. Don’t attempt to do the hike any other time. See additional safety information below.
Safety
Before attempting the Figure Eight Pools hike, it’s important to be prepared. There’s many accidents that take place on the track, and after doing the hike I can understand why. It’s only possible to do this hike during low tide and should never be attempted any other time. This means research, bring the right gear and keep an eye on the time so you know when to leave.
The hike itself is difficult. Bring lots of water, snack, sunscreen and apply it regularly. It’s best to wear proper hiking boots to do this hike, though many people do it in runners or track shoes.
The problem with the walking path, is that it goes over the rock shelf for a few kilometres. This is walking over rocks, and a slippery rock path, no matter if it’s low tide or not.
There’s no rescue services around and limited cellphone service. It’s better to be over prepared than hurting yourself, so bring a backpack and get ready for a long hike. Other things that are good to bring are extra clothes, bathing suit, towel and thongs (if entering the water).
For more details on safety information about the trail, including tide times, check out NSW Park’s page on the Figure Eight Pools.
What to Expect on the Track
After all of the preparations, this section is dedicated directly to what hikers can expect on the track. The Coast Track beginning at Garie Beach starts by wrapping around the beach towards Little Garie Beach. Because the tide splashes up, the track can get a bit muddy, but it’s well-maintained and easy to navigate.
At Little Garie Beach, the track leads up over the hill and through the tiny cabins located close to the beach. There are arrows pointing in the direction of the trail so if it’s not easy to get lost. The track continues up to the top of the hill with a well-built rock path with drains for when it rains.
Atop this first hill, there’s incredible views overlooking both where the trail continues and where you just came from. On a sunny day the ocean is sparkling and blue, likely with surfers in the water below. There’s a bench at the top of the hill which is a good place to stop for water before heading down the hill.
If you’re there early in the morning you may see campers packing up at North Era campground. This site is frequented by hikers doing the multi-day Coast Track. Here the track continues over the beach then up onto the next hill over Mid Era Point. Again there’s almost 360-degree views on the top of the hill looking out over the ocean and forest around. There’s more tiny cabins as the track leads down to Era Beach.
Heading over the beach and Era Gully, the track goes up into the forest past more cabins. Hikers are left walking through a wide and long pasture-like part of the track before hitting more views of the area on the boardwalk.
This is where the track meets up with the Garrawarra Ridge link-up trail, to the Garrawarra Farm parking lot—which may or may not be accessible.
Going down again, this is the final descent for this part of the trail, which heads into the Burning Palms Beach and the dense rainforest before it. During this portion of the track, it’s mostly well-marked and maintained. Either way it’s easy to get down to the beach and head towards the beginning of the rock shelf to the Figure Eight Pools.
The Figure Eight Pools aren’t on the first portion of the rock shelf—sadly. This is when it gets extra difficult walking along the rocks for about a kilometre. The actual Coast Track veers off from the Burning Palms Beach at this point, so it’s important to follow signs towards the Figure Eight Pools.
Attempting an overnight hike? Check out my overnight hike packing list to stock up on everything you may need.
After escaping possible death on the cliff face, continue along the rock shelf as it wraps around the coast. This is when it’s good to have a fully-charged phone, because even without cellphone service, it’s possible to see your location on a navigation app. Use this to know about the right location of the Figure Eight Pools.
Finally see multiple Figure Eight Pools on the rock shelf, the biggest is the one most people take photos in. Although there’s lots of different pools in the area which are fun to explore. Just remember to take out what you bring, don’t leave any rubbish around the area!
This is a great stop before heading towards Melbourne on the coastal route, check out my complete road trip guide from Melbourne to Sydney for more information!
