Bradleys Head Loop
GPX route · Path & bush
What to expect
A breezy harbour-headland loop from the Taronga Zoo wharf around Bradleys Head, with the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the city skyline across the water for most of the way. From the wharf you climb to the zoo road, then drop into Sydney Harbour National Park and follow the Athol Bay foreshore under towering angophoras and blue gums, passing heritage Athol Hall and the small cove at Athol Beach. The point itself is the reward: the HMAS Sydney mast, an old stone speed-trial column, a tiny 1905 lighthouse on its own footbridge, and a 180-degree sweep from the Heads to the Bridge. It runs easy and mostly gentle on a mix of sealed path, boardwalk and dirt track, with a few steep stair sections, and it is one of the best city views you can string a run around. Watch for kookaburras and brush turkeys in the forest.
Getting there
The classic way in is the ferry. From Circular Quay it is a 12 minute ride to the Taronga Zoo wharf, running every half hour and more often on weekends, with an Opal card. The track starts on the road just up from the wharf, opposite the zoo’s lower gate. By car there is a small national park car park at Bradleys Head for 8 dollars a day, but the spaces are few and the ferry is a far nicer arrival, so leave the car if you can. The 238 bus also reaches the wharf from Balmoral. It is roughly two and a half hours from Newcastle by road, but this is a route to pair with a day in the city and arrive by boat.
Conditions
Good year-round, and a rare run that works in any season since it sits low, shaded and close to the water. The dirt sections turn muddy and the stone steps get slippery for a day or two after rain, so save it for a dry spell or wear grippy shoes. It is a popular track shared with walkers and tourists, busiest near the wharf and the point, so an early start gives you the path and the morning light with far fewer people. The park is open sunrise to sunset and can close in poor weather or fire danger. Phone reception is good, with cafes and toilets at Athol Hall and the wharf, so you are never far from help.
From the trail
