If you are like me and want to keep fit and healthy while spending quality time with your family, there’s no better way to do it than hiking. Hiking is low impact and exercises the entire body, plus it can help your family sleep better at night (and who doesn’t want peace and quiet from the kids to unwind at the end of a long day?)
Here are a few of my favourite hiking trails in and around Sydney.
5 Family Friendly Hiking Around Sydney
+ The Royal National Park
There are exceptional bushwalking and hiking areas that you can access with the whole family, with a short ferry ride to Royal National Park. Experience the gorgeous rainforest and heathland areas that cover over 150km of ground! What is fantastic about the Royal National Park is the variety of choice: there are 10 walks, which range from amateur to advanced distances. Bring plenty of water and nibbles, however; many of the walks have such stunning landscape, it will have you dawdling along the track!
+ Cronulla Beach Walk
Not far from the Royal National Park is the Cronulla beach walk. This track is a lot easier than the RNP, but can take up to an hour and a half to complete. You will be rewarded for your efforts though: this walk winds past beautiful cliff areas and views. Of course, if you would rather make your way back to the beach on a nice warm day, be sure to wax up your family’s surfing fins and enjoy catching some waves! There are also plenty of nearby restaurants to grab a bite for lunch.
If you can’t get enough of coastal hikes, I suggest taking on the Bondi to Bronte coastal walk. It combines beach and park views with a medium incline, which most fitness abilities can achieve. You will be rewarded at Bronte Beach, with great beachside parks and kiosks. There is also a fantastic strip of shops alongside the beach to grab a coffee or cold drink.
+ Katoomba
Katoomba is a beautiful area all year round, and with so many parks and trails to choose from the list is endless! One trail I would definitely recommend for the whole family is the Leura Forest return. This walk winds down a gorgeous valley and leads to a perfect area where you can share a lunchtime picnic with the family. The forest areas offer stunning wildlife and native plants to capture a photo of and is so close to the renowned Echo point that harbours fabulous lookouts.
+ Royal Botanical Gardens
If you’ve had enough of the arduous hike-talk, then take advantage of the picturesque Royal Botanical Gardens stroll right in the heart of Sydney. Full of unique Australian flora, the views are a delight with the Opera house, Harbour Bridge and visionary waters just moments away at the Parks Eastern side. The whole family will definitely love the experience so much – it will hardly seem like exercise at all!
Next time you have a weekend with your family, make sure to tackle one of these hiking trails around Sydney. Not only will you get a great workout, but you’ll get to spend a beautiful day with your equally beautiful family.
