I'm obsessed with finding secret swimming holes. These are my favourite spots near Sydney
As summer springs and crowds of people compete for parking (and precious towel-estate) at the beach, in the know Sydneysiders slink off to these intrepid locations.
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'Wild swimming' is basically just a fancy way of saying 'swimming.'
Nonetheless, going for a dip au natural (in nature, not in the nuddy) is taking off in popularity, with everyone from your ocean swimming aunt to your ice bath pumping podcast bro changing into their skivvies and downloading AllTrails.
If you want to join the parade, and swim in something a little different this summer, read this list. From waterfalls in Sydney's south to Blue Mountains clifftop clutches (to coastal infinity pools that will make you swoon), there's a little something for everyone (and their Instagram) to enjoy.
I've been to most places on this list (except one or two of the super secret ones, which are still on my bucket list) and more, all over the last 3-4 years. Here are my favourites (plus a couple I'm waiting on a more experienced bushwalking mate to show me around to).
Warning: You may see these spots on Instagram but the reality of getting to them can be serious business. With a potentially brutal summer ahead of us, our emergency services are going to be stretched as it is, so don't add to their load by making an uneducated decision about where you venture off for a swim this summer.
Figure 8 Pools, Lilyvale
One of the most iconic swimming holes in Sydney, The Figure 8 Pools are a spectacular infinity shaped natural rock pool, just metres from the ocean, on a rock shelf in the Royal National Park just an hour south of Sydney.
Drive time from Sydney
One hour 15 minutes.
Accessible via public transport
No.
Hike time
Either three and a half hours or five hours, depending on whether you take the long or the short route (and how fit you are).
How to get there
If you want a longer walk, drive to Garie Beach in the Royal National Park, just south of Sydney, and walk along the coastal track from there (if you do this it's about 5km each way).
If you want to take the shorter option, start the walk at Garawarra Farm carpark, off Garie Road. If you do it this way, it's 3km each way.
Safety considerations
People have had to be winched out of here by helicopter after being injured by waves dashing them on the rocks. Getting in and out is very difficult for emergency services (there's no road nearby). You also run the risk of being sucked out to sea and drowned if you get caught out by a wave. There is also very little phone reception. Finally, since the heavy rains of the last few years the road to Garie beach has been closed for repairs after a landslide, and parts of the coastal track have been closed. So check the national parks website to confirm if your intended route is open before visiting. Most importantly, check the wave and tide forecast, and don't go unless it is a flat day (and even then, coincide your arrival at The Figure 8 Pools with low tide).
Fortress Creek Falls, Blue Mountains
A secret infinity pool that spills out into a plunging waterfall, this is one of the more adventurous swimming holes on this list. Yes: it's erosion at its most sublime, but it's also risky to reach.
Drive time from Sydney
A two hour drive from Sydney.
Accessible by public transport?
No.
Hike time
Three to four hours, 9km return.
How to get there
It's a bit of a secret. You will need strong navigational skills to find the top of the waterfall from the Fortress Ridge track as a hiker. You should also not attempt this without an experienced guide. You can also follow the creek to get to the waterfall, but this requires canyoning equipment and experience (do not attempt as a hiker, or you will get stuck or injured).
Safety considerations
From shattered kneecaps (apparently this happened to someone while getting here) to getting lost, to falling off the waterfall's edge, there is a lot to be careful of if you attempt this one. Plus of course the wildlife. Other common errors are confusing the canyoning route with the hiking route, and getting stuck in the canyon unable to get out. It's best not to attempt this one without an experienced guide and equipment (and a good level of fitness). If you love the look of this place, contact an adventure company in the mountains - there are a few that will gladly take you. This means you won't put yourself at risk of serious injury or death (at worst) or get lost and frustrated (at best) as an inexperienced navigator. If you are going to do it yourself, take a satellite phone, do your research, pack well and download offline maps (or have a topographic map you know how to read).
Fairy Pool, Forster
An East Coast gem, this cracking secret spot proves there's more to Forster than the RSL. In fact it's so stunning when you glimpse it from the cliff you'll be imagining mysticism, nymphs and pixies - and the smell of stale Carlton Draught will be long banished from your mind (if not the soles of your shoes).
Drive time
3 hours 33 minutes.
Accessible by public transport?
Not easily.
Hike time
Allow for an hour each way (more if you get lost like I did).
How to get there
Park at the end of Burgess Road. Follow a path for about 5 or 10 minutes. At the fork turn right (not left, or you'll head off on a wild goose chase like I did). Follow this path until you come out onto the rocks, then pick up the path again that leads up the cliff/hill. Walk for a bit along the top of this and eventually you will be able to see the pool from up high. Keep going a bit further until you find the path down. Then backtrack along the bottom of the cliff along the rocks to get to the pool.
Safety considerations
Don't go unless the surf forecast is tiny, and coincide your arrival at the pools with just before low tide. Don't spend too long there and get risk getting cut off by the high tide on your way home.
Secret Infinity Pool Leura, Blue Mountains
Drive time from Sydney
1 hour 32 minutes.
Accessible by public transport?
Not easily, but you could possibly get a train to the Blue Mountains then get an Uber or Taxi to the start of the trai.
Hike time
If you do it right, it's a 40 minute return trip (20 minutes each each way).
How to get there
It's a secret - figure it out yourself. Also: this is not an official lookout so you will need to do your research on how to get there, and be careful not to get lost, or fall off the cliff.
Safety considerations
If you take the wrong path at the end, you could get lost, injured or worse. It can be slippery, there are exposed drops with no fences and the water quality might not always be pristine. Finally, because it's getting so popular, you might get trampled by a crowd of influencers.
Woy Woy Waterfall, Central Coast
Woy Woy waterfall is a hidden gem on the Central Coast. Though there are rumours it shares natural waterways with a waste management facility, the water is meant to be clean, coming from a creek above in a national park. In recent years it has become very popular.
Drive Time
1 hour 18 minutes from Sydney.
Hike time
1-2 hours.
Walking distance
5.6km return.
How to get there
Drive to Woy Woy road. Then take the tunnel firetail. After 1.9km take the left turn at a junction onto an unnamed fire trail. Then just follow the crowds. At the end of this trail you'll be at the top of the cliff at the waterfall. Continue south along the top of the cliff until you come to a gap where you can descend.
Safety considerations
Just don't fall off the cliff.
Refuge Bay infinity pool, Ku-Ring-Gai
One of the closest to home, this pool is definitely one to sink your glutes into. While not big enough to swim around in, you can cool off no problems, and drink in some stunning views.
Drive time from Sydney
1 hour ten minutes.
Hike time
3-4 hours return (unless you arrive by boat, in which case you can climb up the trail to the top of the waterfall in minutes).
How to get there
Either boat to Refuge Bay Beach and follow the very short trail straight up to the top of the waterfall, or drive to the Salvation Loop track on West Head (which links to the Refuge Bay track) and hike from there. You start on Salvation Loop track, then take the Wallaroo Track, then about 350 metres from the turn off onto the Wallaroo Track, look for a narrow, overgrown track on the right.
Safety considerations
Getting lost, twisting an ankle, finding a snake, falling off the cliff.
Gerringong Falls, Upper Kangaroo Valley
Drive time from Sydney
2 hours, 15 minutes.
Hike time
6 hours (unless you bring a mountain bike for the first 8.5 kilometres, which is on a fire tail, which many people do, and which will save you a lot of time). After 8.5 kilometres of fire trail you have to find the 'secret' entrance to the trail down to the falls (which is not easy) and scramble for about a kilometre to get to the pool at the bottom of the falls themselves. Then you have to get back out (all up it's a 19km hike).
To put it into perspective, there is a rock chute to climb down, and that's not even the hardest thing about this walk (the hardest thing is navigating). After going down the rock chute I actually gave up on this walk, and never made it to the falls, as I wasn't sure I had time to get to them before it got dark (having wasted so much time trying to find the path to the rock chute earlier in the day).
Accessible by public transport?
No.
How to get there?
Park at the start of Budderoo Plateau fire trail. Cycle or walk down this until you reach the gate for the Hersey Trail. Go down this for about 2.5 km. When you get to the signpost where you can lock your bike, retrace your steps about 150 metres, and look for a dead, Y shaped tree. This is the start of the (very unofficial) track to the bottom of the falls.
Safety considerations
Make sure you have downloaded offline maps (or have a physical topographic map) before you go. Research how to get there carefully. Do not attempt unless you are an experienced bushwalker/bushbasher. Carry a satellite phone. There are also, as with most bushwalking experiences in Australia, snakes and spiders to be wary of.
Kangaroo Creek, Heathcote
Kangaroo Pool currently has the respective communities of Instagram and TikTok drooling all over their keyboards, with Instagram user @deanciantar showing off the swim spot in all its glassy glory. Definitely one worth braving the leeches for, it is located in the Royal National Park just south of Sydney.
Drive time from Sydney
50 mins (from the CBD).
Accessible by public transport?
Yes: the trailhead starts at Waterfall Station.
Walking distance
4.8km
Hike time from carpark
An average of one hour and 16 minutes.
How to get there
Drive (or get the train) to Waterfall Station in the Royal National Park. Take the Uloola Falls trail. At the first fork turn left, and the second fork take a right. Then follow it through the undergrowth until you arrive at the Kangaroo Pool. Or just type 'Kangaroo Pool' into All Trails and follow it.
Safety considerations
This is one of the safer hikes and watering holes to visit on this list. Main thing to consider is general bushwalking safety guidelines, to use common sense, and watch out for leeches.
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