Bushwalks in The Hills
The Hills Shire boasts a range of beautiful recreation locations including great cycleways and walking tracks. In addition to the bushwalks below you might like to explore walks between our metro stations.
Self Guided Trail Maps
Each of the bushwalk fact sheets featured in this series includes detailed information including starting points, distances, difficulty levels, step-by-step directions, time to complete and points of interest along the way.
Disclaimer:
The Hills Shire Council has taken all reasonable care in providing walk descriptions and related information however does not provide any guarantee as to the completeness or currency of the spatial and textual information that has been generated in these documents. The use of the information provided herein is entirely at the user’s risk and The Hills Shire Council accepts no responsibility for any loss, injury, damage, mishap or inconvenience sustained by anyone relying on the information contained within this document. The geographical information provided for the walk route is a suggestion only and it is the responsibility of each person undertaking the bush walk to assess for themselves the best and safest way to proceed through the walk. Each individual must exercise their own independent judgment as to whether the walk routes suggested by The Hills Shire Council are safe for the walker having regard to their fitness, training, skill, age and experience. All outdoor activities involve some risk of death or injury such as bush fires, snake bites, ankle sprains, heat exhaustion (as some examples only) and users of these maps and bushwalking routes must be aware of such risks in carrying out a bushwalk and each individual bears their own responsibility for the potential risks.
Heritage Trail Walk - Baulkham Hills(PDF, 9MB) - An easy pram & child friendly walk on paved paths.
What You Will See: Places where early colonial settlers in Baulkham Hills established farms before the end of the 18th century. Walk through valleys of tall Blackbutts in the Toongabbie Creek headwaters and see Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest which is now an endangered vegetation community.
Distance: 6.88km
Time: 2.5 - 3 hours
Facilities: Playground, toilets, picnic tables and BBQs at Crestwood Reserve
Heritage Park Walk - Castle Hill(PDF, 7MB) - An easy to medium grade walk (for pram users and those with small children please note there are two steep hills) on paved paths.
What You Will See: This is the site of the former Convict Farm established in 1801 and scene of the Rebellion of 1804. Interpretive signs tell the various stories of it's many layered history.
Distance: 2.6km
Time: 1.5 hours
Facilities: Toilets, picnic tables, playground, BBQs
Forest Walk - West Pennant Hills(PDF, 7MB) - A moderate grade walk on formed bush tracks with many steps.
What You Will See: Tall native trees, Cabbage Tree Palms, cool gullies and plenty of birdlife. Established in 1939, Cumberland State Forest is the only urban forest in Australia. The walks are signposted with interpretive signs and individual plant names.
Distance: 1.8km
Time: 1.5 hours
Facilities: Toilets, picnic areas, BBQs, cafe, retail plant nursery and Tree Tops Adventure Course.
Geebung Walk - Castle Hill(PDF, 7MB) - An easy to medium walk on formed tracks.
What You Will See: Sydney Sandstone Transition Forest which supports a rich diversity of flora.
Distance: 3.5km - shorter sections of the walk can be undertaken if preferred
Time: 2 hours
Facilities: Picnic tables and children's play area located adjacent to the Field No. 1 car park.
Knightsbridge Circuit Walk - Castle Hill(PDF, 8MB) - An easy to moderate walk on paved paths, fire trails and rough bush tracks.
What You Will See: Tall trees, ferny gullies and wildflowers. The area is rich in diverse local flora and birdlife.
Distance: 5km
Time: 2 - 2.5 hours
Facilities: There are toilets at Knightsbridge shops and at Fred Caterson Reserve
Bushland Corridors Walk - Rouse Hill(PDF, 7MB) - An easy pram and child friendly walk on paved paths and grassed areas.
What You Will See: An early farm house, original land grants, a mysterious grave, remnant bushland including Forest Red Gum woodland and heathland, waterways and water birds.
Distance: 4.4km
Time: 2 hours
Facilities: Playgrounds at William Harvey Reserve and Milford Drive Reserve
Stevenson's Creek Walk - Baulkham Hills(PDF, 5MB) - A moderate walk (steep sections & creek crossings on stepping stones) on rough bush tracks.
What You Will See: Beautiful creek valleys, sandstone shelters and some sandstone heath land. This walk is one of the more challenging walks in The Hills Shire.
Distance: 3.35km
Time: 2 hours
Facilities: Toilets at Ted Horwood Reserve
Waterfall Walk - West Pennant Hills(PDF, 10MB) - A moderate child-friendly walk on graded fire trail an bush tracks.
What You Will See: Tall Blue Gums, sandstone gullies, and the only waterfall in the Hills.
Distance: 3.4km or 3km without the additional loop
Time: 1.5 - 2hours
Facilities: Playground and picnic table at Richard Webb Reserve
Caddies Creek Walk (short) - Rouse Hill(PDF, 3MB) - This is an ideal walk to combine with a picnic or BBQ in the reserve. All of this walk is on paved paths - it is suitable for prams and wheelchairs.
What You Will See: Remnant Cumberland Plain Woodland and a variety of native water birds.
Distance: 2.8km for the entire return walk
Time: 1 hour for the entire walk
Facilities: Children's playground, picnic tables and BBQs
Platypus Track - Castle Hill(PDF, 565KB) - A moderate child-friendly walk (some steep slopes and creek crossings on stepping stones) on uneven bush paths (1.5 hours).
Scaly Bark Creek Walk - Kenthurst(PDF, 3MB) - A moderate walk (50 metre ascent and descent to the valley floor) on fire trail surface which can be slippery in dry weather, especially on the steep sections (3 hours).
Metro Walks in The Hills
Discover hidden gems on these urban hikes
You don’t have to leave The Hills to discover hidden gems, secret charms, wonderful scenery and native wildlife - Get to know more about Norwest, Bella Vista and Kellyville/Rouse Hill on The Hills Shire’s newest walks.
These walks take you to a number of small lakes and creeks lines where you can see plenty of bird life and local wildlife, as well as visit a number of parks and playgrounds to stop in and have a leisurely break with the family. Add in great local restaurants and cafes, where you can grab a coffee or enjoy a bite to eat along the way, and you have the perfect outing.
Visit Coolong Reserve, the Roxborough Rose Gardens, Torry Burn Reserve, Sophia Doyle Reserve, Crestwood Reserve and Charles McLaughlin Reserve before arriving at Norwest Metro Station.
Visit Bruce Purser Reserve, The Hills Centenary Park Reserve and Caddies Creek Park Reserve and then follow Smalls Creek before returning to Rouse Hill Town Centre.
Take in Bella Vista Village Green, Bella Vista Farm and Elizabeth Macarthur Creek.
Take in large lakes, views from Hilltop Park and birdlife alongside Strangers Creek and ending with a visit to local cafes and restaurants.
Take in Remnant Cumberland Plain Woodland and River Flat Eucalypt Forest and both Caddies Creek and Strangers Creek. Spot native water birds including Coots, Waterhens, Cormorants and several species of ducks.
Take a walk back in time through significant historical areas that were part of the Castle Hill Government Farm, which was founded in 1801 and was the initial scene of the Vinegar Hill Rebellion. Much of the original bushland of the Castle Hill District can be seen in Fred Caterson and Cattai Creek Reserves and Castle Hill Showground.
Discover more about your local community and get active - more urban walk maps are available here.
Other Track Maps
Baulkham Hills Walking Map(PDF, 4MB)
Baulkham Hills Cultural Track(PDF, 507KB)
Heritage Trail Brochure Baulkham Hills(PDF, 381KB)
Fred Caterson Walking Map(PDF, 728KB)
Fred Caterson Reserve to Bernie Mullane Sports Complex(PDF, 465KB)
Fred Caterson to Castle Hill Heritage Park Reserve(PDF, 492KB)
Rouse Hill Tracks(PDF, 407KB)
Rouse Hill and Kellyville Tracks(PDF, 3MB)
The Hills Guided Walks Program
The Hills Walks Program is designed to provide opportunities for residents to explore and learn more about the beautiful bushland reserves of the Garden Shire.
- These walks follow bushland tracks which are sometimes rough, steep and uneven.
- Some walks require creeks to be crossed on stepping stones.
- Some walks have no toilet facilities.
- All walks last for 2 hours.
- Wear comfortable, closed shoes, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
- For night time walks wear warm clothes and mosquito repellent. Bring a torch.
- Bring your camera and a drink
- The exact meeting place for the start of each walk will be advised at the time of booking.
For more information and to make a booking view current walks available in the Events Section.