The secluded rockpools of North Head are extraordinary. It’s hard to even think of the main pool as a rockpool, it’s more like a giant lagoon, with vivid blue water hemmed in by dark rock walls.
There’s a second smaller rockpool hiding behind it that’s equally beautiful and anywhere else would be the main destination!
Reaching the pools is very easy, with no rock hopping involved. It’s honestly a little wild that these aren’t some of the most famous rockpools in all of NSW!
So with that being said, here’s how to find them.
The walk to the North Head Rockpools
The stats
Distance: 550m each way
Elevation gain: 15m
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: North Head Beach Car Park, Murramarang National Park
Summary: The walk to the North Head Rockpools is flat and easy as long as you don’t try it barefoot! The walk across the rock platform is straight forward in shoes, but a nightmare barefoot - you have been warned!
The rock platform is wide and there is no rock hopping involved, the only thing you need to make sure you get right is the tide and swell.
Safety info: tide & swell
The rockpools can be visited on any tide, but if you come at high tide there is a greater chance of larger waves entering the pool even on a slight swell.
You need to opt for a day when the swell is marked as slight and even so keep an eye on the waves as it’s possible for rogue waves to enter the pools at any time.
We’ve visited these rockpools five times now and even on a slight swell, on a couple of visits some waves did crash into the large pool creating mini waterfalls. If the waves are much rougher than expected, even when you’ve gone on the correct swell, it’s safest not to enter the pool at all.
The smaller pool is much more protected and we experienced no waves whatsoever in this one, so it’s worth checking both pools if the swell is higher than expected which can happen despite a good forecast.
You can see the 5 day tide and swell forecast here (we couldn’t get a read for the exact beach, but the forecast for the beach in the link is next door to North Head).
The trail
From the North Head car park (full parking details below) you follow the sandy path gently downhill to the beach, which you’ll reach after just 30m.
The beach is a beauty with lovely cliffs and a long arc of golden sand.
Head left and you will reach the rock platform after 90m. From here you need to make your way along the rock platform for 430m to the pools.
You will pass a couple of smaller rockpools along the way but the big ones are reached 550m into the walk.
The rock platform is rugged and you need to keep an eye on footing, but it doesn’t require climbing over any rocks, you simply make your way along the platform avoiding puddles and small pools here and there.
The dry rock is nice and grippy and it will only take you around 8 minutes to reach the pools from the car park.
Swimming at the North Head Rockpools
Pool one: the lagoon
The main pool is absolutely huge and easily one of the biggest rockpools I have ever seen. It’s fully hemmed in by the surrounding rock walls, though waves crash over the top when the tide and swell is up flushing it clean.
There are coral shelves inside the water, but there’s still room to swim laps in there! It’s absolutely spectacular and such a delight for swimming.
There are plenty of little fish too if you fancy bringing a snorkel.
Just be mindful of the swell as we did experience waterfalls and incoming waves despite the low swell forecast on a couple of occasions.
It was never enough to cause any problems, but it’s something to be mindful of and I didn’t enter the pool until I’d watched it for a decent amount of time to make sure it wasn’t going to get too wild.
Entering the water is easy as you can step down onto a tiered shelf and then swim off.
The water gets very deep almost immediately and it’s a simply incredible place to swim, surrounded by stripy cliff walls and of course the vastness of the ocean just beyond the rock walls. The clarity on a calm day is superb, you don’t even need a snorkel to see the gorgeous coral and colourful fish.
Pool two
Pool two would be the showstopper if it wasn’t located alongside this giant lagoon. It’s still a decent sized pool with room to swim and very deep.
The water is a glorious blue and so clear. Entering the water is again easy with a tiered shelf allowing you to step in gently.
It’s incredibly beautiful and feels very secluded as you can’t see it until you’re standing right beside it. The cliff wall set behind the pool looks especially dramatic making for a very special place to swim.
It’s located to the right of the main pool and involves crossing a little bit more of the rock shelf which is especially jagged. I would keep your shoes on until the last possible moment.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
It’s also important to wear reef safe suncream in rockpools to protect the marine life.
Getting to the trailhead for the North Head Rockpools
The closest car park to the North Head Rockpools is the North Head Beach car park in Murramarang National Park, you can see the exact location on Google maps here.
The last 7.7km of the road is unsealed but suitable for any vehicle in dry conditions. There are a few lumps and bumps, but it’s mainly in very good condition.
It’s around a 25 minute drive from Batemans Bay and a 50 minute drive from Ulladulla.
There are no facilities at the car park, but there’s a long drop toilet a minute’s drive away at the campground.
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