Sometimes you visit a place with an evocative name and it doesn’t quite match your expectations. If you’ve visited one of the many swimming holes named ‘blue pool’ in the Blue Mountains, you’ll know what I’m talking about! I’m happy to say there is no such disappointment when visiting the Crystal Pools, the water clarity is as good as it gets and the setting is simply stunning.
A series of pools line the dark jagged rocks, each one more spectacular than the last. Somehow, despite the fact they are accessed via a very short walk, they generally fly under the radar - especially if you pick the best pool, which we never saw another soul at despite visiting on a very hot Saturday in February!
Here’s how to find the Crystal Pools.
Visiting the Crystal Pools
How to visit the pools safely
The most important thing to consider when visiting Crystal Pools is the tide and swell. You want to visit a couple of hours either side of low tide and when the swell is slight - you can check the forecast on Willyweather.
If you don’t want to visit our favourite pool, which is more exposed to incoming waves, then you can visit on a mid tide, but still with a slight swell.
Whilst there is always the chance a rogue wave may come into the pools, it is considerably less likely when the swell is slight.
The Walk to Crystal Pools
The stats
Distance: 980m return (includes all pools)
Elevation gain: Flat
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Black Head Surf Living Club
Summary: The walk to Crystal Pools is easy provided you go during the tide and swell mentioned above. It’s basically all flat and when the tide is low, there is no need to walk in any water.
Unless you’re a glutton for punishment, you want to wear shoes for this one because the rocks are very sharp. Going barefoot is a special kind of foot torture.
The trail
From the parking area at the southern end of Black Head Beach, walk for 70m across the sand to the ocean bath.
Pass alongside the ocean bath and bear right, from here you have a little bit of rock hopping and walking on the rock shelf.
It’s very easy and the headland is stunning. If you’re visiting on a mid tide there will be a bit of water around, but only in small pockets and it should be no more than ankle deep.
At low tide you won’t have to walk through any water at all.
You need to bear left along the rock platform and as you round the corner you will start to see the sharper jagged rocks, these require more care with footing than the smooth rocks up to this point.
You’ll come to the first pool 300m after leaving the beach, the second is 70m further on and the third 30m beyond that. The sharp rocks surround all three pools.
Pool number one
The first pool is the smallest and slightly less clear than the others. It’s still gorgeous and the water is deep, but it’s only really suitable for a little float.
Accessing the pool involves walking over a few rocks to the edge of the water and then it’s easy to sit and slide in.
You do get some waves coming into the pool, but when we visited on a slight swell, it was very minimal. The pool is hemmed in by rocks on all sides, with a small channel allowing the ocean to constantly flush the pool.
Anywhere else this would be a great pool, but when you see pools two and three, you’ll know why we spent the least amount of time here!
Pool two
The second Crystal Pool is a stunner. It’s much larger than the first pool so you can actually have a swim and the rock walls surrounding it are steeper and more dramatic.
The water is clear all the way through to the bottom and it’s a spectacular two tone colour, both indigo and pale blue.
Getting in is easy in the sense that the rocks are tiered so you can climb down into the pool with lots of good foot placements. However, the rocks are sharp so it does require care.
The pool is well protected by the rock walls and I didn’t experience any waves coming into the water, but that’s not to say it never happens. It’s definitely the calmest, most well protected pool of the three.
The water is deep from the moment you enter which means there are no slippery rocks to negotiate inside the pool.
It is an incredible place for a dip and swimming with all the little colourful fish is a true delight. As with all rockpools if you need to use sunscreen, it’s best to use reef safe suncream to protect the fish and ocean.
These pools in particular had a lot more fish than I often see which made them all the more charming.
Pool three
Pool three is the showstopper, I thought pool two would be hard to beat, but the final pool is rockpool heaven. The water was turquoise and had perfect clarity. It’s large enough to swim and one of my new favourite rockpools.
There are plenty of colourful fish and a near constant waterfall flowing over the rocks provides a dramatic backdrop.
The downsides are you have an extra 30m of the jagged rocks to negotiate, it’s tedious, but not difficult in shoes when taken slowly and carefully.
It’s also the hardest of the three to get into, well not exactly hard, more uncomfortable. Or maybe that’s because I tend to sit and slide in and those jagged rocks are not an ideal place to sit!
The pool is also the least protected, with the most exposure to the waves.
Even with a slight swell some waves will enter the pool, so you don’t want to go with a bigger swell when larger waves could push you into the rocks.
Assuming you have the right conditions, it may just become one of your new favourite rockpools.
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.
Parking for the Crystal Pools
The Crystal Pools are located off Black Head Beach in Halliday Point, close to Forster (25 minutes drive).
There is plenty of free parking beside Black Head Beach. We had to park a minute further up the hill on Main Street as we were visiting when Little Nippers was on and the car park was full, but every other time we went to the beach, parking was easy.
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