Lake Parramatta might not be the first place you think of when you’re looking to escape the city and head out into the bush, but you should definitely give it a try.
Of course you have the beautiful lake itself - which is the perfect place for a dip or a boat ride - but there are also three walking tracks, BBQ’s, a cafe and if you hang around until the end of the day you might be treated to a spectacular sunset.
It’s a relaxing place and makes for such an easy trip from the CBD or Western Sydney. Here’s everything you need to know about the Lake Parramatta Reserve.
5 things to do at Lake Parramatta Reserve
1. The Lake Parramatta Walking Tracks
The main reason we usually come to the reserve is to go for a bush walk. There are three trails and if you go for the Lake Circuit Walk you see the best of the other two trails as well, so it’s our top recommend if you are happy to walk for just over 4km.
We always walk the circuit, so it’s the only one we can give full details on, but we’ll give a short description of the other two based on the sign posts.
- The She Oak Track - 1.4km
The easiest trail runs partly along the lake and then partly on the road. Due to the fact it has some road walking we’d recommend the Banksia Track or just walking part of the circuit and turning back when you fancy.
Follow the orange bands on the signposts for the She Oak Track and head out of the far end of the car park. The track heads along the lake and loops back to the car park.
- Banksia Track - 2.25km
Slightly more challenging than the She Oak but still an easy trail.
The terrain is rocky and uneven with one creek crossing. The Banksia has lovely lake views and lots of Red Bloodwood and Grey Gum trees.
The Banksia track is marked by green bands on the signposts and also heads out from the far end of the car park. This follows the Lake Circuit for a while before heading back along the same route you came.
- The Lake Circuit - 4.2km
The Lake Circuit track is a lovely and relatively easy bush walk which offers the best and most extensive views of the lake. We think it’s one of Sydney’s best bush walks.
We always walk it clockwise from the car park, starting near the dam. Follow the red bands on the signposts for the Lake Circuit (it’s pretty hard to lose!).
The track heads downhill and just after the dam you’ll come to a very picturesque section of track where stepping stones take you over the creek. This is when you really feel like you’ve escaped the city and are going on a proper bush walk.
The trail is fairly easy if you are comfortable walking on uneven terrain, as there are lots of rocks and tree roots throughout. It’s not too rough, but it’s not a flat paved trail either.
There is a total of 93m elevation across the whole track, but there is only one short climb, the rest is made up of gentle undulations and you won’t really notice it at all.
After around 1km of following the shoreline closely and admiring the gorgeous reflection of the gum trees in the main body of the lake, the water narrows and becomes a creek.
It’s still very pretty as you make your way up and down rocks and along dirt trail, which is nicely shaded by the trees.
A couple of kilometres into the trail and you reach what feels more like a swamp and the area is rich with birdlife. It’s worth stopping to see what you can spot, we disturbed a cormorant which we hadn’t spotted and it moved away so quickly it almost doused us with water!
You’ll have another little creek crossing which has rocks to get you across easily, although I imagine after heavy rain it could run higher than it was during our walk.
You’ll soon be walking on the other side of the lake with some lovely glimpses of the water through the trees.
When we walked this section at sunset, shafts of golden light illuminated parts of the trail and it was especially pretty.
Around 400m before the end of the walk you’ll reach a wide opening which offers completely unobstructed views of the lake and has some lovely spots to sit and enjoy the tranquility before you head back round to the main picnic area and cafe.
This is my favourite spot on the whole walk, especially in the late afternoon.
2. Swimming at Lake Parramatta
Lake Parramatta is a fantastic wild swimming spot. Not only is it huge, with the opportunity to go for a lovely long swim if desired, but there’s also a small sectioned off area which is patrolled by lifeguards.
This operates on weekends from late October to early April, which makes it a perfect introduction to wild swimming for kids.
The water is lovely and calm so if you aren’t a fan of Sydney’s wavy eastern beaches, the lake is a great alternative.
It might only be 2km from Parramatta CBD but the atmosphere is of one of tranquility and the views are 100% bush.
The swimming area at Lake Parramatta Reserve
Access into the water in the sectioned off part of the lake is just a couple of minutes walk from the car park on a well maintained path.
One thing to note is that the council doesn’t recommend swimming for three days after heavy rain as the water quality may have been effected.
3. Go boating on the lake
If you prefer to be out on the water rather than in it, then you have three options to choose from at Lake Parramatta. You can rent rowboats, kayaks and pedal boats (both normal and swan).
As no motorised boats are allowed on the lake the water is really calm, which makes the paddling easy, even for beginners.
The lake is pretty big, so you can happily spend several hours out on the water, exploring all the little nooks and crannies.
The cheapest option - if you want more than an hour - is to rent a kayak, which costs $35 for the first hour and $10 for each additional hour (that’s if there are two of you).
If you have a whole family, then we’d recommend going for the rowboats and pedal boats as they are better value, as you can fit more people in each boat.
Rowboats are $35 per hour, pedal boats are $40 and swans are a whopping $50 per hour. You can only hire boats on weekends or public holidays.
4. Have a picnic or BBQ
Lake Parramatta Reserve is the perfect place for a picnic. There are both picnic benches and BBQ’s overlooking the water.
If you prefer your picnics a little more secluded there are so many spots along the Lake Circuit Walk which you could stop at.
We like the various big boulders and rocky ledges to sit on which offer a peaceful place for a picnic that belies just how close you are to Parramatta CBD.
The Picnic Area at Lake Parramatta Reserve
If you want a break from food prep there’s a cafe onsite which has a little undercover seating area with water views. We haven’t tried it ourselves yet though so can’t comment on the quality!
5 Watch the sunset
So we’ll admit that we had no idea Lake Parramatta was a fabulous sunset spot! We fluked it when one of our walks ran into golden hour and we were completely taken aback by how gorgeous it was.
The walk is lovely any time of day, but in the late afternoon the golden light caused the most beautiful reflections in the water and filtered through the forest casting a gorgeous glow along the trail.
We were then treated to a spectacular cotton candy sky that stopped our walk entirely as we couldn’t do anything but stop and admire it.
As a lot of the walk is in quite dense bush, if you’re particularly looking to watch sunset you want to be at the clearing which is around 400m from the car park (heading anticlockwise, away from the dam).
That’s where you’ll find a little trail right to the water’s edge and a large boulder and log, perfect for sitting and relaxing while mother nature puts on a show.
Packing suggestions for the walk
Having the right gear can make a huge difference. Here’s what we pack and have relied upon for years:
Sunscreen: Cancer Council Active. With a high SPF, but not the greasy feel of other sunscreens. Makes a big difference when you’re working up a sweat on a sunny day! Check it out on Amazon
Good Rain Jacket: North Face This is an essential item we always pack in our bag! This jacket from North Face is designed to keep you dry but also comfortably warm (many rain jackets will make you feel like you’re in a sauna). Check it out on Amazon
Day Pack: Osprey Talon 22 (we’ve owned this for years). Check on Amazon or direct with Osprey
Hiking Boots: Merrell Moab (for men and women). We’ve both used these for over three years and they just keep going. Check them out on Amazon
Trekking poles: We’ve used Black Diamond for years as they are light, solid and durable. Check them out on Amazon.
Reusable water bottle: To avoid single-use plastic. Check them out on Amazon
Essential information about visiting the Lake Parramatta Reserve
Lake Parramatta opening hours
Lake Parramatta Reserve is open daily from 6.30am to 5.30pm, apart from during daylight savings when it closes at 7.30pm.
Parking at the Lake Parramatta Reserve
Lake Parramatta Reserve has a smallish car park which has 68 parking spots. We’ve never had trouble parking, even on a weekend, but if you arrive and it’s full you can park on the surrounding streets which are a short walk away.
Public transport to Lake Parramatta Reserve
If you are coming from Sydney, you will need to take a train and a bus. From Parramatta train station you can catch the 609 bus. It will drop you off 50m from the reserve.
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Are you planning a visit to Lake Parramatta Reserve? What are your favourite thing to do there? Let us know in the comments below!
