About Spit to Manly Walk
The Spit to Manly Walk is a 10 km coastal walking track in Sydney Harbour National Park linking Spit Bridge in Mosman to Manly Wharf. It follows the foreshore of Sydney Harbour through bushland, sandy coves and headlands within the Mosman and Northern Beaches local government areas. Notable for harbour views, Aboriginal rock engravings, historic sites and beaches such as Reef Beach and Clontarf Reserve, it is one of Sydney's most popular harbour walks.
Visitors guide
Visitors can expect a well-marked 10 km one-way coastal track through Sydney Harbour National Park with alternating bushland, open headland, mangroves and beach sections. The route includes formed steps, boardwalks and natural surfaces with harbour and ocean views, lookouts at Dobroyd Head and Arabanoo, small beaches at Reef Beach, Forty Baskets Beach and Clontarf Reserve, Aboriginal rock engravings, and historic military sites. Facilities are at intervals; the walk ends at Manly Wharf with shops and ferry services.
Key highlights
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10 km scenic harbour foreshore walk from Spit Bridge to Manly Wharf
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Panoramic views over Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour and North Head from Dobroyd Head and Arabanoo Lookout
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Aboriginal rock engravings at Grotto Point near Dobroyd Head
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Swimming and picnic spots at Reef Beach, Forty Baskets Beach and Clontarf Reserve
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Diverse bushland of Sydney Harbour National Park with native flora and birdlife
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Historic sites including Grotto Point Lighthouse and former military installations
History of Spit to Manly Walk
The track traverses Country of the Cammeraygal and Gayamagal peoples with well-preserved Aboriginal rock engravings at Grotto Point. European history includes 19th-century fishing and recreation areas, Grotto Point Lighthouse (1910-1911), and World War II military installations around Dobroyd Head and Middle Head that formed part of Sydney Harbour defences.
Culture & Context
The walk showcases Aboriginal cultural heritage through rock engravings and middens managed within Sydney Harbour National Park, and reflects Sydney's harbour recreation culture with historic beaches, reserves and lookouts that remain important for community leisure and education.