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Bushwalking track notes, photographs, maps and more for Refuge Rock and Natural Arch are found in each of the tabs below
Refuge Rock
Time: 30 mins Walking time
Includes the time for the return leg
Please allow extra time to rest and to explore
2.1 km NE of Cherrybrook
Length: 1.4 km Walk Length
As this is a return style walk, the 1.4 km includes the return leg of this walk (ie back to the start)
Berowra Valley National Park
Climb: 38 m Total Climbing
This walk has a total cumulative climb of 38 m, this is the total of the elevation gains made in each of the walks uphill sections
There is car access and parking near the start and end of this walk There is a bus stop within 2km of the start and end of this walk
Style: Return
Track: Moderate

A very nice walk through a small part of the Berowra Valley Regional Park. The extensive rock platforms of Refuge Rock make a beautiful place to relax and explore. The optional side trip to see the natural rock arch is well worth it, adding some really beautiful scenery to the walk. Another great bushland walk in the midst of the suburbs. (open in app)


There are Safety alerts in Berowra Valley National Park
Today's Fire rating
LOW MODERATE (No fire ban)
  Bushwalking track notes photographs, maps and camping spots for Refuge Rock and Natural Arch

Map of Walk

Location

                Sponsor of Refuge Rock and Natural Arch bushwalking tracknotes
Map of Refuge Rock and Natural Arch
Problem loading PDF Try here
Map Controls - Show Contours | Hide Path | Hide Distances | Hide Names
Map Scale 1 km
End of Trevors Ln
Int of Patricia Pl fire trail and Refuge Rock trail
Int of Refuge Rock trail and Southern trail
Int of Refuge Rock trail and powerline trail
Int of Refuge Rock trail and northern trail
Refuge Rock
Int above Natural Arch
Starting point for this hiking track: Int of Patricia Pl fire trail and Refuge Rock trail

Base maps are used under licence and is © Department of lands   Panorama Avenue Bathurst 2795   www.lands.nsw.gov.au

Maps that cover the walk area (please always carry maps of the area)

Print a map and track notes here
 Hornsby 1:25 000 Map Series NSW-91304S 
 Sydney 1:100 000 Map Series 9130 

Photo Gallery

 
After the fires
 
After the fires +
 
Nice forest on the way to Refuge Rock
 
Nice forest on the way to Refuge Rock +
 
Rocks by the trail
 
Rocks by the trail +

 
Views along the way
 
Views along the way +
 
Textures at Refuge Rock
 
Textures at Refuge Rock +
 
Mortar shell impact at Refuge Rock
 
Mortar shell impact at Refuge Rock +

 
Moss growth at Refuge Rock
 
Moss growth at Refuge Rock +
 
Extensive rock platforms
 
Extensive rock platforms +
 
Interesting rock textures
 
Interesting rock textures +

 
A narrow chasm in the rock
 
A narrow chasm in the rock +
 
Under the natural arch
 
Under the natural arch +
 
The natural rock arch
 
The natural rock arch +

Terrain


Please note: This is a 'return' style walk and therefore these graphs only show the terrain for the first half of the walk (until the turn around point.)

Cross sectional view of the Refuge Rock and Natural Arch bushwalking track

Cross Section of the Refuge Rock and Natural Arch bushwalking track



Analysis and summary of the altitude variation on the Refuge Rock and Natural Arch bushwalking track

Summary of the gradients over the the lenght of the Refuge Rock and Natural Arch bushwalking track

Overview of this walks Grading - Based on the AS 2156.1 - 2001
These details are new. This new feature still requires more testing and refining. Please use the 'Walker Feedback' for report specific issues. Please e-mail Matt if you have any general comments. Hope you find it helpful.

Under this standard, a walk is graded based on the most difficult section of the walk.
Length 1.4km
Time 30 mins
.


Grade 3/6

Track: Moderate
AS 2156.1 Gradient Gentle hills with occasional steps (2/6)
Quality of track Clear and well formed track or trail (2/6)
Signs Directional signs along the way (3/6)
Experience Required No experience required (1/6)
Weather Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)
Infrastructure Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
*This summary of grading information is new and still in testing

Some more detail of this walks Grading
Here is a bit more details explaining the grading looking at sections of the walk.
Gradient
This whole walk, 690m has gentle hills with occasional steps.

Quality of track
This whole walk, 690m follows a clear and well formed track or trail.

Signs
This whole walk, 690m has directional signs at most intersection.

Experience Required
This whole walk, 690m requires no previous bushwalking experience.

Weather
This whole walk, 690m is not usually affected by severe weather events (that would unexpectedly impact safety and navigation).

Infrastructure
This whole walk, 690m has limited facilities (such as not all cliffs fenced).

Track Notes


Since this is a 'return' style walk once you have had enough of the walk, turn around and retrace your steps back to the start.
Catch the bus to End of Trevors Ln
Public transport (bus) available to this Bushwalk You can phone 131500 (the transport info line) for up to date running times.
Use these links to plan your Bus (and train) trip to the end of this walk.
(Links currently not working sorry)
Plan your trip from --> Castle Hill|Chatswood|Dural|Epping|Gosford|Hornsby|Katoomba|Manly|Parramatta|Penrith|Strathfield|Sutherland|Sydney|
Drive to End of Trevors Ln
You can drive or ride to this start of this Bushwalk There is free parking available.
You can drive or ride to the start of this walk
Use these links to plan your trip to the start of this walk.
Plan your trip from --> Castle Hill|Chatswood|Dural|Epping|Gosford|Hornsby|Katoomba|Manly|Parramatta|Penrith|Strathfield|Sutherland|Sydney|

(0 km) End of Trevors Ln to Refuge Rock
Track: Moderate - servicetrail
Length = 688 m Time = 13 mins
Climb = 14 m Descent = -24 m
From the end of Trevors Ln, Cherrybrook, the walk passes the 'Berowra Valley Regional Park' sign and follows the management trail beside the houses. The walk almost immediately passes around a gate and arrives at an intersection with another management trail.
Turn left: From the intersection, the walk follows the management trail, directly away from the houses. After a short distance, the trail reaches an intersection with another management trail, signposted '92A/92B ...'.
Veer left: From the intersection, the walk follows the 'ST22/23' arrow, going gently up the hill, along the management trail. After a very short distance, the trail passes under some high voltage powerlines and immediately reaches an intersection with a bush track, to the right, and management trail, to the left.
Continue straight: From the intersection, the walk follows the management trail away from the high voltage powerlines, leaving the visible tower to the left. The trail descends gently, through pleasant forest (ignoring an unmarked bush track to the right) and reaches an intersection with another management trail, signposted '92A 92B/16'.
Veer right: From the intersection, the walk follows the level management trail, leaving the '92A 92B/16' signpost behind on the left. After a short distance, the trail passes a clearing, to the left, and descends for a while before arriving at a large, flat rock outcrop, the western edge of 'Refuge Rock'.

Refuge Rock Alt = 160 m
Refuge Rock is a large area of rock outcrops and platforms, at the end of the Refuge Rock walk near Cherrybrook. This area has a great atmosphere and is a nice spot to explore or relax, close to the suburbs, but feeling a million miles from it. The various rock platforms extend for hundreds of metres in all directions. At the far south-east edge of Refuge Rock is a natural arch, know as 'London Bridge'. Refuge Rock was used as a target area during military training around WWII. There are a number of visible marks in the rock surface from mortar shells. More info

(0.69 km) Refuge Rock to Natural Arch
Optional sidetrip: Track: Hard - bushtrack,undefined
Length = 300 m Time = 6 mins
Climb = 4 m Descent = -21 m
Turn right: From the western edge of Refuge Rock (where the management trail arrives), the walk heads south, across the rock outcrop toward a well defined bush track. Some parts of this section are a little difficult to follow as the track becomes faint in places. The walk then follows the bush track as it crosses another large rock outcrop (becoming faint at times) and bends to the left just before the end of the outcrop. The track is more distinct again here as it winds down through a gully, ignoring a bush track to the right, to climb over a rounded ridge of rock. The track continues a little further before reaching an intersection at the top of a small cliff line.
Veer left: From the intersection, the walk drops into the first of two very prominent slots in the rock platform to the north-east (beside a banksia tree). The walk follows this slot to the edge of the rock platform then bends around to the right to enter the next slot (closer to the cliff line). The walk drops through this very narrow slot to emerge at the base of the very cool natural arch.

Natural Arch Alt = 144 m
This natural arch, known locally as 'London Bridge' is at the south-eastern edge of Refuge Rock, near Cherrybrook. The arch is formed below a long, narrow block of rock at the edge of a larger rock platform. To see the arch, you walk down through the narrow chasms separating the block from the rock platform, to emerge underneath the arch. The arch itself, and the area around it is beautiful. More info

Catch the bus from End of Trevors Ln
Public transport (bus) available from this Bushwalk You can phone 131500 (the transport info line) for up to date running times.
Use these links to plan your Bus (and train) trip from the end of this walk.
(Links currently not working sorry)
Plan your trip to --> Castle Hill|Chatswood|Dural|Epping|Gosford|Hornsby|Katoomba|Manly|Parramatta|Penrith|Strathfield|Sutherland|Sydney|
Drive from End of Trevors Ln
You can drive or ride from this end of this Bushwalk There is free parking available.
You can drive or ride from the end of this walk
Use these links to plan your trip from the end of this walk.
Plan your trip to --> Castle Hill|Chatswood|Dural|Epping|Gosford|Hornsby|Katoomba|Manly|Parramatta|Penrith|Strathfield|Sutherland|Sydney|

Getting there

Plan your trip to the start of the walk and back from the end of the walk

Public Transport links currently not working, sorry
Public Transport Timetables

To the start of the walk

From
Castle Hill
Chatswood
Dural
Epping
Gosford
Hornsby
Katoomba
Manly
Parramatta
Penrith
Strathfield
Sutherland
Sydney
From the end of the walk

To
Castle Hill
Chatswood
Dural
Epping
Gosford
Hornsby
Katoomba
Manly
Parramatta
Penrith
Strathfield
Sutherland
Sydney

Driving Directions
To the start of the walk

Drive from:
From the end of the walk

Drive to:


Near by



Nearest know Outdoor Stores near the start of this walk
Store Address Phone Distance (straight line)
All Camping Supplies 12 Railway Pde, Thornleigh (02) 9481 0473 3.3 km
CampHikeClimb 20 George St, Hornsby (02) 9476 5767 3.9 km
Kathmandu 236 Pacific Hwy (Westfield), Hornsby (02) 9476 1399 4 km
Castle Tarpaulin Warehouse 14/ 10 Victoria Ave, Castle Hill (02) 9899 3959 7.8 km
One Stop Adventure Shop 1045 Victoria Rd , West Ryde (02) 9858 5844 11.3 km


A list of the nearest UHF CB repeaters I found to Refuge Rock and Natural Arch.
Channel Call sign
(more info)
Site Distance and dir from Refuge Rock and Natural Arch
Click to re-center search
5 SYD05 Sydney Adventist Hospital 185 Fox Valley Rd WAHROONGA
Emergency use only
5 km (to the SE)
6 VMB7 CB Repeater Site 16 Alan Rd BEROWRA HEIGHTS 13 km (to the NE)
7 SYD07 7 Glamorgan St BLACKTOWN 16 km (to the WSW)
1 SYD01 12/14 Ormonde Parade HURSTVILLE 29 km (to the S)
8 MDC08 Gencom Site Lot 6 Wakefield Close KARIONG 37 km (to the NE)

Weather and Park info

Fire Danger
This walk passes Greater Sydney Region fire area which currently has a LOW MODERATE rating and No fire ban in place.
(Tomorrow the Fire Danger Rating is LOW MODERATE, No fire ban.) (Downloaded 7 years ago)
Please Note: Each park may have its own fire ban, this rating is only valid for today and is based on information from the RFS Please check the RFS Website for more information.

Weather and Climate
Weather and Climate summary detailed weather and climate information here
°C (feels like °)
km/h from the
% humidity     (as at )
Wed      33°Showers. Likely storm developing.
Thu19°|28°Possible shower.
Fri18°|33°Partly cloudy.
Sat16°|26°Possible late shower.
A graph displaying the average daily temperature range for the year

Berowra Valley National Park Link to official closures and fire bans page
Following the Berowra Creek the Berowra Valley National Park is located on the Hornsby Plateau and is made up of typical Hawkesbury Sandstone. The great North walk, Benowie walking track, and many other great walks stretch spann this park. The area has varied vegetation including many different sorts of Eucalyptus and plenty of native animals, includingl swamp wallibies, water dragons, bandicoots, Lyre Birds, and bush turkeys. There are several campsites within the Park, and Crosslands Reserve is also a popular spot near the middle of the park.
Region: Sydney & Surrounds
Park fees Camping
Current Park Closure information for Berowra Valley National Park
Closure information last downloaded Sunday 27th of September 2015 07:00 AM
Safety alerts: Quarry trail and Benowie walking track restricted access
Access restrictions are in place along trails that traverse the land managed by the Hornsby Rifle Range. Restricted areas include:
  • an 800m section of trail, 2km in from the Quarry Road entrance at Dural
  • an 800m section of trail, 300m in from the Stewart Avenue entrance at Hornsby
  • a 750m section of the Benowie walking track between Steele Bridge and Fishponds Waterholes.
Shooting times are between 9am and 4.30pm, 7 days a week. All visitors wishing to access the restricted sections of trail during these times must request prior authorisation by contacting the Hornsby Rifle Range on their 24 hour contact number 0417 201 606. Consult the map on Page vii of the Berowra Valley National Park Draft Plan of Management to plan alternative routes during these hours. Visit the website for further information about the Hornsby Rifle Range.


Walker Feedback

Comments
Add NewSearch
Andrew - Nice short walk IP:27.32.119.xxx | 2011-12-05 09:31:49
Great short walk with the kids. Easy track and enough cool rock formations to keep the kids interested. If you do take kids, watch out for the chasm (deep split in rock) about 3m before the "apparent" cliff edge where the natural arch is. It's very deceptive and you wouldn't want to fall down it!
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