Angourie, Lake Arragan & Red Cliff
Guide updated
The usual first stop: Angourie Surfing Reserve and the Lake Arragan / Red Cliff campgrounds. Coastal-walk start, lagoon canoeing, and unstable red cliffs that need real distance.
- Best for: First-timers, coastal-walk start, lagoon days, cliff lookouts (from a safe setback)
- Time: Half day for Angourie + lookout; overnight if you camp at Lake Arragan / Red Cliff
- From Yamba follow signs to Angourie. From Maclean take Brooms Head Road through Gulmarrad; after about 19 km turn left for Lake Arragan, Red Cliff and Grey Cliff (visitor-info names all three). Book the official “Lake Arragan and Red Cliff campgrounds” product — there is no separate Grey Cliff booking page.
Verify conditions on NSW National Parks → · Park alerts
Angourie, Lake Arragan & Red Cliff — Lake Arragan
Maurice van Creij · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why this is the default northern base
If someone says they are “doing Yuraygir from Yamba,” they usually mean Angourie plus Lake Arragan. The surfing reserve is the signed start of the 65 km Yuraygir coastal walk. The campgrounds sit on a small coastal lagoon system with paperbarks, birdlife and a short hop to the cliff country.
Use this zone to get your bearings. Sort parking at Angourie Surfing Reserve, or a booked site at Lake Arragan / Red Cliff, decide whether you are walking a day segment or camping, then stay well back from the cliffs.
This is also the default first-timer day in the northern itinerary. If you only have an afternoon, stay at the reserve and the lagoon. Do not invent a Brooms Head finish unless a car or camp is already booked.
Red Cliff / Lake Arragan cliffs
Official visitor info is blunt: cliffs at Lake Arragan and Red Cliff are unstable and pose a high safety risk. Do not stand or sit on the rock. Do not go near or underneath cliff edges. Stay well back and always supervise children.
The view is still the view from a safe setback. Do not climb out for a cliff-edge photo. If wind or rain is up, skip the lookout.
Walks that actually fit a northern day
Easy win: Angourie Bay picnic area and a short look at the surfing reserve. Bigger: the Angourie walking track toward Shelley Headland (official: 10 km return, Grade 3, 3 hrs 30 min–4 hrs 30 min). Multi-day: start the coastal walk north-to-south with the sun at your back. Check live spray and track alerts the morning you leave.
If you only have an afternoon, do not start a 13–17 km Day 1 toward Brooms Head unless you already have a booked boat and a booked camp. Finish at a named village or camp, not “we’ll see how we go.”
Lake Arragan / Red Cliff camping (Grey Cliff is not a separate booking)
The bookable product is “Lake Arragan and Red Cliff campgrounds” — official page: 89 sites, drinking water, toilets, picnic, BBQ, check-in 2pm / check-out 10am. Visitor-info driving directions also name Grey Cliff; there is no separate Grey Cliff booking page.
Vehicle entry is still required on top of camping. Book only on NSW National Parks. Unsealed sections get sloppy after rain. School holidays fill — book early.
Northern closures to check this season
The Angourie Backbeach spray window that ran to 11 September 2026 is no longer on the official alerts page (checked 13 Sep 2026). Sandon Beach north of the campground can still close for drone spraying through 18 September 2026. Follow signs and staff.
This is a snapshot, not a live board. Read the official alerts page the morning you drive.
Highlights at a glance
- Angourie Surfing Reserve and Back Beach — coastal-walk northern terminus
- Lake Arragan lagoon — canoe, swim, birdwatching
- Red Cliff lookout country — stay well back; cliffs are unstable
- Angourie walking track toward Shelley Headland
- Official campgrounds at Lake Arragan and Red Cliff (2WD typical; unsealed in places)
Practical tips
- Buy or display vehicle entry before you assume a campground machine will save you later.
- Screenshot the official map and local alerts — reception drops quickly off Brooms Head Road.
- Drinking water is listed at Lake Arragan and Red Cliff campgrounds — still carry a backup.
- Pack a dry bag if you are walking any beach or creek section.
- Check-in 2pm / out 10am if you are camping the official northern complex.
- Yamba tide chart if you will touch rock platforms on Back Beach.
Facilities & services
- Angourie Bay picnic area — toilets, tables
- Mara Creek picnic area — toilets, tables
- Lake Arragan and Red Cliff campgrounds — toilets, picnic, BBQ, drinking water; 89 sites; check-in 2pm / out 10am (Grey Cliff is part of this complex, not a separate booking)
- Shelley Head campground — walk-in only
Confirm toilets, parking and open facilities on the day via official sources and on-site signage.
Walks & lookouts nearby
Grades, times and open/closed status change — open each guide and verify on NSW National Parks before you go.
Angourie track
moderateOfficial northern day walk: Mara Creek picnic area to Shelley Headland, 10 km return, Grade 3. Check live alerts — the Angourie Backbeach spray window to 11 Sep 2026 is no longer on the official page (checked 13 Sep 2026).
- Grade
- Grade 3 · half day
- Time
- 3 hrs 30 min – 4 hrs 30 min
- Distance
- 10 km return
View guide →
Angourie–Brooms Head
hardOfficial first coastal-walk segment: 18 km one-way, Grade 4, 6–7 hours from Angourie Surfing Reserve toward Brooms Head via Lake Arragan / Red Cliff. Best walked north to south.
- Grade
- Grade 4 · coastal-walk Day 1
- Time
- 6–7 hrs
- Distance
- 18 km one-way
View guide →
Coastal walk (65 km)
hardThe park’s flagship: a signposted 65 km one-way track from Angourie Surfing Reserve to Red Rock, following coastal-emu footprint markers across beaches, rock platforms, heath and villages. Best walked north to south. Self-sufficiency required.
- Grade
- Grade 4 · 4–5 days
- Time
- 4–5 days (or walk as day segments)
- Distance
- 65 km one-way
View guide →
Itineraries that use this area
Full day from Yamba / Maclean
One day: Angourie & Lake Arragan
Northern-zone day: Angourie Surfing Reserve, a short signed walk or lookout, Lake Arragan / Red Cliff from a safe setback, then back to Yamba without starting a 17 km beach walk you cannot finish.
4–5 days, Angourie → Red Rock (or Wooli finish)
4–5 days: Yuraygir coastal walk
Full flagship walk with a Wooli finish as the default safe plan if Corindi / Red Rock cannot be crossed. Day shape on the trail page — this itinerary is the booking and tide checklist.
Map
Orientation only — confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.
Interactive map — pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads and road status before you drive.
FAQ — Northern zone
Tap a question to expand the answer.
Is the $8 fee the same as camping?
No. $8 per vehicle per day is park entry (motor vehicles including motorbikes; pedestrians and cyclists free). Camping is a separate official booking with its own nightly rate. Annual passes do not cover camping. [VERIFY] current dollars on NPWS.
Can I start the coastal walk here?
Yes. Official start is Angourie Surfing Reserve. Best walked north to south. Book camps and boat crossings before you leave. See the coastal-walk trail page.
Is Grey Cliff a separate campground I can book?
No. Visitor-info names Grey Cliff with Lake Arragan and Red Cliff on the Brooms Head Road turn. Book the official “Lake Arragan and Red Cliff campgrounds” product (89 sites). There is no separate Grey Cliff listing.
How long is the Angourie walking track?
Official: 10 km return, Grade 3, 3 hrs 30 min–4 hrs 30 min, Mara Creek picnic area to Shelley Headland. Check live alerts before you lace up.
Can I camp at Shelley Head without walking?
No. Shelley Head is walk-in official camping. Book first. Day-use at Angourie / Mara Creek does not include a Shelley Head site.
Stays, tours & gear near Northern zone
Optional next steps after you plan this area — park fees and official NPWS bookings are never affiliated.
Nearby stays
Yamba (primary) · Wooli · Coffs Harbour
- Hotels & stays in YambaNorthern gateway — Angourie and Lake Arragan day trips
- WooliCentral village on the coastal walk
- Coffs HarbourSouthern services hub for Station Creek / Pebbly
All Booking.com links open in a new tab and may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Official NPWS camping and cottage bookings are never affiliated.
Guided tours
Optional — useful if you want a local operator instead of self-driving
- Coffs whale cruise (2 hr)
- Sunset kayak eco tour
- Coffs Treetops ropes course
- Browse more north-coast tours
A tour does not replace checking NSW National Parks alerts, weather, or cliff safety yourself.
What to bring
Practical kit for beaches, heath, boats and changeable coastal weather
- 2–3 L water capacityDrinking water is only listed at some official campgrounds — carry between sites
- Sun hat + SPF50Open beaches and heath have little shade; summer has recorded 42.5°C
- Grip trail shoesBeaches, rock platforms and sandy tracks are hard on ordinary sneakers
- Dry bag for river crossingsBoat and wade crossings on the coastal walk soak packs if you are careless
- Light rain / wind shellMarch can dump huge rain; headlands stay windy even on “fine” days
- Day pack 20–30 LWater, extra food for tide delays, first-aid and a dry layer
- First-aid + tick/snake awarenessCoastal heath and forest — pack for snake and tick awareness, not as an afterthought
- Tide chart / offline mapsRock platforms only at low tide; reception is limited — screenshot Yamba tides
- PLB or sat messenger (optional)Worth considering for the multi-day walk or Pebbly / Shelley Head — not a legal requirement
- HeadlampShort winter days and village-to-camp finishes after dusk
- Power bankPayphones exist in villages and at Sandon; do not rely on charging in camp
- Spare socksBeach walking and creek wades — dry feet keep a long day civil
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