Take a walk on nature’s wild side at Manly Dam

Hey hikers and nature lovers! It’s the perfect time to get out and enjoy this gorgeous winter weather with a walk around Manly Dam.

Park visitor numbers significantly increased during the COVID-19 lock down, with locals looking for a quiet place to exercise in seclusion. Now that numbers are getting back to normal and it’s even more likely you’ll find your own slice of solitude on the 7.5km of tracks and trails.

After the old wooden track was destroyed by the February storms, a 133m section of the walking track on the north-eastern side of the dam was restored and reopened this week. The new raised boardwalks allow walkers to enjoy the swampy and marshy ecosystem, spotting frogs, tiny fish, birds and interesting plants while protecting the environment.

With Wattle starting to flower, Banksia in abundance and Boronia flowers at the end of their season, now is the perfect time to explore the area, but the walking trails are perfect all year round. Popular with trail runners, families and dog walkers; small children and groups of special needs visitors who enjoy the sensory and tactile nature of the area, are also regular guests.

The full Manly Dam walking circuit is 7.5km with some difficult sections and will take about 2.5 hours. If you are keen for a shorter walk and want to check out the new boardwalk, drive to the Nyrang Road carpark in Allambie Heights and take a short walk down to water’s edge and turn right.

Don’t forget your hat, a bottle of water and a warm jacket and get out there and love our beautiful natural environment.

The new trail took six weeks to build and is made of environmentally sustainable materials including treated hardwood, Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) as well as beautiful and hardwearing sandstone.