The Figure Eight Pools are a unique formation of natural pools on a rock shelf, located in the Royal National Park of New South Wales near Sydney. The Figure Eight Pools are considered one of the most dangerous natural attractions in the state.
The hike to get there isn’t too difficult, but the unpredictable weather conditions can make the pools themselves dangerous. Before we describe how beautiful and unique this place is, we want to share with you some important information on how to plan the trip there.
Before you go - important!
One thing you must do before deciding to hike to the Figure Eight Pools is to check the Royal National Park website for the current risk ratings. These risk ratings take into account when it’s high tide and whether there are any storm surges.
You should plan your trip when the risk is either very low or low. This will ensure you don’t put your safety at risk and the pools are actually visible when you get there. There are a few hours either side of low tide when it’s generally best to visit during good weather.
Do not attempt to enter the rock shelf if the tide is high or you can see the waves crashing onto the rocks. The ocean can be very unpredictable and one big wave can cost someone’s life.
Multiple tourists have died at this site because they didn’t research when to visit and heed the warnings!
How to get there
Unfortunately, there is no option to take public transport. There are some tours available, including this unique all-day adventure which includes stand-up paddleboarding, two meals, and learning about the species in the Royal National Park in addition to hiking to the Figure Eight Pools.
You can hire a car in Sydney for the day. Please consider a fully electric or hybrid vehicle for a better choice environmentally, and for your wallet with lower fuel costs!
Start with driving to the Royal National Park, a 45-minute drive southeast of the Sydney CBD. Head to the Garawarra Farm carpark off Garie Road. The entrance fee of the Park is $12 per vehicle per day.
If you don’t already have an All Parks Pass (for all parks in NSW including Kosciuszko National Park) or the Multiple Parks Pass (for all parks in NSW excluding Kosciuszko National Park), you can pay the entrance fee multiple ways.
Payment options include the Audley Visitor Centre, at vehicle entry stations, at pay machines in the parking areas, and via their Park’nPay app.
Best time to visit
Be aware that the Figure Eight Pools can get very crowded. We visited during spring in the middle of the day and found it manageable.
We did have to wait a bit for people to leave and still had some people in the background when taking photographs and videos, but it wasn’t a big deal.
There are plenty of other pools to enjoy. But if you want this place all to yourself, we recommend visiting at sunrise during the week. Of course, we can't guarantee that it’s going to be empty, but not many people go there that early.
It will also be quieter outside the peak season months of summer, which is roughly December to March. The Figure Eight Pools are also a great spot to see whales from May to October, which is another good reason to visit during the off-peak seoson.
Visiting in winter and spring can have its disadvantages though. The ocean is quite cold at that time of the year. The air is too, especially early in the morning.
If you don’t care about the crowds and want to enjoy bathing in the water, summer is the best time. If you don't want to compromise, go there in autumn. There will be fewer people than in summer, but the ocean water is still warm.
Our experience at the Figure Eight Pools
The hike itself is very picturesque and worth doing, even if you are not going to the pools. It has subtropical forest and a lot of variety of trees and vegetation.
Take the hiking track from Garawarra Farm carpark. It is well maintained, and you will be walking on a boardwalk for most of the hike.
During some parts of the hike, you will have to go through a forest. Watch out for tree roots and rocks in these areas.
As you make your way down a steep hill on the boardwalk, you will marvel at spectacular views over the coast. You will also see the town of a local community.
At the bottom of the hill, you will meet up with the Royal Coast Track, which is an epic multi-day track. You follow this track which runs behind Burning Palms Beach.
Bear in mind that you will have to take the same route when hiking back to the Garawarra Farm carpark.
Burning Palms Beach is a beautiful white sand beach surrounded by tall cliffs. It looks very dramatic and reminds me of some of the beaches you will find on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.
When you arrive there, you will find a few houses and shacks along the beach. Please be respectful of the people that live there.
We had the chance to talk to a local who shared the history of the place with us. The land belonged to a farmer who donated it to the Crown.
Knowing that there was a small surfing community on his land that he wanted to protect, he included a condition in the agreement that the government could not remove the surf shacks. Can you imagine having a little summer home with this view?
On the day that we hiked, a section of the Royal Coast Track was closed. This meant we had to walk along the whole of Burning Palms Beach.
Either way, continue walking south until the end of the beach and you will come across the rock shelf. It took us about 20-30 minutes along here from the beach to where the pools are.
There are a few rock pools with different shapes. Only one has a perfect figure-eight shape, although another one is pretty close to it.
During high tide, the ocean fills up the pools and turns them into small pools or spas. Some of the pools were fairly shallow and we swam or lounged in them.
We could actually dive into some of the pools. Please always test the depth of the pools and make sure there are no obstructions before diving into any of them!
The best time to photograph
The Figure Eight Pools are heaven for photographers. It looks very picturesque from any angle. You have the wild ocean on one side with dramatic cliffs on the other side.
Sunrise and sunset are the best times to photograph, especially if you want to avoid crowds. Midday would be best if you want to shoot with a drone and show how beautiful the water is inside the pools.
For drone shooting, we chose a round pool because it was secluded from the other pools and exuded a “in the middle of nowhere” vibe. Another reason we shot that pool was that it was less likely to have a queue of people waiting to use it, so we could just enjoy it all by ourselves without rushing and having to Photoshop people out of our shots.
There are other locations where you can take amazing pictures, like on the rock shelf before getting to the pools, at Burning Palms Beach, and up on the hill just before heading down.
We were there at the end of September and the path was surrounded by beautiful white lilies. They made this place even more magical.
Take care of the environment!
Please bring a spare bag with you so you can pick up any rubbish you spot on the way back. Because the area is so wild and remote, there are no dedicated bins along the track or at Burning Palms Beach.
Best practice at any park is to leave no trace. This includes packing your rubbish that you take into the park and ensuring it goes back out with you.
Make sure you stay in the middle of the boardwalk and other defined paths when hiking. Don’t take any shortcuts and walk on rock or hard surfaces to avoid unnecessarily trampling of sensitive vegetation.
Because it’s a national park, there are no restaurants or cafes. So make sure to bring plenty of water and snacks or a meal with you. Using reusable bottles and containers reduces waste and protects your health from plastics.
Please avoid feeding the local wildlife. Our food can negatively affect their health and they can become dependent on us, making them less able to survive in the wild.
