Bush Walking

Our Natural Area Reserves have many walking tracks for you to explore. These tracks take you through a variety of habitats, including lush rainforest,
towering wet sclerophyll forests and wildflower-filled ridgetop woodlands. There are a variety of walks, from 20 minute gentle circuit tracks,
to challenging full day walks.

Railway to Rainforest Walk This walk leads from Gosford railway station to the rainforest at Seymour Pond, in Katandra Reserve in Holgate. This is an extensive 11km return walk that allows bushwalkers to view some of the most spectacular landscapes in the COSS. You can view and print out the brochure for Rumbalara and Katandra Reserves which shows the route of this walk. From Gosford railway station: From Gosford railway station, walk along Mann Street and turn left at William Street Mall. Follow this road and turn left onto Albany Street North, and then right into Henry Wheeler Place where you will find the entry to Casuarina Walk. From the start of Casuarina walk: Enter Rumbalara at Henry Wheeler Place and follow the Casuarina, Flannel Flower, Red Gum and Mouat tracks to St Johns picnic area. Continue on to Seymour Pond via Toomeys and Waterman Walks. The return route is along Graves Walk back to Mouat Trail and then to Rumbalara. Only parts of this trail are suitable for mountain bikes.

More information on walks on the Central Coast

Kincumba Mountain Reserve

Katandra Reserve

Rumbalara Reserve

Wild Walks

The Great North Walk

Jogging

Our bushland reserves can be a great place to get out of the traffic for a run. Please be aware that the primary purpose of the reserves is nature
conservation. For this reason, many of the tracks and trails are not hardened, and may be uneven or crossed by roots and other obstructions. Take
care when running along the tracks, and please be aware that there may be walkers, mountain bike riders and even horse riders on some tracks.

Please note: If you would like to hold your commercial exercise classes on a Council Reserve, you will need to apply for a Licence to do so.
If you are unsure whether this applies to you, please call Open Space and Leisure Services on phone: 4304 4378.

There are a few suggested running routes below, but there are many more for you to explore.

Rumbalara Reserve

Dolly Avenue Run

Grade:  Easy

This gentle, easy run is from the Red Gum Track Parking Area to Nurrunga Picnic Area (approximately 2.2 km return). Park your car at the
Red Gum Track parking area off Dolly Avenue, East Gosford - this is where you will start and finish.

Head left out of the parking area into Dolly Avenue and follow the road up past the turn off to Ouraka viewing area, to Nurrunga Picnic
Area at the end of the road. Retrace your steps back to Red Gum Track Parking Area.

Rumbalara Run

Grade:  Moderate

This moderately challenging run is from the Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre, Donnison Street to the water tower on Dolly Avenue
 (approximately 3.8 km return). Park your car at Donnison Street, Gosford - this is where you will start and finish.

Head east up Donnison Street towards the Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre located at the base of Rumbalara Reserve(cnr John
Whiteway Drive and Donnison Street). Head up the stone stairs on the left of the Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre and turn right
onto the Casuarina Trail. Follow the left trail (there is a sign board at this intersection along this trail) up the steel / stone stairs
to Ouraka Lookout. Follow the fire trail past the lookout and up to the fire trail gate on Dolly Avenue. Turn left into Dolly Avenue and
follow this loop road up past Nurrunga Picnic Area and then head back down along Dolly Avenue until you reach the start of the
Flannel Flower Walk off to your left. Follow the Flannel Flower walk until you reach the water tower and rejoin Dolly Avenue, turn right
into Dolly Avenue and then retrace your steps back to Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre.

Rainforest Walk Knees-up run

Grade: Moderate to Challenging

This moderately challenging run has quite a few stairs as you run up from the rainforest to the Rumbalara ridgeline (approximately 2.5 km return). 
Street parking is available along Frederick Street, East Gosford, and the entry to this run is from the reserve access opposite Frederick Street. 

Head along the walking trail from the reserve entry just to the east of 2GO Radio Station and up the stairs through Cappers Gully and on to the
junction with Casuarina Walk. Turn left into the Casuarina Walk and follow the track past Ouraka Lookout and down the stairs towards
John Whiteway Drive. Turn left onto White Street Fire Trail (just before John Whiteway Drive) and head back towards Cappers Gully where the track
intersects with the Rainforest Walk. Turn right and follow the Rainforest Trail back to the reserve entry opposite Frederick Street.

Katandra Reserve

Katandra challenge

Grade:  Challenging/Cross Country

This run is challenging as the track is steep in places, has many steps and other obstacles. It follows the Katandra Road Picnic
Area Loop Trail via St John’s Lookout (approximately 3.8 km return). You can start and finish either at St Johns picnic area on
Toomeys Road, Mt Elliot, or at the main Katandra Road picnic area in Holgate.

Starting at Katandra Road picnic area:

Start your run on the Seymour Pond trail on the eastern side of the car park. At Seymour Pond continuing along the walking trail to
St John’s picnic area. Jog through the picnic area to the far end and follow Graves Walk back down the hill (watch the stairs!)
through open eucalypt forest and back into the rainforest at the base of the hill. Follow the trail past the Seymour Pond track
and finish back at the carpark area.    

Starting at St John's picnic area

Start your run at the southern end of St John's picnic area, following Graves walk down the hill (watch the stairs!) through
open eucalypt forest into rainforest at the base of the hill. Follow the trail past the Seymour Pond track to the main car park
at the end of Katandra Road. Cross the car park and head down the hill to Seymour Pond, continue past the pond up the hill to
St John's picnic area.

Kincumba Mountain Reserve

Grade:  Moderate

Col Watters lookout run
This moderate run starts at the Glassons Fire Trail parking area and
continues up to to Col Watters lookout (approximately 6.2 km return). Park your car at the Glassons Trail parking area on Island View
Drive, Kincumber - this is where you will start and finish.

Head north up Glassons Trail past the water tower and follow the trail past where it intersects with Island View Drive. Continue
along the trail past the lookout on your right and follow the trail as it again intersects with Island View Drive, through the parking
area and up past the Kincumba Kiosk / picnic area to the fire gate at the end of Island View Drive. Continue along the fire trail
past the gate towards Col Watters Lookout. Retrace your steps back to the Glassons Trail Parking Area.

Mountain bike riding

Gosford City Council allows mountain bike riding on several fire trails in the bushland reserves. This opportunity is for bike riders who like to explore and experience the natural environment in a responsible manner. The bushland reserves are managed primarily for nature conservation, and allow for quiet, passive enjoyment of their values. Please travel slowly, keep to the marked trails and be aware that there may be people walking on these trails. Please do not ride mountain bikes on Katandra Horse Trail. For more rugged mountain bike riding experiences in the Central Coast Region, please refer to the Forests NSW mountain bike riding information page.

Mountain bike riding is allowed on the following fire trails:

Rumbalara Reserve	Katandra Reserve	Kincumba Mountain Reserve
Grass Tree walk	Toomeys Walk fire trail	Williams fire trail
White Street fire trail		Sid Pulsford trail
Mouat trail		Woorara fire trail
Clyde Road fire trail		Bembooka fire trail
		Glassons fire trail
		Yanina fire trail
		Warriwarri walk
		Blue Hills West fire trail
		Bronzewing Drive fire trail

Horse riding

Horse riding is allowed on the Katandra Horse Trail which runs from the end of Katandra Road to The Ridgeway.
Please keep to this track which has been specifically allocated for horse riding as you may encounter mountain bikes and large
groups of walkers on other tracks.

Be aware that many people are not comfortable being close to horses, and give way to all pedestrians. To avoid any potential
conflict, please do not ride through the St John's picnic area.