Bents Basin
Bents Basin State Conservation Area, Sydney, NSW
Bents Basin is a well established National Park site which is a good place to swim, picnic and relax on the grass in either shade or full sun. You can also laze on inflatables, ride some rapids or jump off an approx. 4m rockface on the far side, with a steep climb back up. There is not much ‘beach’ to speak of, but a sandy approach to the water in multiple places. Under the water is uneventful, nothing remarkable for snorkellers.
Upstream, past the moderate rapids which are quite hard to walk in, are some smaller rock pools. There is a rough track of sorts along the SE side, with some rock scrambling and bush bashing. It’s not long, but it is definitely difficult to negotiate. You’ll need to be a capable rock-hopper and have both hands free. It’s worth negotiating if you wish to get away from the many people at busier times of year. There are no beach or open areas near these pools, but some big rocks to sit on at the waters edge.
Downstream from the basin outlet certainly looks to be a more child-friendly ride under a low vehicle bridge through grass and trees toward the campsite (~700m away), but didn’t confirm how far this gentle ride lasts.
How To Get There: You can access the river either from the Bents Basin Picnic Area or the Bents Basin Campground. They are on either side of the river and joined by a small footbridge.
For the campgound, from Greendale Rd turn left onto Wolstenholme Ave and enter the Bents Basin State Conservation Area at the park entrance. Follow the Bents Loop Road to the campground.
For the Bents Basin Picnic Area follow Silverdale Road west from Wallacia. Turn left on to Bents Basin Road and follow it to the end.
Difficulty of access: 2/10 – Parking is right next to the swimming hole with flat, grassy access.
Opening Times/Seasons: See here for Bents Basin opening times
Entrance Fee: See here for parking fees for Bents Basin
Facilities Nearby: Plenty of open grass and leveled picnic areas with fireplaces for cooking bbq, plus a dedicated gas-stove area during fire ban. Toilets are what you’d expect in a National Park.
Other Activities: Fishing and canoeing are possible in the river and it’s a nice grassy open area to fly a kite.
Other Places of Interest Nearby: With the Blue Mountains on one side and Sydney’s Northern Beaches on the other there are an almost inexhaustible range of great places to visit at your fingertips.
Wildlife: There is a wombat conservation program in effect in the area.
Places to Eat:
Where to Camp: You can camp right here in the Bents Basin Campground.
Other places to Stay: There are a huge range of accommodation options in Sydney and the surrounding area. Search the Agoda website for some great ideas.
Nearby Towns: This spot is close to Sydney and all the amenities of a big city. The northern beaches are also closeby.
Other Swimming Holes Nearby: Blue Pool, Jellybean Pool, Jack Evans Track Pool
Comments: This is about as family friendly of a spot as you could hope to find. It’s also one of the easiest spots to access from Sydney so makes a great day trip into the bush.
Our readers want to know about great places to eat and stay and other activities near swimming holes. If you are the owner of a local business you think our users would like contact us to find out about sponsoring this location.
2 Comments
Phil
A well established National Park site. I was at Bents Basin again just after NY 2017. Good place to swim, picnic, relax on the grass in either shade or full sun, laze on inflatables, ride some rapids, jump off a ~4m rockface on the far side, with a steep climb back up. Not much ‘beach’ to speak of, but a sandy approach to the water in multiple places. Under the water is uneventful, nothing remarkable for snorkellers. The basin seems to catch the wind if it picks up, which it did later on the day we were there.
Upstream are some smaller rock pools separated by the moderate rapids (quite hard to walk in). There is a rough track of sorts along the SE side, with some rock scrambling and bush bashing. It’s not long, but it is definitely difficult to negotiate, need to be a capable rock-hopper and have both hands free. It’s worth negotiating if you wish to get away from the many people at this time of year. No beach or open areas near those pools, but some big rocks to sit on at the waters edge.
Downstream from the basin outlet certainly looks to be a more child-friendly ride under a low vehicle bridge through grass and trees toward the Campsite (~700m away), but didn’t confirm how far this gentle ride lasts.
Plenty of open grass and levelled picnic areas with fireplaces for cooking bbq, plus a dedicated gas-stove area during fire ban. Toilets are what you’d expect in a National Park.
Enter the park off Greendale Rd, Wolstenholme Ave then Bents Loop Rd. Car park was $8 pay and display at the time of writing, which seemed reasonable given the upkeep this site must get.
Rachel Lewis
Thanks for your detailed comment Phil. I’ve added all the info into the spot description.