
Bridle Trail

Park alerts
Arakoon National Park
1 current alert · Checked 14 Oct 2026, 7:05 pm
- Elsewhere in the parkClosed areasUntil 30 Oct 2026
Area permanently closed - Mermaid Pools
Access to Mermaid Pools is permanently closed including for swimming. Sudden large swells and tides create major waves that wash over the rocks and pools.
Do not access this area. The severe conditions at this site have caused a number of significant injuries and deaths in the past.
Mermaid Pools have never been a designated visitor site due to the extreme nature of the surf and tides at this location. There is no approved public access walking track to Mermaid Pools.
For further information call the NPWS Verges Creek area office on 02 6561 6700.
About
Retrace history along an easy walking 1.2-kilometre return track, Bridle trail, near Trial Bay Gaol in Arakoon National Park, five kilometres east of South West Rocks. In days gone by, horses would haul the massive steam crane used in the granite quarry during the construction of the ill-fated breakwater.
You won’t see any exhausted horses along this trail today. Accessed from Little Bay picnic area, this historic short track is now a beautiful walk through regenerated coastal heathlands and majestic gums. Passing cool patches of rainforest, look for remnants of the old iron water pipe that was used to supply water to the gaol.
If you feel like exploring a little more, an easy track links to both Powder Magazine walking track and Little Bay Beach, where you can also enjoy a refreshing swim.
The walk at a glance
Arakoon National Park · North Coast
Bridle Trail walking track is an easy short walk offering a glimpse of the historic heritage of Trial Bay Gaol in Arakoon National Park near Kempsey.
- Difficulty
- Grade 2 · Easy
- Distance
- 0.6km one-way
- Time
- 15 - 45min
- Accessibility
- Medium
What to bring
- Drinking water
- Hat
- Sunscreen
Plan your walk
Access, facilities and practical details.
Frequently asked questions
7 questionsNearby places
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Get in touch
Website
Visit websiteTrial Bay Gaol Visitor Centre
02 6566 6168npws.hastingsmacleay@environment.nsw.gov.au73 Trial Bay Gaol Road, Arakoon NSW 2431
Where you'll be
Bridle Street south
South West Rocks NSW 2431









