Five Islands Walking Track

Attraction
Knappinghat Creek, Five Islands Walking Track. Photo: Kevin Carter/NSW Government.
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Park alerts

Saltwater National Park

Checked 13 Oct 2026, 10:05 am

No current alerts or closures are published for Saltwater National Park.

About

Experience the beauty of coastal landscape on Five Islands walking track as you explore the surrounding salt and fresh water environments. Setting out from Saltwater picnic area, this flat to gently rippled walk meanders through coastal heath and paperbark swamp before it crosses over Saltwater Gully, where you’ll enter Khappinghat Nature Reserve in the west.

Aboriginal heritage is plentiful at Saltwater National Park, and along this walk you'll see traces of their heritage in the form of scarred trees, middens and fish traps.

Saltwater Gully forms part of a system of waterways which means you’ll experience rainforest, mangroves, salt flats, sedge and wetlands, all in one walk. Khappinghat Creek, where you can see the 'five islands', is the largest area of undeveloped wetlands and the only naturally opening and closing estuarine system on the mid north coast of NSW.

Saltwater National Park · North Coast

This gorgeous coastal walking track follows a part of the Saltwater National Park coastline that is rich in Aboriginal history with great spots for swimming, fishing, surfing, and sailing, near Taree.

Difficulty
Grade 4 · Hard
Distance
2.4km return
Time
30min - 1hr
Accessibility
Hard

Plan your walk

Access, facilities and practical details.

Frequently asked questions

6 questions

Get in touch

Park office

02 6552 4097

Where you'll be

Saltwater Road

Saltwater NSW 2430