Spit to Manly Walk

Ive done this walk a total of about 5 times
First time was fun when i caught 2 trains 2 buses to the spit when i finally realised you only have to take a train and bus from my area in hurstville. fun times !!
Its a 10 km hike and takes anywhere from 2 — 3 hours with of course a couple of stopovers at the beautiful beaches along the way to Manly .
Ive ran it once which took me Just over an hour. never doing that again. dangerous to fall along the way and its too good of a trail to run through. should be enjoyed with a power walk as your fastest .
Also nothing better than enoying a meal in the beautiful Manly, then myself i like to take the Ferry back to the city, my perfect chilled day out in Stdney !

Everyone talks about the Eastern Suburb Coastal walk but you never hear about this gem of a hike right in the harbor. If you like crowded walking paths then do the coastal walk, if you want unobstructed views of the harbor and less people this is the perfect day hike. 4 stars as there isn’t many services along the hike so you need to pack accordingly, bring the extra bottle of water you will need it.

So many people rave about the Bondi to Coogee Walk, which is also fabulous, but the Spit to Manly Walk offers so much more variety. As well as beaches, such as Clontarf and the isolated Reef Beach, there’s also wonderful stretches of bushland within Sydney National Park, Aboriginal rock engravings, a historic lighthouse and glorious views of Sydney Harbour.
I usually prefer to drive to Spit Bridge, then catch a return bus from Manly back to my car, but you can also catch the ferry to Manly to start, then return via bus to the city.
DOG TIP: Dogs aren’t allowed in the section going through the National Park, but there’s an alternate route heading through the local streets.

I was really p’d off at getting to 27 years of age and to never have walked this track. Why didn’t you tell me about this glorious walk, Earth? How long has Sydney been harbouring this incredible little secret? How come no one told me? And then, suddenly, it occurred to me that this has to be one of the greatest, and best kept secrets that Sydney has to offer. I almost thought about not leaving a review, just to try to preserve this natural beauty from the rest of humanity, and from the throngs of tourists that will likely flock here once word gets out. But alas, it’s too good to miss. Please, do yourselves a favour, put on them trekkers and get out there and check out this track. It’s a gift.

The spit is one of the best dog swimming beaches in the city. The water is clean and these is a clean small beach. The grass part of the park is not the biggest but on a sunny day the olly gets all the exercise he needs swimming in the sea.

I’ve done this walk a few times now and must say when it’s a sunny day, this is an excellent way to get some exercise, pass the time and see a little bit of a hidden Sydney that most wouldn’t. Who would think that in a city like Sydney bush tracks, small /​private beaches would line such a fantastic walk. It’s frequently by lots of people I’m sure training for a trek, charity walk etc. There are many runners as well so you just need to keep an eye out for them and step out of their way. Resting in Manly afterwards having a meal out near the water is definitely the way to finish the walk.

We walk along the bush path from Mosman down to the Spit Reserve where we can let the dogs off for a swim at the tiny (but safe) beach and let them run on the reserve. There’s heaps of other dogs for them to play with and there’s a mamoth car park between the park and the road.
Unfortunately that’s pretty much it for off-​leash dog play time, they have to be on the leash from the Spit Bridge all the way to Clontarf (
) where they get to play on the beach again.
Then it’s back on the lead and through Clontarf Reserve (
) and back on the bush path. At the end of the bush path, dogs (and owners) must turn left to go up the stairs and then to the road. Those without dogs can turn right and walk along the spectacular path through the national park. To be frank, the national park is nice but we also really enjoy walking along the road and seeing the view of Many.
There’s not too much more exciting to tell apart from:
— The walk is easy — moderate. There’s a few steep steps and can be a little slippery after rain but is generally pretty easy going.
— It takes us 2 ½ hours to walk from Mosman to Manly (2 hours if we leave from the Spit Reserve).
— It’s about 13 km from Mosman to Manly (we normally walk there and walk back or catch the ferry if we’re pressed for time).
— If you’re on an über health kick, go to Pure Whole Foods (
) for lunch — it’s ACE!
Happy walking!

There’s nothing like escaping to nature to quiet your mind and soak in some fresh air. The walk from the Spit in Mosman to Manly is one of the most well-​maintained trails that leads you through forests and beaches. The entire walk is around 9 km and follows the coastline along the harbor, which takes almost four hours. Keep in mind that this refers to one-​way direction, meaning it’ll take another four hours to walk back. What some people do is park their car at one end of the trail and take a taxi or bus back to their car at the end of the walk. Or you can get the bus to Mosman and take the ferry back to Circular Quay from Manly.
This bushwalk exposes you to various beautiful Northern Beaches. Along the trail, there are many beaches to stop at for a dip in the clear, cool waters of the harbor. You’ll also find some restaurants and cafes along the route where you can get a bite to eat. I recommend started your trip early in the morning to take advantage of cooler weather and less crowds.

It’s easy to lose sight of just how very beautiful this city that we call home is. Amidst the stress of work/​uni/​life, it’s very easy to become jaded. But not on this walk. The three hours that it should take you to do the Spit to Manly Walk are just incredible.
The whole walk is million-​dollar views, combined with physically challenging activity — pretty much my idea of heaven. The walk traverses Clontarf, Seaforth, Dobroyd and the stunning North Harbour Park, before dipping into Fairlight and winding up in Manly, where you can get a well-​deserved meal or drink before heading home on the bus or ferry.

Who lives in the most beautiful city in the world?
Park at Spit Bridge in Mosman (or get the by bus from the city or the north), find the start of the Spit to Manly walk at the northern end of Spit Bridge, and allow yourself 3 – 4 hours to discover yet another reason why WE DO!
The path hugs the coast around the beaches of Clontarf, before heading through a few back streets of Balgowlah and onto Dobroyd Head. Great views cover down to Manly Harbour and out across the heads, and don’t miss the Aboriginal painting site close to the top of the headland (this is slightly off the path so keep your eyes peeled).
After Dobroyd, the path heads back to sea level, and you pass through busy little North Harbour Park. Look out for the marker after the park which explains how Manly got its name (early Governor Arthur Phillip was impressed by the distinctly ‘manly bearing’ of the local inhabitants!).
Towards Fairlight you are again briefly in back streets (signposted MSW walk, or even simply MSW at times), then onto the paved path which you share with all manner of wheeled contraptions. The path skirts Manly Harbour round to where the ferries berth. After 10 km, grab your well-​deserved coffee or ice cream, then jump on a ferry back to Circular Quay or catch a bus from the stop across from the ferry terminal back to where you started (144 or 143).