Refuge Rock and Natural Arch

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Safer Bushwalks Tips on staying safe on track
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.

Getting There Transport options and directions

Start	(-33.708296,151.0577415)
Mode	Bus Car (There is free parking available.)
Directions	From New Line Road Turn on to Purchase Road then drive for 265 m At roundabout, take exit 2 onto Purchase Road and drive for another 580 m At roundabout, take exit 2 onto Purchase Road and drive for another 1.1 km At roundabout, take exit 2 onto Purchase Road and drive for another 690 m Turn left onto Trevors Lane and drive for another 260 m

Track Notes Turn by turn instructions & maps

Getting started
From the end of Trevors Ln, Cherrybrook, the walk passes the 'Berowra Valley Regional Park' sign and follows the management trail beside the houses. The walk almost immediately passes around a gate and arrives at an intersection with another management trail.
From the intersection, the walk follows the management trail, directly away from the houses. After a short distance, the trail reaches an intersection with another management trail, signposted '92A/92B ...'.
From the intersection, the walk follows the 'ST22/23' arrow, going gently up the hill, along the management trail. After a very short distance, the trail passes under some high voltage powerlines and immediately reaches an intersection with a bush track, to the right, and management trail, to the left.
From the intersection, the walk follows the management trail away from the high voltage powerlines, leaving the visible tower to the left. The trail descends gently, through pleasant forest (ignoring an unmarked bush track to the right) and reaches an intersection with another management trail, signposted '92A 92B/16'.
From the intersection, the walk follows the level management trail, leaving the '92A 92B/16' signpost behind on the left. After a short distance, the trail passes a clearing, to the left, and descends for a while before arriving at a large, flat rock outcrop, the western edge of 'Refuge Rock'.....

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start.
	After another 75 m turn left, to head along Trevors Lane Trail.
	After another 165 m (at the intersection of Trevors Lane Trail & Refuge Rock Trail) turn left, to head along Refuge Rock Trail.
	After another 120 m veer left, to head along Refuge Rock Trail.
	After another 135 m veer right, to head along Refuge Rock Trail.
	The starting point of an optional sidetrip. An optional side trip to Natural Arch. To start this optional side trip turn right here. On returning from this side trip continue straight when you get back to this intersection. Details below. Continue another 190 m to find the end. Then turn around here and retrace the main route for 690 m to get back to the start. About 30 m past the end is "Refuge Rock". Refuge Rock Refuge Rock is a large area of rock outcrops and platforms, at the end of the Refuge Rock walk near Cherrybrook. This area has a great atmosphere and is a nice spot to explore or relax, close to the suburbs, but feeling a million miles from it. The various rock platforms extend for hundreds of metres in all directions. At the far south-east edge of Refuge Rock is a natural arch, know as 'London Bridge'. Refuge Rock was used as a target area during military training around WWII. There are a number of visible marks in the rock surface from mortar shells.

An optional side trip to Natural Arch.

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start. Refuge Rock (about 30 m back from the start). Refuge Rock Refuge Rock is a large area of rock outcrops and platforms, at the end of the Refuge Rock walk near Cherrybrook. This area has a great atmosphere and is a nice spot to explore or relax, close to the suburbs, but feeling a million miles from it. The various rock platforms extend for hundreds of metres in all directions. At the far south-east edge of Refuge Rock is a natural arch, know as 'London Bridge'. Refuge Rock was used as a target area during military training around WWII. There are a number of visible marks in the rock surface from mortar shells. After another 265 m come to "London Bridge".
	The end. About 15 m past the end is "Natural Arch". Natural Arch This natural arch, known locally as 'London Bridge' is at the south-eastern edge of Refuge Rock, near Cherrybrook. The arch is formed below a long, narrow block of rock at the edge of a larger rock platform. To see the arch, you walk down through the narrow chasms separating the block from the rock platform, to emerge underneath the arch. The arch itself, and the area around it is beautiful. Turn around and retrace your steps back the 245 m to the main route.

Turn map

Directions & comments

Start.

Refuge Rock (about 30 m back from the start).

Refuge Rock

Refuge Rock is a large area of rock outcrops and platforms, at the end of the Refuge Rock walk near Cherrybrook. This area has a great atmosphere and is a nice spot to explore or relax, close to the suburbs, but feeling a million miles from it. The various rock platforms extend for hundreds of metres in all directions. At the far south-east edge of Refuge Rock is a natural arch, know as 'London Bridge'. Refuge Rock was used as a target area during military training around WWII. There are a number of visible marks in the rock surface from mortar shells.

After another 265 m come to "London Bridge".

The end.

About 15 m past the end is "Natural Arch".

Natural Arch

This natural arch, known locally as 'London Bridge' is at the south-eastern edge of Refuge Rock, near Cherrybrook. The arch is formed below a long, narrow block of rock at the edge of a larger rock platform. To see the arch, you walk down through the narrow chasms separating the block from the rock platform, to emerge underneath the arch. The arch itself, and the area around it is beautiful.

Turn around and retrace your steps back the 245 m to the main route.

Terrain Know the Hills, grading & facilities

Refuge Rock and Natural Arch

Grading

	Class 3/6 Moderate track
Length	1.4 km
Time	30 min to 1 h

Quality of track	Clear and well formed track or trail (2/6)
Gradient	Gentle hills with occasional steps (2/6)
Signage	Directional signs along the way (3/6)
Infrastructure	Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
Experience Required	No experience required (1/6)
Weather	Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)

Articles Discover more details to thrive on track

Refuge Rock
Refuge Rock is a large area of rock outcrops and platforms, at the end of the Refuge Rock walk near Cherrybrook. This area has a great atmosphere and is a nice spot to explore or relax, close to the suburbs, but feeling a million miles from it. The various rock platforms extend for hundreds of metres in all directions. At the far south-east edge of Refuge Rock is a natural arch, know as 'London Bridge'. Refuge Rock was used as a target area during military training around WWII. There are a number of visible marks in the rock surface from mortar shells.

Natural Arch
This natural arch, known locally as 'London Bridge' is at the south-eastern edge of Refuge Rock, near Cherrybrook. The arch is formed below a long, narrow block of rock at the edge of a larger rock platform. To see the arch, you walk down through the narrow chasms separating the block from the rock platform, to emerge underneath the arch. The arch itself, and the area around it is beautiful.

Get more information
Wildwalks

Weather & Alerts Check forecasts & closures
Weather Forecast
- Hornsby Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon
  
  Monday 23 December
  
  Clear.
  
  Clear. Winds southeast to southwesterly 20 to 30 km/h becoming light in the late evening.
  
  Tuesday 24 December
  
  15°C → 26°C
  Sunny.
  5% chance of rain
  
  Sunny. Winds west to southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h turning south to southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the late evening.
  
  Fire Danger Rating: High
  
  Alert: Large and powerful surf conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as rock fishing, swimming and surfing.
  
  UV Alert: Sun protection 8:40am to 5:00pm, UV Index predicted to reach 11 [Extreme]
  
  Wednesday 25 December
  
  16°C → 29°C
  Sunny.
  0% chance of rain
  
  Sunny. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 20 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the evening.
  
  Alert: Large and powerful surf conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as rock fishing, swimming and surfing.
  
  Thursday 26 December
  
  16°C → 32°C
  Sunny.
  5% chance of rain
  
  Sunny. Light winds becoming northeasterly 20 to 30 km/h during the day.
  
  Friday 27 December
  
  20°C → 36°C
  Shower or two.
  50% chance of rain
  0 → 2mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely later in the day. The chance of a thunderstorm. Winds north to northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h shifting southerly 25 to 35 km/h during the afternoon.
  
  Saturday 28 December
  
  18°C → 29°C
  Partly cloudy.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower during the morning. Winds southerly 15 to 25 km/h turning easterly during the day.
  
  Sunday 29 December
  
  17°C → 31°C
  Partly cloudy.
  30% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day.
  
  Monday 30 December
  
  19°C → 30°C
  Partly cloudy.
  30% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day.
  
  Forecast data thanks to © Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Alerts
- Berowra Valley National Park alerts
  Closed areas: Quarry trail and Great North Walk closure in Berowra Valley National Park
  Due to upgrade works on Steele Bridge on the Quarry trail in Berowra Valley National Park, there will be changed access to the surrounding trail network from Tuesday 8 October until Tuesday 7 January 2024.
  There will be no access across Berowra Creek on the Great North Walk (GNW) from the Quarry trail section in Hornsby, between Simon trail and Galston Gorge via Tunks Ridge campground.
  Walkers using the GNW will be required to detour via Simon trail, Sydney Road or Ulolo Road, Galston Road, Montview Parade, McKay Road or McKay trail in Hornsby Heights.
  Walkers planning to use Tunks Ridge campground can only access this area from the north, via Galston Road GNW entrance and Tunks Ridge trail.
  Access between Tunks Ridge campground and Quarry Road, Dural via Quarry trail through the Rifle Range safety template is prohibited at all times.
  Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, contact the local park office on (02) 8448 0400.
  
  Closed areas: Total Fire Ban - All tracks and trails closed in Berowra Valley Regional and National Park - Monday 23 December 2024
  All tracks and trails in Berowra Valley National Park AND Regionals Park are closed on Monday 23 December 2024 due to a Total Fire Ban and elevated Fire Danger rating.
  
  Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, call the National Parks Contact Centre on 1300 072 757.
  
  Please review RFS information on Total Fire Bans, Fire Danger Ratings, and keep up to date using the Hazards Near Me app:
  https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fdr-and-tobans
  https://www.nsw.gov.au/emergency/hazards-near-me-app
  
  Fire bans: Total Fire Ban
  A total fire ban has been declared by the NSW Rural Fire Service. The total fire ban applies for the entire 24-hour period. Total fire ban rules apply. This ban may be extended. Please continue to check this website. To find out where and when total fire bans are currently in effect, please visit the NSW Rural Fire Service.
  
  Safety alerts: Swimming safety in Berowra Valley National Park
  Swimming is not advisable in Berowra Creek at certain times as the water may be subject to variable pollution levels and algal blooms. Please refer to the Hornsby Shire Council website before swimming in Berowra Creek. Alternatively you can call the Hornsby Council 24 hour information line on 9847 6666 or the Algal information line on 1800 999 457.
  Swimming at Fishponds is not advised at any time due to heavy water pollution.
  Penalties apply for non-compliance.For more information, contact the NPWS Chatswood area office on 02 8448 0400 or visit the NSW National Parks safety page for park safety guidelines.
  
  Alert kindly provided by © NSW Nataional Parks and Wildlife Service

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