The latest numbers are in and it turns out we are all feeling a bit of cabin fever. New South Wales national parks just clocked a record-breaking 65.5 million visits in the last financial year. That’s a massive jump from the 38 million we saw back in 2008. It seems the secret is well and truly out. While many of us have been using these tracks to escape the grind for decades, there’s a fresh wave of people discovering that the best views in the country don’t have Wi-Fi.
What’s really interesting about these stats is who is doing the walking. The biggest growth is coming from the 24 to 35 age bracket. These legends have jumped from 19 percent to 26 percent of total visitors. We reckon it’s a bit of a shift in priorities. Instead of spending Saturday nights in a loud club, more young Aussies are choosing to wake up at 4:00 AM to catch a sunrise over a sandstone cliff. It’s hard to argue with that logic when you see some of the spots sitting right on our doorstep.
The heavy hitters at the top of the list
It probably comes as no surprise to anyone who has tried to find a park at Echo Point lately, but the Blue Mountains National Park is still the undisputed king. It pulled in 7.8 million visits on its own. It’s the gold standard for a reason. You have world-class lookouts, technical tracks, and enough history to keep you coming back for a lifetime. If you’re heading up there on a weekend, you definitely need to be an early bird or you’ll be doing laps of the car park instead of the cliff walks.
Coming in second was the Royal National Park with 4.9 million visits. Being so close to Sydney makes it an easy win for a day trip. Then you have Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park in third place with 4.3 million. These three parks are doing a lot of the heavy lifting. While it is great to see so many people getting a taste of the bush, it also means our favourite local spots are feeling the pinch. We’ve always said that the best way to enjoy the outdoors is to find the tracks that nobody else is talking about.
Shifting gears and changing crowds
The data shows that international tourists are also back in a big way. Roughly 72 percent of overseas visitors who land in New South Wales end up visiting at least one national park. After the quiet years of the pandemic and the horror bushfire seasons, it’s good to see the parks bouncing back so strongly. People are voting with their feet and they’re choosing the dirt over the bitumen. It shows that despite everything, the call of the bush is still the strongest drawcard we have.
There is also a big push for accessibility. We are seeing more people using public transport to reach the trailheads. This is opening up the outdoors to a whole new crowd who might not have a kitted-out 4X4 sitting in the driveway yet. We think this is a win for everyone. The more people who fall in love with our bush, the more voices we have fighting to keep it protected and open for future generations.
Keeping the bush as it should be
With 65 million people wandering through the scrub, the pressure on our environment is real. We’ve seen a few spots get a battered over the years from over-visitation. It’s on all of us to lead by example. That means sticking to the tracks, packing out every bit of rubbish you bring in, and being mindful of the wildlife.
The surge in popularity of our National Parks is a great reminder for us to keep exploring further afield. If the main lookouts are looking like a shopping centre on Christmas Eve, it’s time to pull out the maps and find a fire trail that is a bit more off the beaten path. New South Wales has over 890 national parks and reserves. While the top three are cracking spots, there are hundreds of others that offer just as much beauty without the crowd.
