The Castle Hike, Budawangs: Complete Hiking Guide

A complete guide to the Castle Hike, a challenging and epic trail in the Budawangs of Morton National Park, NSW, Australia!

The Castle is a notoriously challenging hike in the Budawang Mountains of New South Wales. Located just inland from the golden beaches of the NSW South Coast, this is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the raw, rugged wilderness.

Ever since I moved to Australia in 2018, I always heard South Coast locals talking about The Castle Hike. It had been on my bucket list for years!

Just recently I finally got to hike the Castle with my boyfriend and his mom. The three of us woke up at 4:30am, drove out to the car park and started hiking around 6am.

A huge, glowing full moon followed us as we drove through the rural countryside and into Morton National Park. It had us wishing we had done the overnight version of the Castle hike and camped up on the mountain! I’ll discuss how to do that later.

But we spent the whole day tackling this amazing trail, encountering a few missed trailheads, sketchy rope climbs, and breathtaking views along the way.

rugged cliffs in the wilderness of nsw — Inland views near the Castle summit

Here is my ultimate hiking guide to the Castle Hike in Morton National Park!

I’m going to cover logistics of the Castle trail, recommendations, and snippets of my personal experience.

I will not sugar-coat it, it’s a hard hike! It takes most of the day, it’s steep, and definitely not for those who are afraid of heights. But if you love a good adventure out in nature, I highly recommend the Castle walking track!

If you want more hiking recommendations for NSW, check out my list of 12 amazing day hikes in the Blue Mountains!

The Castle Hike, Budawangs, Morton National Park – Ultimate Hiking Guide

Here is my guide to hiking the Castle, a true gem of the Budawangs in NSW, Australia. I’m going to cover what to bring, how to get to the trailhead, recommendations for the hike, and more.

This is definitely a hike you want to be prepared for. Don’t just show up and wing it!

You can always check out the NSW National Parks website for more info. The only page they have specifically about the Castle Hike is catered to those doing an overnight hike, but the same info applies to day hikers.

Quick facts about the Castle Walking Track:

Distance: Around 12km (out and back trail)
Hiking time: 8-10 hours depending on fitness level
Elevation gained: Roughly 847 metres
Level of difficulty: Very hard
Starting point: Long Gully Camping Area

the castle summit, nsw australia — Matt standing at the Castle summit

Where is the Castle?

The Castle refers to a rugged plateau at the top of the Budawangs in Morton National Park, NSW, Australia. The Budawang Mountains are a mountain range running through both Morton National Park and Budawang National Park.

This beautiful and remote area of New South Wales is located just inland from the popular coastal towns of Milton, Ulladulla, and Mollymook.

You can reach the coastal towns in about 3 hours driving south of Sydney. To get into the Budawangs it’s another hour inland from the coast. So from Sydney, it’s about 4 hours to get to the Castle hike.

If you don’t have a car, you’ll need to rent one in Sydney for the Castle Hike!

How hard is the Castle hike?

The Castle Hike in Morton National Park, NSW, is very hard! The ascent is long and gradual with some steep sections. But the hardest part is the exposed rope climbs near the top of the cliffs.

You will need a pretty decent level of fitness to tackle this hike. About 75% of the hike is suitable for any experienced hikers, meaning it’s just standard bushwalking up through the forest. There are some steep sections with wooden steps, but there are some flat sections mixed in.

The hardest part if the final 25% of the Castle hike. You’ll have to do some rock scrambles and it can be hard to stay on track as you wind through the thick forest.

Rope climbs become frequent near the Castle summit as well. The ropes are relatively thin and worn, yet you have to fully rely on them to hoist yourself up some steep rocks near the cliff edges.

There are also some sections where you have to squeeze through tight rock tunnels and caves, so those who are claustrophobic may not love that part.

I’m not trying to scare you! But I want to be realistic. It was a bit scary at times, so even if you’re a fit hiker, skip this hike if you’re afraid of heights or unwilling to try rope climbs near the top of a cliff edge!

rope climbing on the castle hike — Matt’s mom Therese tackling one of the rope climbs during the Castle Hike

How to get to the Castle Walking Track?

The Castle Walking Track begins at the edge of Long Gully Campground in Budawang National Park. This campground sits right next to a peaceful river and has toilets and picnic tables. But those are the only facilities out here!

You’ll also pass the peaceful Yadboro Flats Campground on the way out here, so there are plenty of camping options. Read more about Long Gully Campground on the NSW National Parks website.

The actual trailhead for the Castle Hike can be hard to find. You just drive into the parking area and drive straight all the way to the end, passing the toilets and camping areas on the way.

Once the gravel road stops, park by the side of the road and the trail begins straight ahead. There are no obvious signs, just a slight parting in the grass by the side of the road.

I don’t know why the trail isn’t better marked. Maybe because it’s a local secret? But the trailhead starts right next to the car park, so just look around for it.

If you need a place to stay in the area, I recommend checking Booking.com for the best accommodations on the South Coast NSW.

What hiking the Castle is actually like

We had a rocky start to hiking the Castle! We actually couldn’t find the trailhead so we crossed the river and wandered through the bush until we found a firetrail. It was a wide, steep gravel road leading straight up, so we just went with it.

After making it all the way to the top of the firetrail, we found ourselves facing the massive cliffs with no way up. We had obviously gone the wrong way, so we just bashed through the bush and followed the towering cliffs around the mountain.

Eventually we did find our way back to the trail, and we were able to follow the correct trail on the way down.

The trail is pretty straightforward for the most part! You’ll pass some rocky caves, steep wooden steps, and stunning views of the Budawangs.

The rope climbing section of the Castle hike

About 3/4 of the way up the mountain, you’ll encounter your first rope climb. As I said before, the ropes don’t look super reliable but you really have no choice but to trust them. Just climb them at your own risk!

The ropes are usually tied to trees or rocks and you have to use them to pull yourself up some steep boulders. It’s actually really fun once you get over the fear and uncertainty.

After a few rope climbs, you’ll get to a point where you have to shimmy through a narrow rock tunnel and rope climb down the rocks on the other side. We had to take off our backpacks and pass them to each other so we could slip through the tight cliff openings.

After this rock tunnel, the trail becomes harder to follow. We got lost and backtracked a few times.

It would maybe help to have a map or GPS, but we just guessed and it worked out fine. Other hikers on the trail may also give you advice which is always helpful.

people climbing ropes down the rocks at the castle

The harder rope climbing section of the Castle hike

Not until you get closer to the Castle summit will you encounter the really sketchy rope climbs. After the first few I grew more comfortable with them and didn’t think they were that bad. But they get scarier! (Again, don’t want to dissuade anyone from the hike – just being honest)

As you near the Castle summit, you’ll find yourself emerging from the forest and hiking along the exposed cliffs. There is little vegetation and the rocks are rough and rugged. But the views are starting to get amazing!

There are some rope climbs that are scarily close to the cliff edge. They are all doable if you’re brave and confident. I saw younger kids doing them, and Matt’s mom did them with no problem.

I’m not typically afraid of heights, but I did feel tingly and nervous as I clung to some worn-out ropes and hoped they would be strong enough to let me scramble up the rocks to safety.

the castle hike rock climbing up the cliffs — Matt climbing up one of the more exposed rock climbs near the summit

The Castle Summit

All of the struggle is worth it when you reach the Castle Summit! You can rest, relax, refuel, and admire those panoramic views.

Look east and you can see all the way out to the sapphire waters of the Pacific Ocean. And in every other direction it’s just the vast, seemingly-untouched forests and cliffs of the Budawangs.

With green gum trees and imposing cliff faces, it’s an amazing sight.

After enjoying the summit, it’s time to hike back down! I personally think the rope climbing parts are harder on the way down, but I think that’s just me. It’s easier to push your momentum forward as you climb up, but I think it’s scary to put 100% of my weight on the rope and lower back down the cliffs.

Again, just be confident and calm. The ropes obviously are trustworthy if we all made it up and down safely, but still try to be careful!

The entire hike to the top and back took us around 10 hours, including plenty of breaks and about 30 minutes of chilling at the summit.

views from the castle summit morton national park — Views from the summit of the Castle Hike, overlooking Morton National Park!

What to pack for the Castle hike

It’s super important to be prepared for the Castle hike, as there are no facilities on the trail. Because it’s such a challenging trail as well, you’ll want to have everything you need.

Here is what I would recommend to bring on the hike:

☼ WATER – Bring 3L minimum. Matt and I brought 2L each and we finished it all with still an hour or two to go. Luckily Matt’s mom had extra to donate to us! So bring more water than you think you’ll need, especially if it’s hot and sunny.

☼ Snacks – Bring enough snacks to keep you fueled up for the day. We brought protein bars, apples, bananas, and sandwiches for the summit.

☼ Good hiking shoes – You’ll want sturdy shoes with good traction for this hike. Because of all the rock climbs, make sure your shoes will grip the rocks and you won’t be slipping everywhere.

☼ Sun protection – The majority of the hike is in the shade of the forest. But at the summit, there is no shade at all. Wear sunscreen and bring a hat and sunglasses to stay sun-safe.

☼ Light sweater – The South Coast of NSW gets chilly when it’s dark, even in summer sometimes. You might want a light sweater to keep warm when starting the hike on the forest floor at 6am.

☼ Camera – To capture those gorgeous views!

☼ Comfy backpack – Have a comfy backpack where you can store everything. Keep your pack as light as possible – you only need to pack what I’ve listed. But it’s super important that your pack is secure and you can have both hands free for the rope climbs.

couple eating lunch at the top of the castle summit

Camping overnight for the Castle

Instead of hiking the Castle in a day, you can turn it into a 2-day adventure by camping overnight on the mountain!

About 3/4 of the way up the mountain is Cooyoyo Creek Campsite. It’s not super obvious from the trail and I’m not positive where it is exactly. But you can find it on Google Maps so hopefully that will help if you decide to camp overnight.

Though it sounds appealing to hike up to the summit for sunrise, I wouldn’t recommend it. You don’t want to be doing those rock scrambles in the dark.

You can see beautiful views of Pigeon House Mountain and Monolith Valley from the Cooyoyo Creek Campsite. So just enjoy the sunrise view there and then head up to the summit.