3.2 km
Reef Beach
A quiet, sheltered pocket of sand two kilometres from anywhere. The first place the track drops right down to the water.
-33.8034, 151.2617Sydney, Australia
Manly to Spit Bridge
Arguably Sydney's most beautiful trail run
Ten kilometres of harbour foreshore track linking Manly to the Spit — harbour views, hidden beaches, bushland, boardwalks and Aboriginal rock engravings most locals have never seen.
- Distance
- 10.01 km
- Elevation
- 128 m
- Time
- 65–85 min
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Type
- Point to point
TrailHarbourCoastalHard
Route map
Every stop, mapped
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StartFinishWaterToiletsTransportCafeBeachLookoutLandmark Photo stop
Route timeline
Kilometre by kilometre
0 km
Manly Wharf
Run west along the Fairlight foreshore promenade.
1.8 km
Fairlight
Sealed path ends; the trail begins.
3.2 km
Reef Beach
First beach drop, then a steep climb out.
5.1 km
Dobroyd Head
Highest point of the route.
6.4 km
Grotto Point
Optional 600 m spur to the lighthouse and engravings.
8.7 km
Clontarf Reserve
Water, toilets and shade.
10 km
Spit Bridge
Finish at the bus stop on Spit Road.
Route highlights
The parts you'll remember
6.4 km
Grotto Point
A short spur off the main track to a lighthouse on the headland, with Aboriginal rock engravings on the sandstone platform above.
-33.8098, 151.25608.7 km
Clontarf Reserve
Grass, shade, netted swimming and taps — the natural place to stop before the final push to the bridge.
-33.8065, 151.2497Photo stops
Where to stop and shoot
Dobroyd Head lookout
The whole harbour opens up beneath you — Middle Head, North Head and the city skyline in one frame.
- Best time
- Late afternoon
- Photography tip
- Use the wind-carved sandstone overhang as a natural frame around the skyline.
- GPS
- -33.8069, 151.2585
Castle Rock Beach
Twenty metres of sand with yachts moored just offshore and almost never another person on it.
- Best time
- Morning, high tide
- Photography tip
- Shoot from the track above through the angophora branches for depth.
- GPS
- -33.8082, 151.2521
Grotto Point engravings
Thousands of years of Aboriginal rock art on an open sandstone platform above the harbour.
- Best time
- Low, raking light — early or late
- Photography tip
- Stand with the sun low and side-on; the shallow grooves disappear under midday light.
- GPS
- -33.8101, 151.2557
Local knowledge
Before you go
- Best time to run
- Mid-morning — the trail is technical and needs light, but afternoons get hot.
- Sunrise
- 6:00am summer / 6:50am winter; the first two kilometres face east across the harbour.
- Sunset
- Dobroyd Head is the best sunset viewpoint, but don't be on the trail after dark.
- Parking
- Free all-day parking near Clontarf, or park at the Spit and catch the bus to Manly first.
- Public transport
- Ferry to Manly from Circular Quay, B1 bus back from the Spit Bridge.
- Water
- Taps at Forty Baskets and Clontarf only — carry a bottle.
- Toilets
- Manly, Forty Baskets and Clontarf Reserve.
Safety
Rocky, root-covered singletrack with drop-offs. Trail shoes strongly recommended. Snakes in summer.
Getting there
- • Manly Ferry
- • Spit Bridge bus stop (B1)
2 water points · 1 toilet stop on route
Local tip
Grab a coffee at Rollers Bakehouse in Manly before you start — it's the best in the north.
- Rollers Bakehouse — Manly. Coffee and pastries before the start.
- The Boathouse Shelly Beach — Detour east from Manly if you have an extra hour.
- Clontarf kiosk — Cold drinks and an ice cream at the 8.7 km mark.
Route pack
Download the Manly to Spit Bridge pack
The GPX file plus everything on this page, ready for your watch and your pocket.
- GPX file
- Route map
- Route summary
- Elevation profile
- Route highlights
- Photo-stop guide
- Public transport info
- Local recommendations