Booti Booti National Park - Beaches & Walks to Explore
- Mar 31
- 3 min read
About 20km from Forster, Booti Booti National Park is comprised of an 8km peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and Smiths Lake. This beautiful part of New South Wales covers 1,566ha of scenic headlands, stunning beaches, vibrant rainforest, and 11km of estuarine foreshore right next to Forster. The name comes from “butibuti,” the local Worimi Aboriginal word meaning “plenty of honey.”
Booti Booti National Park is ideal for swimming, having a picnic and bush walking. With its pristine beaches, aqua water and rainforest bush walks, Booti Booti National Park offers visitors plenty to do.
There are a number of Beaches in Booti Booti National Park with Elizabeth Beach the only patrolled beach in summer, other beaches are Boomerang Beach, Blueys Beach, Seven Mile Beach and Shelly Beach.
There is a round trip 2.5 hours bushwalking or you might just choose to do a section at a time like I did from Elizabeth Beach to Seven Mile Beach and back again. The track is classed as moderate to steep and you will need to have some level of fitness to climb up the steps.
The rainforest has a tranquil energy and is a wonderful place to have some downtime.
As you walk along the rainforest you will get glimpses of coastal views, and find many interesting flora and fauna to take photos of. I even stumbled across a couple of snakes fighting.
On your return to Elizabeth Beach you might also have time to do the Shelly Beach walking track. This track was much easier to navigate unlike the previous walk. Please note Shelly Beach is a nudist beach (unofficially).
The photos in this post were taken on a very calm day and I felt like I was on a tropical island. Fishermen were at the top of some of the rocks so I headed up there too and notice schools of mullet making their way up the coast.
The sunsets over Smiths Lake can be stunning and it is worth stopping to take in just how beautiful this region is.
Booti Booti National Park Accommodation
Accommodation is available in the surrounding towns, you might like to explore these suggestions below.
Booti Booti National Park Map
Booti Booti National Park Day Pass
You will require a pass to enter the park which is $8 per vehicle per day if you don't have an annual pass. Day passes are available from the Manning Great Lakes Area Office or the Park'nPay app.
Booti Booti National Park Camping
Located around 15km south of Forster, The Ruins campground is a well-equipped base within Booti Booti National Park, set between Wallis Lake and Seven Mile Beach. The campground offers nearly 100 sites suitable for tents, caravans and camper trailers, along with essential facilities including toilets, hot showers, drinking water, barbecues and picnic areas. It’s an easy spot to settle in and explore nearby beaches, walking tracks and seasonal whale watching. Shops and supplies are close by in Forster and Blueys Beach, while swimmers should note that Seven Mile Beach is unpatrolled. Elizabeth Beach is the nearest patrolled option.