The Journal · 2 August 2026
Hat Head and Hat Head National Park
A guide to Hat Head village and Hat Head National Park, NSW — the walking tracks, the beaches, Smoky Cape Lighthouse, and the dog rule that catches people out.
Hat Head is the next village north of Crescent Head, about half an hour up the road, and the national park that shares its name stretches most of the way between the two. It’s the single easiest half-day trip from here, and the one most people don’t realise is there.
It’s also where the dog rule catches people out, so we’ll get that out of the way first.
The rule to know before you go
Hat Head National Park does not permit dogs anywhere inside its boundaries, at any time of year. Not on lead, not in the car park, not on the beaches inside the park.
If the dog is with you, this is not the day trip. The regional park south of Crescent Head is dog-friendly, and there’s a full rundown in our guide to dog-friendly beaches and walks.
Everything below assumes you’ve left them at home, or at the house.
Hat Head village
Smaller and sleepier than Crescent Head, which is saying something. The village sits at the mouth of Korogoro Creek, surrounded on almost every side by national park, and there’s very little to it — which is precisely the appeal.
The creek is the drawcard. It’s shallow, sheltered and clear, and at the right tide it’s one of the better spots on this stretch of coast for a swim with small children. There’s a caravan park, a handful of houses, and not much else.
Drive from Crescent Head: about 30 minutes.
Korogoro Point — the walk to do
The headland at Hat Head is the reason to come. The Korogoro walking track climbs out of the village and around the point, and the views back down the coast are genuinely among the best on the Mid North Coast.
Like the headland at Crescent Head, it’s exposed — no shade, and the wind comes straight off the water. Take a hat and water, and go in the morning or the late afternoon rather than the middle of the day.
Between May and November, this is one of the better whale-watching vantage points in the region. The same migration passes Crescent Head, but the extra height here helps. Our whale watching guide covers what you’re actually looking for.
The other tracks in the park
The park has a spread of walks beyond Korogoro, and they’re scattered across a long stretch of coast rather than clustered in one spot — worth checking a map before you commit to a drive.
- Connors walking track — includes a bridge crossing, close to the village.
- Green Island walking track
- Jack Perkins walking track
- Kinchela Trig lookout walk — high ground, inland views.
- Little Bay to Gap Beach walking track — the northern end, near South West Rocks.
- Smoky Cape Range walking track — up at the lighthouse end.
Track conditions and closures change, particularly after heavy rain, so check the NSW National Parks site before you set out.
Smoky Cape Lighthouse
At the far northern end of the park, closer to South West Rocks than to Hat Head, the Smoky Cape Lighthouse sits high on the headland with some of the best coastal views in the region. Built in 1891, it’s a working landmark and a genuinely dramatic spot.
The old lighthouse keepers’ cottages are available as accommodation, if you ever want the wilder version of a coastal stay.
Most people do the lighthouse as part of a South West Rocks day rather than a Hat Head one — it’s the natural pairing. See our day trips guide and, if you’re weighing up the towns, Crescent Head vs South West Rocks.
Camping in the park
Two campgrounds sit inside Hat Head National Park:
- Hungry Gate campground — the closer of the two to Hat Head village.
- Smoky Cape campground — campsites right by the beach, up at the northern end.
Both are booked through NSW National Parks, and both are inside the park, which means no dogs. If you’re camping with a dog, the dog-friendly option is the regional park south of Crescent Head — there’s detail in our camping and caravan parks guide.
What the park is actually like
It’s more varied than the name suggests. Beaches and dunes along the coast, but also rainforest pockets and wetlands inland, which is why the birdlife is good and why the walks feel different from each other rather than being seven versions of the same headland.
The beaches inside the park are unpatrolled and often completely empty. That’s the appeal and it’s also the warning — this is open coast with no lifeguards and, in most places, no phone reception.
Doing it as a day from Crescent Head
The straightforward version:
- Leave after breakfast. It’s half an hour, and the light on the coast road is better early.
- Walk Korogoro Point first while it’s cool. Allow a couple of hours with stops.
- Swim in Korogoro Creek at the village — check the tide, it’s a different place at the bottom of the water.
- Head home mid-afternoon, or push north to Smoky Cape and South West Rocks if you want a full day.
Take water and food. Hat Head village has very little, and the park has nothing at all.
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