Best Day Rides from Jamisontown: the Sea Cliff Bridge and Grand Pacific Drive loop
From ReviRide Penrith
Most riders heading out of ReviRide Penrith point their bars west toward the Blue Mountains. This run does the opposite: it trades alpine ridgelines for salt air, swinging south and east to the Illawarra coast where the escarpment falls straight into the Tasman Sea. The reward is one of the most photographed stretches of road in the country.
From Jamisontown you thread down through the Macarthur farmland and into the cool, fern-lined corners of the Royal National Park before the trees part at Bald Hill, the high headland above Stanwell Tops. From the cliff edge you look down on Stanwell Park beach, the hang gliders launching off the grass, and the snaking ribbon of the Sea Cliff Bridge in the distance. A short descent later you are riding across it, suspended out over the water against the rockface.
The return runs inland and uphill through Bulli or Mount Ousley and back via Picton and Camden, so you finish a genuine loop rather than retracing your line. It is a big, varied day: forest, coast, ocean bridge and rural backroads all in one ride.
Along the way
- 1
Royal National Park (Lady Wakehurst Drive)
Your transition from suburb to sea. The forested drive through the southern end of the park winds beneath cabbage-tree palms and gums before delivering you to the coastal edge of the escarpment. Watch for cyclists, wildlife and damp, shaded corners under the canopy.
- 2
Bald Hill Lookout, Stanwell Tops
The hero stop and the heart of this ride. This high headland at the northern tip of the Illawarra escarpment offers a sweeping panorama south toward Wollongong, with the Sea Cliff Bridge visible below. It is a world-renowned hang-gliding and paragliding launch site, and the Lawrence Hargrave memorial cairn marks the beach below where the aviation pioneer flew box kites in 1894. There is parking, toilets and the Flying High Café. Mind the wind near the edge.
- 3
Sea Cliff Bridge (Coalcliff to Clifton)
The reason riders come here. Opened in December 2005, the roughly 665-metre bridge cantilevers out over the ocean to bypass a cliff-hugging stretch of Lawrence Hargrave Drive that was closed in 2003 after repeated rockfalls. Park at either end and walk the pedestrian path for the full effect of the structure curving against the cliffs.
- 4
Scarborough Hotel
A classic lunch stop perched above the sea, this pub dates to 1886 and looks out along the coastline both north and south. A good spot to refuel and, in season, to scan the water for migrating whales.
- 5
Austinmer and Thirroul
String of relaxed coastal villages along Lawrence Hargrave Drive south of the bridge, with patrolled beaches, cafes and easy parking. A pleasant cruise before the road rejoins the highway near Thirroul.
- 6
Picton
On the inland return leg, this heritage Macarthur town makes a natural fuel and coffee break before the run back up The Northern Road. Picton Road, which links Wollongong with Picton, carries you back over the ranges away from the coast.
- 7
Camden
The last of the rural towns before the suburbs close in, with a historic main street. From here it is a straightforward run north up The Northern Road back to Jamisontown.
Before you go
- Fuel up in Penrith before you leave and top up again around Picton or Camden on the way home; servo options thin out through the national park and along the coastal villages.
- The cliff section of Lawrence Hargrave Drive near Coalcliff can be closed after heavy rain due to rockfall risk, and roads here close without much warning. Check live traffic conditions before you set out and have a fallback inland route via Helensburgh.
- Bald Hill is exposed and frequently windy, which is exactly why the gliders love it. Expect strong gusts and busy car parks on sunny weekends, and take care filtering through pedestrians.
- The descents and climbs through the Royal National Park, the Sea Cliff Bridge approaches and Bulli Pass or Mount Ousley are tight, steep and often shaded or damp. Ride to the surface, watch for tourists stopping suddenly for photos, and leave room.
- This is a suggested route only and conditions change. Adjust for weather, traffic and your own experience, and ride within your limits.
Routes are suggestions only. Roads, conditions, and access can change — check current conditions, ride to your ability and the conditions, and obey all road rules.