The best hikes from bus stations in Prospect Special Area

From Memorial Park along the Parramatta Valley Cycleway, this viewpoint looks directly across the Parramatta River toward the John Whitton Railway Bridge. The open park setting creates a clear line of sight to the bridge, with reflections on the water in calmer conditions and the surrounding riverbanks framing the view.

Parramatta River runs from the west of Sydney into Sydney Harbour, forming a major waterway through the city. In this section, the river is lined with parkland and mangroves, with calmer water and reflections along the edges. The surrounding paths bring you close to the shoreline in parts, with views across to the opposite bank and occasional bridges crossing overhead.

Escarpment Boardwalk forms a key section of the Parramatta Valley Cycleway, linking Parramatta Park with the river foreshore through a fully off-road path. The elevated boardwalk runs beside mangroves and below the escarpment, with some sections passing directly through the tree canopy above the river. Opened as the final missing link in the cycleway network, the structure sits close to the water while carrying both pedestrians and cyclists through an area that previously had no direct foreshore access.

Darling Mills Falls is a small but scenic waterfall on Darling Mills Creek within Bidjigal Reserve. The water flows over a sandstone ledge into a rocky pool surrounded by steep bushland and tall forest. The falls are reached via bushwalking tracks, including the Platypus Track, and are a popular highlight along the reserve’s walking routes.

Bidjigal Reserve is a large bushland area of more than 370 hectares in Sydney’s north-west, protecting forested valleys along Darling Mills Creek. There are several bushwalking tracks that pass through sandstone bushland, cross creeks, and traverse steep valley slopes. It's an ideal place for walking, nature observation, and enjoying the quiet pockets of bushland close to suburban neighbourhoods.

The Lake Parramatta Reserve protects over 70 hectares of bushland. Visitors can enjoy the lake, bushwalking tracks, BBQs, playground, and historic dam. The reserve also contain relics of the Burramatagal clan who are the traditional inhabitants of the land.

There is so much to do at Lake Parramatta but talking a walk around the lake should be on your list. The well-maintained path makes a full loop around the lake and goes by many other attractions such as the playground, picnic areas, and various viewpoints.

Completed in 1856 the Lake Parramatta Dam is a heritage-listed site in the North Parramatta area of Western Sydney and was the first large dam built in Australia. Originally built to provide a water source for the town of Parramatta the dam was decommissioned in 1909 after Parramatta was connected to Sydney's water supply.