Places to visit in and around Western Sydney Parklands NSW

Nurragingy Reserve Aboriginal Heritage Garden pays tribute to the important Aboriginal history and heritage of this area of Western Sydney. Only opening in 2019, it is still relatively undiscovered – come and see it for yourself!

'Nurragingy' commemorates one of the 2 men of the Darug/Dharug tribe who received the first Aboriginal land grant from Governor Macquarie in 1819. The other title holder was Colebee, whose name has been given to the Centre within the Reserve.

You can see a yarning circle, where people can come together to communicate and speak from the heart, decorated pathways and murals that celebrate Aboriginal culture, plantings indigenous to the region as well as large statues of wood and sandstone carvings by local artists.

You'll discover that Aboriginal history is all around us, particularly significant in the Blacktown region that more than 8,000 Aboriginal people call home. The garden helps preserve and celebrate this history for Blacktown residents and highlights the importance and presence of Aboriginal people in the area.

The garden is close to nearby amenities and other interesting parts of Western Sydney Parklands, including the Chinese Garden, Bush Tucker Gardens and large ponds with local water birds.

It's located on the corner of Cross Street and Knox Road, Doonside, with car parking nearby. If you're taking public transport, take the 753 bus from Doonside Station.

Come to Sugarloaf Ridge for a lovely day of bushwalking and bird watching. The Sugarloaf Loop is an easy 2 kilometre walk that most people will be able to manage – and it offers stunning views.

You’ll discover a number of shelters and benches for picnicking along the way. You can bring your dog if they are on a leash.

The walk will give you a unique sense of the geography and topography of the region and a sense of the vastness of the Western Sydney Parklands as Sydney's Biggest Backyard.

The ridge leads to the Moonrise lookout, where you'll find facilities and car parking.

The Dairy, at Cowpasture Road and Restwell Road, Abbotsbury is, as its name suggests, the remnants of an old dairy farm. Just a few old farm fences and a couple of farm dams remain in the landscape.

The dams are a tranquil area to relax, away from the main picnic tables and amenities. You can find the dams near the main entrance to the Dairy and Western Sydney Parklands. These dams are a little-known, picturesque part of the park where people can get back to nature and find some peace. A lot of photographers visit the spot in the early morning to capture the fog and dew that settles in this low-lying part of the parklands.

A nature lover's wonderland in a bushland setting the Lizard Log Zig Zag Track is hidden next to the delightful natural playground at Lizard Log. Escape from the noisy playground and head up the hill to admire the local vistas.

The zig zag pathways means everyone can enjoy the views and the peace and quiet, regardless of their ability. There’s no rush, meaning people with wheelchairs or mobility issues can take the path in their own time and enjoy the peaceful serenity at the top.

You'll find large shelters and BBQs along the way, making this a terrific place for get together with families and friends. There's a café on site as well.

The Lizard Log has wooden structures to clamber around on, and sand to break any falls underneath. This area encourages children to get back to nature and have fun in the great outdoors.

The equipment includes flying foxes, swings, a water play feature, a big slide with climbing wall, merry-go-round, sand diggers and wooden balance beams.

Shale Hills is the place to come to clear your mind within a lovely setting. It includes walking and cycling tracks, if you do want to get active in nature, but you may decide to just sit by the water and unwind with a book.

Surrounded by weeping Melaleucas and nesting spots for waterbirds, this is the perfect oasis away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Enter the area from Moondarra Drive, Carmichael Drive, Mannow Avene, Twenty Third Avenue and Thirty Second Avenue, West Hoxton.

The Plough and Harrow Double Dams feel like an oasis, miles from anywhere yet are just a short walk from the car park and amenities.

The 2 dams are home to an array of water birds and popular with bird watchers. It’s also a lovely place to cool down as, unlike much of the Western Sydney Parklands, it contains deep gullies that help keep things cool. Look out for rainforest species amongst the woodland as they make the most of the moist, cool gullies. Don’t let the hills and gullies put you off, the view and serenity by the dams is well worth the slight hike.

The dams hint at the old colonial farming region that once occupied this location. Now these green spaces are maintained for locals and visitors to get back to nature.

Access the double dams from Elizabeth Drive, Abbotsbury.

Come and get active in the Western Sydney Parklands – and if this doesn’t suit, you’ll still be able to take in the action, with viewing areas, 2 picnic shelters, bubblers, a bike wash down facility and bathroom amenities.

Please refer to the website to see when the trail is open and find out more about the range of sections for any rider - from beginner to expert.

With its bright colours and unique shape, the Bungarribee Children’s Play Tower is hard to miss. At 14 m high, it is a young climber’s paradise.

Inside, kids can discover lots of passageways, ropes, ledges to climb, viewing windows and slides to get back down. It encourages exercise, fun and exploring for kids of all ages – and offers great views from the top.

Despite the height, it's safety first with protective mesh and other features to ensure a safe adventure for all.

This tower is place where you can get together with friends or family while making sure the kids are having fun and enjoying some outside play time.

Take a wander along the Eastern Creek and come across the Yellow Bridge to learn about how water invertebrates can be studied to help determine water quality.

The bridge helps you to better understand and appreciate the life sustained by Eastern Creek. It promotes science and encourages kids to use their imagination. The aim is to also get the children into ‘nature play’ where they can get their hands dirty looking for insects and enjoying the great outdoors.

The murals and artwork of the invertebrates make this bridge a fun, cultural landmark and a focal point and eye-catching experience while people walk, cycle and run along the track.

The bridge is located to the north of the Bungarribee playground, along the walking path.