Situated not too far from the popular Karloo Pools, Olympic Pool is a much lesser known (and much better) swimming hole that is well worth the extra walk and little bit of bush bashing through the overgrown path required to get there.
So duly named for the fact that it’s almost as big as an Olympic Swimming pool this spot catches the sun all year round.
It summer the swimming hole is fairly popular (though less so than Karloo Pools) and the water is warm enough that you can spend all day swimming and lazing around in the sun.
In winter the spot catches the midday sun and is fairly protected from the wind, but be warned the water becomes freezing to swim in. Still worth a dip for the brave at heart (I always jump in!)
Olympic Pool Key Information
Distance: 5 kms (return) from Bottle Forest Road or 8 kms (return) from Healthcote Station via Karloo Pools
Elevation: 155 m each way from Bottle Forest Road or 150 m from Healthcote Station via Karloo Pools
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate but fairly long (some rock scrambling/elevation)
Opening times: All year round
Best time to visit: Sunny days, winter or summer
Entrance fee: None – Park at Bottle Forest Road or Heathcote station free of charge
Facilities Nearby:
- Toilets at Heathcote train station
- No toilets near Karloo Pools
- No drinking water nearby so bring your own
Potential Hazards:
- Muddy path in some section (quite a lot of mud after rainfall)
- Some rock scrambling required
- Decent amount of elevation
Where Is Olympic Pool? (MAP)
Olympic pool is located in the Royal National Park just X km from Heathcote station, past Karloo Pools.
You can get to Heathcote via the T4 Eastern Suburbs line as well as the SCO South Coast train lines. There are direct trains from Bondi Junction, Town Hall, Redfern and Central Station.
The get to Karloo Pools read my full Karloo Pools Walking Guide. It’s one of my favourite walks in the Royal National Park.
You can also access Olympic Pool by parking at the end of Bottle Forest Road and taking the fire trail followed by a steep downward hike towards Kangaroo Creek, ultimately ending up at Olympic Pool.
This track is slightly shorter at just X km. However, the walk is not quite as beautiful as the one through Karloo Pools and it’s much steeper. So if your knees struggle with steps then this track isn’t for you.
Olympic Pool Direction Summary (SCREENSHOT OR PRINT)
I understand that when you do walks like this you often don’t have phone reception. So feel free to screenshot or print the following instructions to take on your journey.
There are 2 main paths to Olympic Pool so make sure you follow the right instructions:
From Bottle Forest Road, Heathcote
- Park at the end of Bottle Forest Road, Heathcote
- Follow the track for 1 km, sticking to trail on the right
- After 1km turn right down the smaller track. Follow it down for 1 km until you reach the river
- At the river turn left and follow the river downstream for 500 m
- You should now arrive at Olympic Pool
From Heathcote Train Station via Karloo Pools
- Park at Heathcote train station (east side of the train line)
- Enter the park just after the Rural Fire Station
- Follow the signs to Karloo Track
- Walk 2km down to Karloo Pools
- Once at Karloo Pools walk over to the north side of the pool (the shady side)
- Follow the track along the river for 1.5 km until you reach Olympic Pool
Parking For Olympic Pool
No fighting crowds or paying Royal National Park entry fees to visit Olympic Pool.
Both entrance spots offer free all-day parking all-year round. I’ve been on some of the busiest days of the year (think a hot Australia Day) and still haven’t struggled to get a spot.
To get to either Bottle Forest Road or Heathcote Station for parking simple turn left at the lights immediately after the McDonalds on the Princess Highway (if heading south).
This will take you onto Wilson Parade.
Bottle Forest Road
Follow Wilson Parade for a little bit and then turn left onto Bottle Forest Road.
Then simply follow Bottle Forest Road to the end. There are a few parking spots at the end of the road right near the entrance to the trail but if these are full then there is ample on street parking available.
Heathcote Station
After you turn at Heathcote McDonalds simply follow the road all the way to the end and you’ll find the parking station.
There is a bunch of street parking on both sides as well as a larger car park for the train station.
If all of that is full (which it hardly ever is) there is also street parking not far from here.
Getting To Olympic Pool from Bottle Forest Road
The quickest and easiest way to get to Olympic Pool is from the entrance at Bottle Forest Road.
Start of the Track (Bottle Forest Road)
Park at the end of the road and begin walking along the obvious track at the end of the road. You can’t miss it.
Stick To The Right
After a short walk the trail will diverge, with the wider trail veering off the the left and another trail on the right.
Take the path to the right.
Again, Stick To The Right
You’ll then reach a wooden sign that points to Audley on the left.
Continue on the right hand trail at this point.
Exiting The Main Trail
The wide fire trail continues for some time heading on a slight downhill.
After another 500 metres you’ll see a sign on the right hand side at the start of a smaller track that says “No bicycles, Penalty $300”.
Head down this smaller track.
Heading Downhill
This is where the path starts to get a lot steeper.
It starts off on a slow incline that eventually gets much steeper.
It never felt dangerous to me, nor did I worry about falling. However, if your knees aren’t great or prefer a more level path this will be more challenging for you.
The steep downwards path makes up the bulk of the journey to Olympic Pool.
Turn Left At The River (Follow It Downstream)
Eventually you’ll reach the bottom of the path and things will level out.
The path will intersect with another path right near the river.
Here you want to turn left and follow the river downstream.
If the river is low then you can walk the rest of the way to Olympic Pool following the rocks on the side of the river.
If the river is higher then there is a track a little higher up in the bushes. However, it’s not used as often so expect to be pushing your way through some overgrowth.
Within 10-15 Minutes You Should Arrive at Olympic Pool
In only 10-15 minutes you should arrive at Olympic Pool and it’ll be extremely obvious that you’re in the right place.
I love reaching this point and seeing the river open up into this huge pool. It’s incredible.
Getting To Olympic Pool From Karloo Pools
The other way to get to Olympic Pool (and the more scenic way) is to go via Karloo Pools and then follow the river downstream.
First, Take The Walking Track To Karloo Pools
I’ve written a full Karloo Pools walking guide which you should look at if you want detailed instructions on how to get to Karloo Pools.
But in short, simply follow Karloo Walking track from Heathcote Station for 2.65 km and you’ll end up at Karloo Pools. You can’t really get lost – it’s a very popular track.
Head Over To The Shady Side Of Karloo Pools (Northern Side)
At Karloo Pools there are two main sides to the pool.
The side on the south of the pool is in the sun and it’s where most people hang out (especially on those colder winter days).
This southern sunny side has a track which lead to Uloola Falls and the secret Krystal’s Waterfall which I highly recommend.
But this is NOT the way to get to Olympic Pool.
The north side of Karloo Pools is in constant shade except in summer.
If you want to get to Olympic Pool then you need to go to the shady side of Karloo Pools
This is the side you want to go on in order to get to Olympic Pool.
From the shady side of Karloo Pools simple follow the river downstream, this is how you’ll get to Olympic Pool.
Some Rock Scrambling In The Beginning
Right after Karloo Pools there’s some rock scrambling where you need to climb over and down some large boulders.
It’s not particularly challenging if you’re fit and confident. But if you’re more uneasy on your feet this could be a bit of a challenge.
After the initial rock scrambling the path levels out and it’s a fairly flat bushwalk through an overgrown track to get to Olympic Pool.
You’ll Question…”Is This Olympic Pool?” About 3 Times On Route
The walk from Karloo Pools to Olympic Pool is about 45-60 minutes depending on how fast you walk.
The track is a bit overgrown but it’s difficult to get lost.
I remember my first experience walking to Olympic Pool about 3 times along the journey the river opened up and I questioned “Is this it?”
But when you ACTUALLY arrive at Olympic Pool there is no question in your mind whether you’ve reached the right place.
So if you find yourself wondering whether or not this is the spot…it isn’t the spot…keep going!
I’ve seen many people stop along the path thinking they’ve made it. Don’t be one of those people, keep walking it’s worth it!
Eventually You’ll Arrive at Olympic Pool
When you arrive at Olympic Pool you’ll go “Ohhhh yeh this is obviously it”.
The view when you arrive is incredible and if you’ve come on a sunny day the majority of the pool and the flat rocks surrounding it will be in the sun.
Getting Down To Olympic Pool
Once you arrive at Olympic Pool and you can see it in all it’s glory the next tricky step is actually getting across the river and down to the pool.
Depending on how much rain there is it can be simple to cross the river or slightly more difficult.
It can be hard to cross without getting your shoes wet.
Immediately Crossing The River
You can immediately cross to the south side of the river, but then you’ll have to do a bit of climbing to get over the river and stay dry.
I DO NOT recommend this for people who are more uneasy on their feet. It’s not worth the fall risk.
For people confident with rock scrambling and climbing you’ll likely be fine.
My 7 year old got across with my help and my 9 year old did it fine. But more elderly people might want to avoid this route.
Crossing The River At The Pool
The other route is to continue down the river along the northern bank and cross the river right where it flows into Olympic Pool.
This is a much safer path, but you’ll need to take your shoes off to cross unless the river is particularly low.
Swimming at Olympic Pool
Olympic Pool is incredible for swimming. I honestly don’t think there is a better swimming spot in the Royal National Park.
There is an obvious ledge where you can easily jump into the deeper water of the pool and swim around.
For those who like to go all in at once this is the spot for you.
There are also shallower entrance points where the river flows into the pool for those who like to get in bit-by-bit or for those who want to get their feet wet without completely swimming
I highly advise swimming across the pool all the way over to the other side.
It becomes quite shallow so you can stand up and there are rocks sticking out of the water that you can sit and sunbake on and warm up before you swim back.
Beware The Nudists
Whilst not a common occurrence, and whilst not an official nude swimming area, Olympic Pool does occasionally attract people who like to swim sans clothes.
I’ve been there once before where an entire nudist group was spending the day there and other times women were swimming and sunbaking topless.
I wouldn’t advise going naked here, especially in the summer months, as the spot can be quite popular with families with children.
Continue On Towards Audley If You Want a Longer Hike
After Olympic Pool the path continues along Kangaroo Creek eventually leading all the way to Audley.
I’m yet to personally take this track but I hear there’s a little waterfall along the way where Engadine Creek meets up with Kangaroo Creek.
Eventually this track will take you to Currawong Flat Picnic Area and here there is another steep walk to Robertson’s Roundabout. But I only advise this path if you want a good workout for your quads and glutes.
It’s steep and have a nice lookout, but it isn’t anything spectacular.
Other Waterfalls & Swimming Holes Near Olympic Pool
Below are some of the best spots near Olympic Pool in the Royal National Park
Karloo Pools
Karloo Pools is one of the most popular swimming holes in the Royal National Park – and for good reason!
The swimming hole is accessible from Heathcote train station, is an extremely pleasant walk that is just the right amount of challenging and it’s even achievable for kids.
Once there you can sit on the rocks in the sun, rest in the shade on the other side of the pools and of course cool down by taking a dip into the pools. There’s even a submerged ledge that makes getting into the pool easy.
If you’re looking for one of the best tracks in the Royal National Park then look no further than Karloo Pools
Read my Karloo Pools Complete Walking Guide
Uloola Falls
Uloola Falls is a majestic fairly large waterfall in the Royal National Park. It’s conveniently located 5-6 kms from either Heathcote or Waterfall train station making it one of the best spots to visit by public transport and also makes it one of the few spots in the Royal National Park that you don’t have to pay to see.
You can park at either starting point and walk to the falls and back or you can walk through from Heathcote to Waterfall (or the other way around) and catch the train home or back to your starting point.
There is the popular Karloo Pools swimming spot on the way to Uloola Falls and some secret waterfalls and swimming holes right nearby (if you know where to look).
Read my Uloola Falls Complete Walking Guide
Krystal’s Waterfall
While Karloo Pools and Uloola Falls are some of the most popular spots in the Royal National Park in Sydney, very few people know about the 2 incredible and relatively unknown waterfalls and swimming holes just a couple of hundred metres from Uloola Falls campsite.
These two pools are the perfect place to stop for lunch or spend the entire day swimming and (in my opinion) are way nicer than the more popular Uloola falls which are right nearby.
Affectionately named Krystal’s Waterfall after the partner who initially told me about this spot you’ll likely get the spot mostly to yourself in winter, with maybe a few people walking through over the course of a couple of hours.
Read my Krystal’s Waterfall Complete Walking Guide
South West Arm Pool
South West Arm Pool is one of the best swimming holes in the Royal National Park and because it’s not marked it doesn’t get nearly as crowded as the close by Winifred Falls.
It features a deep pool to swim in, a rope swing for the brave of heart and even a rock jump for the completely insane. There’s lots of room to spread out in the sun on the rocks and have a picnic or a quick break.
To get to South West Arm Pool walk to Winifred Falls and then follow the river down for another 500 metres or so to get to the pool. You can also access it via boat.
