Yena Flat Picnic Area in Kurnell is a great spot to stop, enough some lunch and enjoy panoramic views of the ocean as well as views across to La Perouse. If you’re lucky you’ll see large boats entering or leaving the area which kids absolutely love.
Sit at one of the picnic tables, spread out across the flat grassy area or go exploring down on the rocks below.
I absolutely love coming to this spot with my kids on a sunny day and hanging out and having some lunch. It’s usually fairly empty during weekdays and is much less popular than Cape Solander Lookout just up the road.
Where Is Yena Flat Picnic Area (Map)
Yena Flat Picnic Area is located inside Kamay Botany National Park at Kurnell and is on the east side of the Penisula.
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Getting To Yena Flat
To access Yena Flat first drive into the national park and follow Cape Solander Road around until you reach the junction for Yena Road.
You’ll see a sign to Yena Picnic Area and turn left and follow this road.
NOTE: This road is one way in and out so you need to take this specific turnoff as you cannot take the next one as that’s the way out.
Once you turn onto Yena Road it’s just a short drive to get to the flats.
You’ll quickly see the parking area up ahead and there are multiple pay stations here to get a day pass if you haven’t got one already.
Parking At Yena Flat
There is lots of parking at Yena Flat and it’s usually not as busy as the nearby Cape Solander Lookout which fills up during whale watching season and on weekends and public holidays.
There are multiple pay stations here to get a day pass if you haven’t got one already and rangers do regularly patrol this area and hand out fines if you haven’t bought a ticket.
Learn how to get cheap annual passes to national parks here
What Yena Flat Picnic Area Is Like
Yena Flat Picnic Area is pretty basic and features just 3-4 picnic tables spread out across the grassy headland area.
The picnic tables all have lovely views of the ocean and across the bay to La Perouse and it’s surrounding areas.
Yena Flat does get very windy as it’s directly next to the ocean so it’s best to go in the morning before the wind picks up.
If it’s really windy you can sometimes find reprieve from the wind down on the rocks below, but this depends on the wind direction.
Picnic Tables
There are 3-4 picnic tables at Yena Flat spread out across the area and overlooking the ocean.
They are great for spreading out and having lunch.
I’ll often to to Hot Chix in Kurnell and get some hot chips then drive them here to eat with my kids.
See my list of the best places in Kurnell
Explore The Rocks
Down from Yena Flat is a rock shelf that you can walk down to and explore.
Me and the kids will often go exploring on here.
The left side is low and flat and easy to walk around on.
The right side of Yena Flat (to the south) leads to some lower cliffs that you can walk along if you desire a bit of an adventure.
You can’t get very far on high tide or during big swells but if it’s low tide you can walk around the lower cliffs quite a decent way and it can be a lot of fun to explore.
Other Interesting Spots Near Yena Flat
Yena Flat is nice, but it’s one of the lesser interesting spots inside Kamay Botany Bay National Park and Kurnell.
Great to stop and have some lunch or stare at the ocean but there are lots of other exciting spots right near Yena Flats that are well worth checking out if you’ve got the time.
Here are some of the other spots I recommend checking out if you’re in the area.
Commemoration Flat Picnic Area
Inside the national park and just a short drive from Cape Solander is the Commemoration Flat Picnic Area.
This grassy spot has barbeques, lots of picnic tablets, bathrooms, drinking water and even a cold shower.
It’s a great spot to have a picnic after exploring the other areas and it’s also very close to the Whale Sculpture.
Read my Commemoration Flat Picnic Area Guide
Cape Solander Whale Watching Lookout
A great spot in Kurnell is the is the Cape Solander Whale Watching Lookout.
This lookout is wheelchair accessible and one of the best places to see the whales as they migrate north to warmer waters.
June and July are the best times to do whale watching but they can also be spotted between May-October. You’ll just have to get lucky.
Sometimes they get as close as just 200 metres from the coast
Read my Cape Solander Whale Watching Guide
Cape Baily Lighthouse
The Skylight Cave actually exists just off the Cape Baily Lighthouse walk.
This walk takes you all the way along the cliffs giving you stunning views the entire way. Ultimately ending in Cape Baily Lighthouse or you can continue to walk to Potters Point.
The lighthouse isn’t amazing but the walk there is stunning, relatively flat and really nice to do.
Read my Cape Baily Lighthouse Track Full Walking Guide
The Secret Skylight Cave
Made TikTok and Instagram famous this secret skylight cave is an amazing place to take a photo for your social media or dating profile. The cave has a magnificent skylight in the centre and is right on the cliff. It’s quite small but photos make it look bigger than it is.
I consider this walk very dangerous due to how close the cave is to the cliff. If you do this walk then you do it at your own risk.
The walk down to the cave is not marked and is difficult to find if you don’t know what you’re looking for. But if you know how to get there it’s just a short 200 metres from the carpark
Read my full guide to finding the Secret Skylight Cave at Cape Solander, Kurnell
