Manly
Manly, located on a peninsula 15km northeast of Sydney CBD, is a beach-side suburb of northern Sydney. With a population of around 43,000, Manly is actually also a very popular tourist destination.
Manly is the gateway to the Northern Beaches. Every year, there are more than 8 million visitors from all over Australia and the world visit Manly and the Northern Beaches, drawn by the beautiful beaches, cosmopolitan buzz, cafes and restaurants, and cultural and sporting events.
Manly Dam
Located within the suburb of Manly in Sydney and constructed in 1892, Manly Dam had been decommissioned as a water supply dam since the 1930s. Now heritage-listed and still owned by Sydney Water, Manly Dam has become known for its beautiful freshwater lake, and pretty bushlands, popular with families, hikers, and mountain bikers.
The freshwater lake created by the dam is the largest freshwater lake in Sydney. The lake is surrounded by 377 hectares of native bushland.
Manly Dam is also known as Manly Warringah War Memorial Park. You can drive into the park. Vehicle access in the park is via King Street, off Condamine Street in Manly Vale.
The park has gas barbecues and picnic tables by the water making it a great place for picnics by the water. The lake has a designated section for motor boats, with a water ski ramp for water skiing. There is also a designated area for non-motorboat activities such as kayaking, fishing, and swimming.
The Walk
You may start your walk from the dam wall at the entrance of the park and walk on the walking paths by the fresh water in an anticlockwise direction alongside the car road Sir Roden Cutler Mem VC Drive.
You will walk past the first car park and an open grass area with seats where you have good open beautiful views over the water and green bushlands around the lake.
Continue and you will walk past a children’s playground, and some nice spots for picnics, before reaching a boat ramp.
The one-way distance between the dam wall and the kayak ram is approximately 1 km.
Feeling energized? Take the challenge to walk the scenic 7.3 km Manly Dam circuit trail.
Want to discover more great walking locations? Check out the “By the Waters” blogs.
Located within the suburb of Manly in Sydney and constructed in 1892, Manly Dam had been decommissioned as a water supply dam since the 1930s. Now heritage-listed and still owned by Sydney Water, Manly Dam has become known for its beautiful freshwater lake, and pretty bushlands, popular with families, hikers, and mountain bikers.