Pigeon House Walk

(Medium to hard, 3-hour return walk)

Named by Captain James Cook on the 21st of April 1770 because of its resemblance to a square dove house with a dome on top located approx 25 km North-west of Lakesea Caravan Park at South Durras.

First climbed in 1822 the spectacular walk is now shared by more than 8000 visitors each year. A panoramic view stretching North to Point Perpendicular (Jervis Bay) to Mount Dromedary (Bermagui) in the South. The rugged cliffs, gorges and seemingly endless bushland surrounding Pigeon House are unforgettable.

The three-hour return walk has four main sections: –

Stage 1 A steep hard climb will greet you from the car park following a ridgeline for the first 800 meters.

Stage 2 This stage is the easier section with the track becoming an easy flat stroll giving the legs a break and a chance to enjoy the abundant wildflowers and lush vegetation.

Stage 3 As the track begins to steepen you will notice a change in vegetation from the smaller shrubs in the plateau area to taller denser vegetation with a wet forest closer to the Pigeon House cliff tops. This stage ends at the base of the “Dove House”.

Stage 4 The last and more difficult stage to the summit. This section is a weaving trail up the sandstone cliff faces consisting of 4 steel ladders, which can be a little nerving for some. At the 720-metre summit you will agree the spectacular 360-degree views are all worth the 2-hour walk. The descent back to the car park will take approx 1 hour.