There are over over 225 national parks and 890 national parks and reserves in NSW – the second-most of any state in Australia (although this may change as new parks are gazetted). The first national park in Australia was the Royal National Park, created in 1879 and only the second in the world at the time. There are over 60 million annual national park visits, with the most popular parks being Royal (6.1m visits), Ku-ring-gai Chase (3.9m) and Sydney Harbour (2.4m) based on a 2018 survey. Bushwalking and other outdoor activities are also possible in many of the 68 State Forests and 34,000 Crown reserves across NSW.

  • National Parks are managed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, with over 7.5m hectares of public land. Many have an entry fee, and an annual pass can be purchased. Dogs are generally not allowed.
  • State Forests are managed by the the Forestry Corporation of NSW, with over 2.2m hectares under management. They are free to visit with fewer restrictions (dogs and 4WD-driving allowed and usually camping anywhere away from roads)
  • Crown Reserves support a wide range of uses and include bush reserves as well as sport fields and parks. View Crown Reserves Directory