The day walk from Thornleigh to Hornsby covers a scenic 10km section of the Great North Walk through the bushland of Berowra Valley National Park. This track is also known as the Elouera Walk.
The track between Thornleigh and Hornsby is ideal if you’re looking for a Sydney bushwalk that’s easily accessible by public transport as it has train stations at either end of the track.
Because this walk is on a section of the Great North Walk (a 250km walking route between Sydney and Newcastle), you can extend the walk in either direction. From Thornleigh you can continue south through Lane Cove National Park, or from Hornsby you can continue north through Berowra Valley National Park towards Berowra Waters.
| Distance: | 10km |
| Start: | Thornleigh |
| End: | Hornsby |
| Public Transport: | Train at Thornleigh Train at Hornsby |
| Water: | BYO water |
| Toilets: | Thornleigh Train Station Hornsby Train Station |
| Top Tip: | This track overlaps with part of the popular Blue Gum Walk at the Hornsby end of the track. |
Thornleigh to Hornsby Walk Overview
The walk between Thornleigh and Hornsby picks up where the North Ryde to Thornleigh day walk left off, and continues along the next 10km or so of the Great North Walk.
The section of the Great North Walk between Thornleigh and Hornsby is a beautiful track through Berowra Valley National Park. This walk is part of the Benowie Track between Thornleigh and Berowra which opened in 1981. When the Great North Walk opened in 1988 as part of Australia’s Bicentenary celebrations, it incorporated the Benowie Track as part of its route.
While most of the Thornleigh to Hornsby walk is in the bushland of the national park, there is about 15 minutes walk at either end as you make your way between the train station and the bush.
Starting at Thornleigh train station, you’ll see a Great North Walk sign when you exit the station toward The Esplanade.
You’ll cross at the lights and head straight down Eddy St, turning left as Eddy becomes Tillock St, then turning right onto Morgan St and following it to its end. Near the end of the street, you’ll see a Great North Walk post on the footpath and an ‘Elouera Bushland Natural Park’ sign pointing you toward the track between two homes.
Once into the bushland, the track is signposted and easy to follow as it makes its way alongside Zig Zag Creek and Berowra Creek, and passes Waitara Creek.
In addition to following a section of the Great North Walk (and Benowie Track), the route between Thornleigh and Hornsby also shares track with a couple of shorter local loop walks.
At the Thornleigh end of the track you’ll walk along a section track that is also part of the Elouera Lookout Loop, a 3.2km walk overlooking the Berowra Valley. Towards the Hornsby end of the track, you’ll find yourself on a section of the very pretty Blue Gum Walk, a 4km loop track.
The bushland section of the Thornleigh to Hornsby walk ends with a trek up the Hornsby Heritage Steps. Take the opportunity for a breather at the Rosemead Road picnic area before one final push up to the streets of Hornsby.
Maps & Navigation
The walk from Thornleigh to Hornsby does have waymarkers and signs to show the route along this section of the Great North Walk.
For a map you can walk with, add the Great North Walk Thornleigh to Hornsby section to the All Trails app on your phone.
You can also consult the short walks on Great North Walk website and guidebook.
Facilities
There are limited facilities on the walk between Thornleigh and Hornsby because the majority of the walk is through bushland. You will find shops, cafes, and public toilets at either end of the walk in the suburbs of Thornleigh and Hornsby.
Cafes & shops
You’ll find shops and cafes in both Thornleigh and Hornsby.
There’s a cafe directly across the road from Thornleigh Station, and several more cafes within a few minutes walk. You’ll also find Aldi and Woolworths supermarkets within a couple of blocks of the train station.
At the other end of the walk, Hornsby train station is also close to shops and cafes. Hornsby Station is right alongside Westfield Hornsby which has both a Coles and Woolworths supermarket as well as plenty of takeaway food options.
Drinking water
For drinking water on the walk between Thornleigh and Hornsby, it’s best to carry what you need.
Toilets
There are toilets at the train stations at either end of the track (Thornleigh and Hornsby).
Thornleigh to Hornsby Highlights
Highlights of the walk between Thornleigh and Hornsby include the bushland and creek on the Blue Gum Walk, Hornsby Heritage Steps, and the area of bushland that plays host to this walk: the Berowra Valley National Park.
“Berowra Valley Regional Park is one of those very special places within the Sydney Basin landscape. It is an area of great natural and cultural heritage importance, and yet is on our urban doorstep.”
bob debus, then nsw minister for the environment,
A GUIDE TO BEROWRA VALLEY REGIONAL Park, 2004
Berowra Valley National Park
The section of the Great North Walk between Thornleigh and Hornsby journeys through Berowra Valley National Park. Created in 2012, Berowra Valley National Park saw a section of what was formerly Berowra Valley Regional Park reclassified to become national park.
Before the bushland here was protected as national park, it was established in 1964 as Elouera Bushland Natural Park. It expanded and became Berowra Valley Bushland Park in 1987, and then Berowra Valley Regional Park in 1998.
Throughout the years, the commitment to protect this area of urban bushland has remained steadfast. The parks here were established thanks to the dedication of the local community and conservationists who acted in response to nearby development.
All of us who enjoy this bushland today owe a depth of gratitude to groups including the Elouera Bushland Natural Park Trust, Hornsby Conservation Society, and today, the Friends of Berowra Valley, as well as individuals including Gordon Edgecombe (one of the first first Trustees of the Elouera Bushland Natural Park) and Dr Joyce Vickery MBE DSc (who donated 100 acres of land to become part of the Elouera Bushland Natural Park).
Blue Gum Walk
The Blue Gum Walk is a popular loop track in Hornsby. When you walk the route from Thornleigh to Hornsby, you’ll overlap with part of the Blue Gum Walk and get a taste of why walkers are so fond of this scenic 4km track.
Hornsby Heritage Steps
The Hornsby Heritage Steps were built during the Great Depression in the 1930s, as part of the government’s program of ‘works for the relief of unemployment’.
Restoration works managed by Hornsby Shire Council have maintained the steps to ensure the safety of walkers and the protection of local heritage.
Today, when you walk the steps, keep an eye out and you might spot some carvings thought to have been made by the Depression era labourers.
