Oak Park Ocean Pool in Cronulla is the rare Sydney ocean pool you can wade into: a sandy bottom slopes gently from the shallows into deeper water. It's free, sits below a grassy park with an art deco pavilion, and is one of the easiest ocean pools in the city for young children.
Key facts
- Type
- Ocean pool or baths
- Managed by
- Sutherland Shire Council
- Cost
- Free
- Lifeguards
- No
- Parking
- Free, around the park
- Dogs
- Not allowed
- Best time to go
- Calm days, small swell
- Water quality
- GoodOak Park Beach, 0.1 km away. Sampled 28 Oct. Data: NSW Beachwatch, CC BY 4.0.
- Town
- Cronulla, NSW
What it's like
Forget ladders and slippery steps. You walk in off the sand and the water deepens gradually, so toddlers can paddle at one end while stronger swimmers stretch out further along. The view is across the entrance to Port Hacking, and the park behind gives you lawn, shade and barbecues. The pool has a properly local back story: in 1909, when council wouldn't pay for a bathing spot, residents dug their own swimming hole in the rocks, and council finished a proper pool in 1931.
When to go
Calm days with a small swell are best, since a big southerly or easterly swell can push water over the walls. Weekday mornings are quiet. On summer weekends the park fills with families and picnics, so come early for a spot near the water.
Getting there and facilities
Parking around the park is free. There are two covered barbecues, picnic tables, a big lawn and toilets in the pavilion. There's no cafe right at the pool, so bring supplies or walk up into Cronulla.
Good to know
Nobody patrols here. Surfaces are slippery and the edges sharp and uneven, with sea urchins and oyster shells about, so reef shoes help. Dogs are not allowed.