Penrith Beach has welcomed visitors to its sandy shore since opening in December 2023.
Penrith Beach is open during the warmer months of the year, offering a cool place to take a dip and enjoy the outdoors, surrounded by the picturesque setting of the Blue Mountains.
Our latest season has now drawn to a close at Penrith Beach and saw a great variety of free family friendly activities on offer including:
- outdoor cinema
- Wildlife Wednesdays presented by Sydney Zoo
- fitness bootcamps
- junior lifesaving
- water safety education sessions
- volleyball competition
- skin cancer health checks.
Penrith Beach is part of the NSW Government’s Places to Swim program, creating great places for people to enjoy rivers, lakes, dams and other inland waterways.
Places to Swim is more than just swimming, it is also about improving access for recreational activities around our waterways, such as kayaking, paddle boarding or walking by the water.
Find out more about Places to Swim in NSW.
Frequently asked questions
Access to Penrith Beach
Penrith Beach is located on Castlereagh Road, north of Penrith.
Access to Penrith Beach is by car only, with free parking available for up to 350 cars.
There is no pedestrian path or cycleway along Castlereagh Road.
Penrith Beach access is free.
Parking at Penrith Beach is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis, with no parking passes required this season.
Parking is limited, so plan ahead and arrive early to find a spot.
Bring what you would normally take to a beach – towels, beach chairs, shade such as a beach umbrella, hats and sunscreen, and drinking water. Food trucks may be onsite occasionally, but we recommend bringing your own food if you’re planning to eat at the beach. To help keep the beach clean, please take everything you bring with you back home.
Food trucks will be available during peak times, such as holidays and weekends. Updates will be posted on the Penrith Beach Facebook page. We recommend bringing food and plenty of water. A fresh water drinking station is also available at the beach.
BBQs are not permitted due to potential fire hazards.
Alcohol is not permitted. We want to ensure Penrith Beach is safe and enjoyable for all visitors.
Penrith Beach offers a natural, open-air experience with little shade available on site. To stay sun-safe, please bring your own shade and remember to slip, slop, slap, and slide: slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat, and slide on sunglasses.
Penrith Beach has an emergency management plan. Please stay calm and await instructions from staff on site.
Penrith Beach will remain open. Visitors are encouraged to leave the site in the event of a thunderstorm and high winds.
Please contact one of the Penrith Beach operations staff.
Pets are prohibited at Penrith Beach. This is to ensure the safety of all visitors, maintain cleanliness and minimise disturbances to wildlife.
The beach has temporary toilets, including accessible toilets and change rooms.
Penrith Beach has allocated accessible parking and an accessible path leading to the waters edge. An access mat extends into the water, and a beach wheelchair is available. Changing rooms are also provided.
Smoking or vaping are not permitted at Penrith Beach.
Yes.
Swimming at Penrith Beach
Lifeguards patrol the designated swimming area at the southern end of the beach, which is about 110 metres long and extends about 60 metres into the water. This area is marked by red and yellow flags. Areas outside the flags are not patrolled.
The water quality at Penrith Beach has been tested for several years and is safe for swimming. We test the water quality regularly and these results are displayed through Beachwatch and Water NSW. Visitors are encouraged to check these websites and the Penrith Beach Facebook page, especially after rain, to confirm safe swimming conditions.
The water in the dedicated swimming zone is up to 4 metres deep.
Yes, you can bring your kayak or paddleboard. Non-powered watercraft are allowed just outside the buoyed swimming zone. Please note, this area is not patrolled by lifeguards, so use is at your own risk. Remember, personal flotation devices such as lifejackets are required for everyone using watercraft in this area.
Motorised watercraft are not permitted.
Fishing is not permitted. However, you can register to fish at the Regatta Centre down the road.
You might spot fish and birds, including a big family of black swans, or even a small group of pelicans – all there to enjoy the water too!
Windsurfing is not permitted.
Penrith Beach safety information in your language
Safety posters
- Penrith Beach safety poster – Arabic (PDF 973.48KB)
- Penrith Beach safety poster – English (PDF 934.26KB)
- Penrith Beach safety poster – Filipino (PDF 978.21KB)
- Penrith Beach safety poster – Hindi (PDF 879.42KB)
- Penrith Beach safety poster – Punjabi (PDF 891.28KB)
- Penrith Beach safety poster – Simplified Chinese (PDF 928.17KB)