Emu Plains: River, History and Walking Trails

If you’re looking for a hotel in Emu Plains, the town’s attractions and trails can help you plan your trip. You can get to know Emu Plains through art in historic gardens, former inns and destinations along the Nepean River. Walking trails and a regional driving tour are also among the options. Consider whether you’d like to focus your stay on local history, time at Regatta Park or a walking route.

Art and Historic Inns

Penrith Regional Gallery is set in historic gardens on the western bank of the Nepean River in Emu Plains. Here, an art venue and the river landscape come together in one place. The former Union Inn reveals another side of the town’s history: it was built around 1858 and is now a historic site. Interpretive signs cover the history of the inn and Emu Plains.

The former Arms of Australia Inn also tells the story of the town’s development. Completed around 1840, the building illustrates through its design and roadside location how Emu Plains became the principal coach stop west of Sydney. Both inns offer insight into the past, but focus on different aspects: at the Union Inn, signs explain the history of the town and the inn; at the Arms of Australia Inn, the focus is on its former importance to coach traffic.

Nepean River and Regatta Park

At Regatta Park, a central staircase and paths lead down to a large viewing platform. From there, you can enjoy a view from the western bank of the Nepean River. Several open kayak launch points along the riverbank are accessible via paths from the park. This means the park offers both a lookout and places to launch kayaks.

The play area at Regatta Park is fully fenced and inclusively designed. Features include an activity tower with a slide, swings, ground-level trampolines, disc spinners and a wheelchair-accessible carousel. There is also water play and a sandpit in the pavilion. These features offer something different from the platform and kayak launch points: the focus here is on play.

Walking Trails and Heritage Routes

The Great River Walk is an 8-kilometre walking trail between Tench Avenue in Penrith and River Road in Emu Plains. Along the way, the route offers views of the Nepean River and the Blue Mountains. The approximately 6.4-kilometre “Bridge to Bridge” section runs between the M4 Bridge and the Yandhai Nepean Bridge; it’s suitable for walking, cycling and scootering. The descriptions differ in both length and the stated endpoints. Check current notices about trail closures before setting out.

For a route featuring historic landmarks, the 11-kilometre Penrith Heritage Walk visits 21 points of interest and ends at the heritage-listed Emu Plains Train Station. Check current route information before walking. The self-guided Penrith Heritage Drive offers a different perspective: this approximately 50-kilometre drive visits some of the oldest buildings, structures and places in St Marys, Penrith, Castlereagh, Emu Plains and Mulgoa. As this driving tour covers several places, its regional scope differs from that of the walk in Emu Plains. Confirm the latest route information before driving.

This gives you a choice of ways to shape your stay around different interests: art and architectural history, river views and a play area, or walking and heritage routes.

For the broader travel overview: Penrith City Council.