Mona Vale has two rock pools at the northern end of the beach: a toddlers pool and a 30 m pool for older children and adults. Both were enlarged from natural pools in the 1930s, are on the National Trust register and are free.
Key facts
- Type
- Rock pool
- Length
- 30 m
- Good to know
- Kids area, Toilets, Change rooms, Parking, Cafe nearby
- Facilities and access
- Toddler pool, change rooms, toilets, pay-and-display parking, Apex Park opposite with electric barbecues, picnic tables, shaded play area and a kids bike path, cafes on Darley Street
- Managed by
- Northern Beaches Council
- Cost
- Free
- Lifeguards
- Not at the pool
- Parking
- Pay-and-display off Surfview Road
- Best time to go
- Calm mornings; check the cleaning roster
- Water quality
- GoodMona Vale Beach, 0.3 km away. Sampled 26 Oct. Source: NSW Beachwatch.
- Cleaning
- Dated roster published through 2026-12-31Council roster entry: Thu 29 Oct 01:30AM to Thu 29 Oct 05:00PM. Times change with weather and tides.
- Town
- Mona Vale, NSW
What it's like
The pools sit side by side on the rock shelf off Surfview Road. The small toddler pool is shallow and calm, and the 30 m pool beside it is deep enough for older children and adults to swim. It is a family pool more than a serious lap pool.
The site began as a natural rock pool. In the 1930s it was enlarged as a Depression-era public works project, and council records from 1932 mention electric lights being switched on at the rock baths. Both pools are listed on the National Trust register for that history.
When to go
Mid-morning on a calm day suits families. Council publishes a dated cleaning roster, and the pools are out of use for about three hours before each listed cleaning time and up to twelve hours after, depending on the seas.
Getting there and facilities
The pools are off Surfview Road at the northern end of Mona Vale Beach. There are change rooms, toilets and pay-and-display parking. Across the road, Apex Park has electric barbecues, picnic tables, a shaded playground and a kids' bike path, and there are cafes on Darley Street.
Good to know
There are no lifeguards at the pools themselves. Keep a close eye on small children near the deeper pool.