Cycling from Parramatta to the Cooks River Cycleway and Sydney
Located southeast of Parramatta is an excellent cycleway that links Sydney’s west to Sydney’s CBD.
The Cooks River Cycleway starts a few blocks away from Rookwood Cemetery and ends near Sydney Airport where it connects with the Sydney CBD cycle network.
The full ride is about 35kms long and takes about 2 hours & 15 minutes to complete — longer for slower cyclists.
The Cooks River Cycleway route is much-written about online— but, not well known is the route from Parramatta to the Cooks River Cycleway via the Rookwood Cemetery.
The safest route to cycle from Parramatta to Rookwood Cemetery is by starting on the pop-up cycleway on Cambridge/Wigram Street near Harris Park railway station, and then down and onto the M4 Cycleway.
Ride the M4 Cycleway eastbound, over James Ruse Drive, to Martha Street at Clyde — cross over Parramatta Road, heading south to Clyde railway station.
From Clyde you’ll continue south to join the Duck River Cycleway via Factory Street and the New Glasgow Park.
The Duck River Cycleway will take you Mona Park and Auburn Botanic Gardens.
The Duck River Cycleway will come to an end at Progress Park at Auburn, and spit you out onto Wellington Road. Begin riding east past Rosnay Golf Club on Chisolm Road, then turn left onto Albert Road which will be the steepest hill that you’ll encounter on this route. In my opinion, this is the best eastbound road out of Auburn.
Ride past Kulgun Park and down the hill to Berala railway station — at this point cycle under the railway line — the tunnel is located at the train station entry, near the Woolworths supermarket.
From Berala, cycle along the road past Coleman Park to Rookwood Cemetery, crossing Joseph Street Lidcombe.
Follow the main west-east road through Rookwood Cemetery, Necropolis Drive.
Exit the cemetery at the eastern side of Rookwood Cemetery near the corner of Necropolis Drive and Memorial Avenue. At this point, you are near the start of the Cooks River Cycleway — but you’ll need to cross Cententary Drive into Strathfield.
Head south downhill on Newtown Road, then right onto Melville Avenue — at the end of this street you’ll come across the start of the Cooks River Cycleway at Freshwater Park. From here onwards you can travel all the way to Sydney’s CBD on safe cycleways.
The Cooks River Cycleway is a an excellent cycleway that follows the river and is void of hills. You’ll find a map and more photos of the Cooks River Cycleway here.
The Cooks River Cycleway passes through Croydon Park, Canterbury, Hurlstone Park, Marrickville and Tempe.
A weather tip — I rode the Cooks River Cycleway about 10 days after a 1-in-100 rain event that hit Sydney, and I came across about half a dozen large puddles of water.
It was a messy ride.
Apart from the puddles, the Cooks River Cycleway offers some good views of Sydney’s inner west parks.
I hope you enjoy your ride. I’m interested in hearing about your ride from Parramatta to the Cooks River Cycleway and the city. Drop me a message at @BrendenWood.
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