The Hills is home to so many natural and historic wonders, and we are fortunate to live in such a wonderful 
part of the world. We have so many interesting day trips and weekend activities on our own doorstep. Some of our best features unfortunately aren’t well known in the community, I hope this article changes that a little.
For people looking for family friendly activities in The Hills, I strongly recommend going to the following places
🔷 Wisemans Ferry
🔷 Cattai National Park
🔷 Powerhouse Castle Hill
🔷 Cumberland State Forest
🔷 Bidjigal Reserve
Bordering the Hawkesbury River, steeped in sandstone cliffs, Wisemans Ferry is a wonderful village at the very north of our shire featuring incredible scenery and history. I highly recommend visiting Wisemans Ferry Park – one of the most beautiful parks in The Hills, Hawkins Lookout – one of the best lookouts in the shire, the historic Wisemans Ferry Inn and all the local shops.
Cattai National Park is the only National Park in The Hills, offering a spectacular vista of the Hawkesbury River. One can picnic alongside the river, amongst the bushland or in the grasslands in sight of Kangaroos. You can also discover the historic 
Arndell homestead in the park.
Powerhouse Castle Hill is a state of the art building that houses Powerhouse collections supporting research, conservation and programs. The facility opened just last year to go alongside the Museums Discovery Centre and always has wonderful collections for the family to see. Open 10am to 4pm on weekends, plenty of programs and events are always scheduled.
Cumberland State Forest in West Pennant Hills is Australia’s only metropolitan State Forest, containing 40
hectares of native forest. Cumberland State Forest contains three magnificent walking trails, numerous picnic and BBQ areas, a café and is a dog friendly location.
Bidjigal Reserve is the signature bushland reserve in The Hills and includes a number of walking trails that are hugely popular with locals. The 1.7km Platypus Loop leaving from Eric Mobbs Reserve a particular favourite for families and dog walkers.
