Hat Head National Park, Coastal nature reserve in Kempsey Shire, Australia

Hat Head National Park is a coastal nature reserve in New South Wales, located within the Kempsey Shire along the Pacific coast. It covers sandy beaches, sand dunes, patches of rainforest, wetlands, and rocky headlands, all sitting close together along the same stretch of shoreline.

The park lies on the traditional land of the Dunghutti people, who used its coast and sea for fish and shellfish and left ceremonial grounds, burial sites, shell middens and campsites within its boundaries. The park stretches 40 km along the coast from Crescent Head to Smoky Cape, with the headland of Hat Head at its centre and the village of about 320 residents inside it. Smoky Cape Lighthouse stands at the northern end.

The park is named after the Hat Head headland at its centre, and the village of about 320 people inside the park shares the name. For the Dunghutti people, parts of the park remain traditional land, holding ceremonial grounds, burial sites, shell middens and campsites; the sea and the different areas of the park supplied fish and shellfish.

The park can be reached by road from several directions, and the village of Hat Head itself sits inside the park and serves as a useful base for exploring the surrounding area. Arriving early in the day is a good idea, especially during warmer months when the car parks near the beach fill up quickly.

The village of Hat Head is almost entirely surrounded by the national park, making it one of the few communities in Australia that sits inside a protected area rather than next to one. This means that anyone staying in the village steps directly into the park as soon as they leave their front door.