Children Playground - Piccabeen Park

Piccabeen Park is a family-friendly green space a short walk from Bangalow’s main street, with two playgrounds that make it a practical stop for children and parents. The park is also used for birthdays and parties, with picnic tables, a rotunda, shade areas, toilets, parking and a BBQ listed among its facilities. It is described as accessible, although visitors may wish to check current site conditions if specific access needs are important.

There is more here than playground equipment. Byron Creek runs through the park, and the nearby Byron Creek Walking Trail follows the creek through a regenerated rainforest area planted between 2014 and 2016. The trail can be reached from the south-eastern part of the car park behind Heritage House. A designated off-leash dog-walking area adds another reason to visit, while the combination of open space, shade and creekside surroundings gives the park a relaxed setting for families, walkers and local dog owners.

The park also has a strong local history. The site has been associated with family recreation since the early 1920s, including the original swimming pool opened in Byron Creek in 1924. After the weir wall failed in 2010, a fish ladder was created instead of rebuilding it, with later works using local rocks to reinforce the creek edges, form rock pools and support fish habitat and platypus. New playgrounds and picnic tables were installed through government and Byron Shire Council funding, with assistance from local community and landcare groups.

Renamed Piccabeen Park in March 2024, the park takes its name from the Indigenous name for the Bangalow palm, referring to baskets made from material at the ends of its fronds. Council’s open spaces team maintains the park with Team Piccabeen and the Bangalow Land and Rivercare group, and volunteers are welcome. Camping is not permitted. With its playgrounds, creek, walking trail and community history, it suits a daytime family outing, a children’s gathering, a short walk or a low-key break in Bangalow.