Hat Head is 32 km northeast of Kempsey, a tiny village nestled in the Hat Head National Park. A river - a shallow and clear estuary running from the headland - separates the town from the bushland behind. The headland itself features an interesting pyramidial mountain, covered in trees and scrub.

The area has been at the vanguard of coastal protection with the establishment of organisations such as the Hat Head Community Dune Care Group.