The beach is located roughly 18 kilometres from the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire.

[1] Many patches of tall grass and shrubs still remain on the dunes, giving a green-colored tint to the hills, thus its naming.

Greenhills Beach, due to its small notoriety and lack of crowds compared to its southern neighbours, is often cited as a destination for beach-goers in Sydney and for tourists.

After community lobbying, the Sutherland Shire Council allowed dogs to roam the beach 24 hours a day following a decision in August 2013.

Since 2001, the reef has been protected by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries as part of the Boat Harbour Aquatic Reserve, is characterised as a popular spearfishing and marine collection area.