The Barrington Tops National Park is a stretch of relatively high altitude wilderness located in the NSW Hunter Valley.
The 76,500-hectare park is situated between the communities of Scone, Gloucester, Dungog and Singleton and is just 200km drive north of Sydney.
The park is part of the World Heritage Site Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, and is home to an incredible diversity of native plants and animals.
The lower part of the park is home to sections of dense subtropical rainforest, while the more remote stretches of the park, atop a plateau between twin peaks of the Mount Royal Range, are cloaked in subalpine and alpine forest.
The Barrington Tops is a popular destination for those looking to get the wheels dirty within a couple of hours of the Sydney metro area, as well as keen bushwalkers and freshwater anglers. Perfect for a weekend getaway for Sydney and New South Wales central coast residents.
STUFF TO DO
4WDING is certainly possible within the park, with the popular 15km Barrington Trail drawing in visitors from all over.
The trail is fairly gentle going for the most part, but can become slippery and treacherous after heavy rain. Note that the trail is closed between June 1 and September 30 each year, and can occasionally close at other times due to severe wet weather.
FISHING is very popular within the park, with native bass a popular target in the more accessible lower altitude sections, and introduced brown and rainbow trout popular quarry in the high altitude streams tucked away in the remote upper reaches of the park.
The park’s trout are worthy targets on lure and fly, but accessing the streams they reside in requires some serious research and legwork!
IMPORTANT INFO
LOCATION: In the Hunter Valley between the communities of Dungog, Gloucester, Singleton and Scone, approximately 200km north of Sydney via the Pacific Highway.
CAMPING is available within the park at the Gloucester River Campsite, where 25 sites are available, suitable for tent, camper trailer and caravan camping.
Picnic tables, barbeques and toilets are provided, but campers must carry in their own fresh water. More basic camping is available within the park at Devils Hole, Junction Pools and Dilgry River campgrounds.
FUEL is available at Sydney, Newcastle, Dungog, Gloucester, Scone and Singleton.
MORE INFO is available at www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au
