T
he Coolah Tops National
Park is one of the lesser
known destinations in
country NSW where you
can find a great free campsite
with basic facilities and explore
the region in your 4WD or on foot.
There are also some spectacular
lookouts, great forest scenery,
and plenty of birds and wildlife.
Coolah Tops is located 52km
east of the small town of Coolah
in country NSW which is about
56km east of Dunedoo. It is
definitely off the beaten track but
well worth the effort to get to.
Coolah Tops sits at the junction of
the Warrumbungle and Liverpool
Ranges, with the landscape in the
park consisting of tall eucalypt
forests, giant grass trees, and
stands of huge snow gums.From Coolah head out on
Vinegaroy Road and turn left onto
Coolah Creek Road. At Coolah
Creek Road there are also
signposts pointing to the Coolah
Tops National Park. Follow
Coolah Creek Road for around
18km and turn right at State
Forest Road which again has
signposts pointing to the National
Park. The road turns to gravel
and climbs steeply up onto the
ranges with great views of the
Coolah Tops and surrounding
ranges. The road is windy and
rough in places so take care
during your ascent. This is still
private land with herds of cattle
and lots of goats. After 14km you
will come to the park entrance- take some time to read the
information boards before
TIME TO TRAVEL – October
FUEL – Dubbo (At time of trip)
Diesel $1.59 Unleaded $1.57
CAMPING – There are three designated camping areas – The
Barracks, Cox’s Creek and The Pines. Each campground has a pit
toilet, concrete fire pits with BBQ plates, and flat sites. The
Barracks also has a shelter and rainwater tank.QUICK FACTS
continuing into the park.
There is only one way into and
out of the park, but some maps
will show access from the east.
These tracks have been closed
and gated, so make sure you plan
to enter the park from the
western side.
The Coolah Tops was gazetted
as a national park in 1996 and
covers an area of approximately
12,000 hectares on a narrow
plateau of the Liverpool Ranges.
The Gamilaraay aboriginal tribe
used the area for food gathering,
hunting and ceremonies before
European settlement began in
the area in the 1830s. Alex
Cunningham first traveled
through here in 1823 when he
discovered Pandora Pass – the
way over the Warrumbungle
Ranges and onto the lush
Liverpool Plains. In 1842 Ludwig
Leichhardt crossed the “Tops”
when he surveyed the Liverpool
Range and Plains. The forests
were gazetted as Timber Reserve
in 1886 but it wasn’t until 1941
when the railway issued licenses
allowing sleepers to be cut that
the timber resources were
utilized. The area was selectively
logged for railway sleepers,fencing and packing timber using
the abundant stringybark trees
up until 1995. You can see plenty
of evidence of the logging
throughout the park, with old
stumps with slots cut for the
planks so the timber cutters
could climb and fall the large
trees and old machinery such as
the ruins of the Cox Creek timber
mill.
At the park entrance, it’s time
to decide on an itinery and plan of
attack. A good option is to select
a camping destination and
perhaps setup camp before
exploring further. There are three
designated camping sites – The
Barracks, Cox’s Creek and The
Pines campgrounds. There is
also the historic Brackens
Cottage that can be rented out for
a small fee (bookings required in
advance).
The Barracks campground is
the most popular campsite and
has been established on the site
of an old forestry accommodation
block. There is an information
board, shelter shed, pit toilets,
picnic tables, tank water and
concrete fire rings with swing-
away plates & hooks. Be sure to
boil the tank water before use –066ACoolah^ Tops^ is^ part^ of^ the^ Great^ Dividing^ Range