option for those travelling in a multi-
vehicle group. It’s also ideal for tourers
with camper trailers.
Silent Creek Campground is the perfect
place to be based for the two days in the
park. Leave the trailer behind to explore
some of the steeper sections of the
park and, after a big day out and about,
the only thing you have to worry about
when you return to your already-set-up
camp that evening is whether to have a
beer first or start cooking dinner. Tough
choices, we know.
From Silent Creek, follow Silent Creek
Fire Trail. This track is steep, however, and
don’t get too distracted by the blue views
as your 4x4 aims skyward; if you’re lucky,
you may spot some of the park’s resident
emus who often use the fire trails to get
around the park.
Another reason to keep an eye out is
so you don’t miss a great side-trip that
follows Middle Fire Trail and then Licking
Hole Fire Trail. The oddly named Licking
Hole is a flat creek area that contains
an old goldminer’s hut and other mining
detritus, so it offers a great excuse to
get the family out of the 4x4 for a bit
of exploring on foot (or for a nice lunch
stop). From this site you can continue
north and rejoin Silent Creek Fire Trail,
before arriving at the junction of this fire
trail and the park’s eastern access point
on Felled Timber Road.
If you’re up for more of a challenge,
backtrack to Middle Fire Trail and then
loop northeast to Bald Hill Trail on
your right. From here, drive
south to the Little Bald Hill
Trail turnoff. This fire trail
is one of the steepest in the
park and, combined with the
open mountain gum forests up
high, allows for some amazing
views over the surrounding
landscape, as well as providing
access to Little Bald Hill.
It’s high in these sections
of the park where you get a
true picture of how rugged
this country is and gain a
new appreciation of the
fortune-focused prospectors
who lived and dug for the
precious yellow metal here.
Continuing north on Little
Bald Hill Fire Trail, turn northwest (left)
onto another steep track – Brass Walls
Fire Trail – and follow this north as it
winds in and out of the national park
before joining Felled Timber Road near
the park’s eastern entrance.
With its mix of pretty riverside
campgrounds, incredibly steep tracks,
remote location and the fact it’s close to
Sydney (and Oberon, a major centre),
Abercrombie NP is a near-perfect two-
day getaway from the bright lights of
the NSW capital. Add in the gold-rush
history and the chance to spot some of
the less common Aussie fauna, such
as emus and platypus, and it’s easy to
see why this national park is on the
bucket list of many NSW off-roaders.http://www.4X4australia.com.au 1231CHECK TRACKS
Camper trailers aren’t allowed
on some of the park’s steeper
tracks, including the Bald Hill
sections. Your best bet is to check
in advance before arriving with
your hitched camper trailer.Mack’s Flat bush camp
offers a grassy spot to
part the camper trailer.