Chaelundi campground
Guy Fawkes River National Park
Overview
This quiet campground is popular with families and 4WD tourers and makes a great base for enjoying walking tracks into Guy Fawkes River National Park.
| Number of campsites | 7 |
|---|---|
| Camping type | Tent, Camper trailer site, Camping beside my vehicle |
| Facilities | Picnic tables, barbecue facilities, toilets |
| What to bring | Firewood |
| Group bookings | Bookings for up to 5 sites and 20 people can be made online. School groups and commercial tour operators can submit a group booking enquiry form. |
| Please note |
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At this remote, yet welcoming campground, you can camp among the tall forest or at grassy campsites nestled next to the quaint Chaelundi Creek, which is also a lovely spot to swim and paddle when the weather is hot.
The campground is popular with families and 4WD tourers and there’s lots of open space in the campground where kids can play games. It’s an ideal base camp for exploring the walking tracks into the Guy Fawkes River and along the escarpment.
Once you set up camp, head off to the Escarpment walk to view the spectacular Chaelundi Falls and Lucifers Thumb lookouts, with remarkable 180-degree views out over the park and Guy Fawkes River.
Red-neck wallabies frequent the campground and threatened brush-tailed rock wallabies can often be seen sunning themselves on the cliffs nearby. The creek is also home to the endangered New England tree frog.
Also see
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Chaelundi Falls lookout
Chaelundi Falls lookout is in Guy Fawkes River National Park along Escarpment walk. It’s a scenic spot with dramatic views of the falls and the valley far below.
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Escarpment walk
Escarpment walk in Guy Fawkes River National Park is a forest walk that takes hikers past Chaelundi Falls and Lucifers Thumb, all the way to Spring Gully picnic area.
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Lucifers Thumb lookout
Lucifers Thumb lookout is in Guy Fawkes River National Park, along Escarpment walk. It’s a great place to soak up stunning views of the Guy Fawkes River Valley.
Map
Map legend
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation/campgrounds/chaelundi-campground/local-alerts
Bookings
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Operated by
- Glen Innes office
- Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.
- 02 6739 0700
- npws.ntab@environment.nsw.gov.au
- 68 Church Street, Glen Innes NSW 2370
Park info
- in Guy Fawkes River National Park in the North Coast and Country NSW regions
Guy Fawkes River National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Chaelundi campground.
Getting there and parking
Chaelundi campground is in Guy Fawkes River National Park. To get there:
From Dorrigo
- Take the Tyringham Road through to the Grafton/Armidale Road
- Turn right onto the Grafton/Armidale Road, travel 4km and turn left at Dundurrabin onto Sheepstation Creek Road (gravel road starts).
- 6km along Sheepstation Creek Road, turn left onto Chaelundi Road.
- Travel 17km along Chaelundi Road, then turn left onto Misty Creek Road.
- The campground is 11km down Misty Creek Road
From Grafton
- Take Grafton/Armidale Road, travel 81km and turn right at Dundurrabin onto Sheepstation Creek Road (gravel road starts).
- 6km along Sheepstation Creek Road, turn left onto Chaelundi Road.
- Travel 17km along Chaelundi Road, then turn left onto Misty Creek Road.
- The campground is 11km down Misty Creek Road
From Ebor
- Take Grafton/Armidale Road east for 15km
- Turn left at Hernani onto Marengo Road and proceed for 11km (gravel road starts).
- Turn right onto Hardens Road and proceed for 12km
- Turn left onto Chaelundi Road and proceed for 7km
- Turn left onto Misty Creek Road
- The campground is 11km down Misty Creek Road
Road quality
Check the weather before you set out as the road to this campground can become boggy when it rains.
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- All roads require 4WD vehicle
Weather restrictions
- Dry weather only
Parking
Parking available on site.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Guy Fawkes River National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Great camping weather when the days start cooling off, yet the water in the river is still warm.
Spring
Look out for native wildflowers around Ebor Falls, including everlasting daisies, native violets and small-fruited hakea.
Summer
Paddle in the creek at Chaelundi campground or swim, canoe or fish on Boyd River at Dalmorton.
Facilities
Rubbish bins are not available, so please take your rubbish with you when leaving.
Toilets
- Non-flush toilets
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
There may be a limited supply of firewood at this campground, however it’s a good idea to bring your own.
- Wood barbecues (firewood supplied)
- Fire rings (firewood supplied)
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - hard
Wheelchairs can access this area with some difficulty.
Prohibited
Generators
Generators are not permitted in this campground.
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Learn more
Chaelundi campground is in Guy Fawkes River National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Gold rush
Major Edward Parke named Guy Fawkes River after camping nearby on Guy Fawkes Day, November 5, 1845. Gold was discovered in the late 1800s at Ballards Flat and Dalmorton, with the latter once supporting a town of 3,000 people during a short gold rush. A couple of building ruins remain today and old stockmen huts and yards are still present throughout the valleys.
Routes of time
Archaeological sites suggest that Aboriginal people have occupied these valleys for over 10,000 years. The Guy Fawkes and Boyd rivers once served as important traffic and trade routes linking the tablelands to the coast. Ebor Falls was traditionally named 'Martiam', which means 'Great Falls' in Gumbaynggir language.
- Celebrate at Ebor Falls Come celebrate the re-opening of Ebor Falls in Guy Fawkes River National Park. Enjoy the views, new lookouts and picnic facilities at this iconic natural attraction. Bring the family to this special event, about 1hr from Armidale.
Unique geology
The north-south line of the Guy Fawkes River cuts through the Demon fault line, a 240-million-year-old crack in the landscape. In the south of the park the Ebor volcano spewed lava across the landscape. This created the Ebor Falls, with their unusual organ pipe-like rock formations.
- Celebrate at Ebor Falls Come celebrate the re-opening of Ebor Falls in Guy Fawkes River National Park. Enjoy the views, new lookouts and picnic facilities at this iconic natural attraction. Bring the family to this special event, about 1hr from Armidale.
- Ebor Falls A great stop-off between the coast and Armidale along Waterfall Way, Ebor Falls offers spectacular waterfall views and scenic lookouts.
- Escarpment walk Escarpment walk in Guy Fawkes River National Park is a forest walk that takes hikers past Chaelundi Falls and Lucifers Thumb, all the way to Spring Gully picnic area.
- Misty Creek lookout Enjoy scenic views from Misty Creek lookout over Guy Fawkes River Gorge, near Coffs Harbour, and Chaelundi campground.
Wild about species
The park is an incredible biodiversity hotspot. There are over 40 different plant communities and about 1000 plant species in the park, along with 28 threatened plant species, 24 threatened animal species, and significant areas of old growth forest. The endangered brush-tailed rock-wallaby can be seen in the rocky areas of the park, while glossy black cockatoos are often spotted throughout the park. The park is also one of the few remaining areas in Australia where purebred dingoes can still be found. The park is a conservation site for one of the most significant areas of wilderness in northern NSW, extending over 84,000ha of the 107,000ha park. This preserves the biodiversity of the park, allowing its natural ecosystems to be kept free from excessive human impact.
- Ebor Falls A great stop-off between the coast and Armidale along Waterfall Way, Ebor Falls offers spectacular waterfall views and scenic lookouts.
- Escarpment walk Escarpment walk in Guy Fawkes River National Park is a forest walk that takes hikers past Chaelundi Falls and Lucifers Thumb, all the way to Spring Gully picnic area.
- Misty Creek lookout Enjoy scenic views from Misty Creek lookout over Guy Fawkes River Gorge, near Coffs Harbour, and Chaelundi campground.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
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Spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)
The spotted-tailed quoll is the largest remaining carnivorous marsupial on the Australian mainland. It’s protected as a vulnerable species in NSW.