Mummel Forest Road
Mummel Gulf National Park
Overview
Mummel Forest Road is a scenic car touring route between Wauchope and Walcha that offers forest views and opportunities for cycling, picnics and bushwalking.
- Where
- Mummel Gulf National Park in Country NSW
- Distance
- 17km one-way
- Time suggested
- 19min
- Please note
- The weather in this area can be extreme and unpredictable and this park is in a remote location, so please ensure you're thoroughly prepared, bring appropriate clothing and equipment and advise a family member or friend of your travel plans.
- There is limited mobile reception in this park
Whether you’re looking for a scenic drive, or heading to the park for a weekend of camping and bushwalking, Mummel Forest Road offers a great opportunity for an enjoyable nature getaway.
Suitable for 2WD (dry weather only), it’s a scenic car touring or cycling route between Wauchope and Walcha that traverses 17km of the beautiful mountain forest for which Mummel Gulf National Park is so well-known. With beautiful forest vistas and places to picnic along the way, it makes a picturesque alternative to driving on the main roads.
Enjoy the cooler temperatures in the forest during summer, and in winter you’ll probably see snow alongside the road. You’re also likely to see wildlife like swamp wallabies, red-necked wallabies and wombats along the roadside, especially at dusk and early morning. You might even catch a glimpse of a lyrebird as they dart back into the forest.
Map
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Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/driving-routes/mummel-forest-road/local-alerts
General enquiries
- 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
Park info
- in Mummel Gulf National Park in the Country NSW region
Mummel Gulf 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 Mummel Forest Road.
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
Mummel Forest Road is in Mummel Gulf National Park. To get there:
- From Oxley Highway, take Enfield Road and drive for approximately 12km, turning right into Mummel Forest Road.
- From Nowendoc, take Brackendale Road and then turn right onto Mummel Forest Road.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Mummel Gulf National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Spring
The forest is in bloom in spring; keep an eye out for greenhood orchids on the forest floor.
Summer
Take advantage of the forest shade while the coast and western slopes are hot. At night, boobook owls can be heard milling about the campground.
Winter
Light snow sometimes falls in winter, combining with misty mornings to create an evocative atmosphere.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
17°C and 28.5°C
Highest recorded
42.2°C
Winter temperature
Average
6.1°C and 19.2°C
Lowest recorded
-5.1°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
January
Driest month
July
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
234.6mm
Facilities
- There is limited water available in this park, so it's a good idea to bring your own.
- Visitors are encouraged to bring gas or fuel stoves, especially in summer during the fire season.
Maps and downloads
Prohibited
Gathering firewood
Firewood may not be collected from the park.
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.
If you're travelling through a national park or reserve on a public road you can have pets inside your vehicle. However, you must keep them inside your vehicle while driving through national parks or reserves. You must also comply with any conditions in the park’s plan of management, and you cannot stop to visit the park or use park facilities (unless for safety reasons, or to use publicly accessible toilets).
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Learn more
Mummel Forest Road is in Mummel Gulf National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Forests worth protecting
What were the anti-logging protesters trying to protect? Mummel Gulf National Park is notable for its wide variety of plant life, not to mention the animals which rely on the biodiversity. Your visit will expose you to everything from sclerophyll forests to warm temperate rainforests, and, if you're lucky, ant orchids and greenhoods - both threatened species.
- Mummel Forest Road Mummel Forest Road is a scenic car touring route between Wauchope and Walcha that offers forest views and opportunities for cycling, picnics and bushwalking.
The journey of John Oxley, the legacy of logging
The famous explorer John Oxley would have travelled in the vicinity of Mummel Gulf National Park on his crossing from Apsley Falls to the coast in 1818. Later, though little evidence remains, small-scale mining and grazing took place in the area. More notable are the logging trails - logging here ultimately caused a series of protests in the 1990s, which resulted in the creation of many national parks in the north-east of NSW.
The lost Aboriginal connection
The difficult terrain in Mummel Gulf National Park poses a challenge to more than just adventurous hikers. There are very few recorded Aboriginal sites in the area because of the complexities of surveying. This doesn't mean they don't exist, though: Aboriginal people may have moved through the area as they crossed between the tablelands and the coast. They may also have lived in the area permanently, drawing on the land and water biodiversity to inform their spiritual beliefs and cultural identity.