Woolgoolga Creek picnic area
Sherwood Nature Reserve
Overview
Woolgoolga Creek picnic area is the ideal destination for a family daytrip. There are picturesque places to picnic, barbecues, excellent birdwatching and a nearby walking track.
- Type
- Picnic areas
- Where
- Sherwood Nature Reserve in North Coast
- Accessibility
- Easy
- Opening times
Woolgoolga Creek picnic area is open from sunrise to sunset.
- Please note
- Remember to take your binoculars if you want to go birdwatching.
- The weather in this area can be extreme and unpredictable, so please ensure you’re well-prepared for your visit.
- There is limited reception in this park.
Woolgoolga Creek picnic area is a delightful place for a picnic and a fantastic way to experience the plants and animals that make Sherwood Nature Reserve so special. Nestled below towering flooded gums, you’ll find this secluded picnic area fringed with blue quandongs. There’s plenty of space for the kids to run around, and nearby rainforest and creeks to explore, making it a great family day out.
Find a spot on the grassy lawn, throw down a picnic rug and listen to the sounds of nature. Or head over to the picnic tables and cook up a storm on one of the barbecues.
Goannas are regular visitors here, so you’ll probably spot one wandering through while you’re enjoying a picnic. You’ll also see brush turkeys and butterflies while there are over 50 species of birds around Woolgoolga Creek. If you’re feeling like a short walk, don’t miss the superb waterfall views at the end of Falls walking track or continue exploring the nature reserve along Sherwood Forest drive.
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/things-to-do/picnic-areas/woolgoolga-creek-picnic-area/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 Sherwood Nature Reserve in the North Coast region
Sherwood Nature Reserve is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather, fire danger or damage to trail network.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about the Woolgoolga Creek picnic area.
Getting there and parking
Woolgoolga Creek picnic area is in the Woolgoolga Creek precinct of Sherwood Nature Reserve. To get there:
- From Woolgoolga, drive west along Woolgoolga Creek Road.
- Follow the signs to the picnic area
Please note there is no vehicle access from Powerline Road.
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
Parking is available at Woolgoolga Creek picnic area.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you at Sherwood Nature Reserve. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
See magnificent quandong trees as their fruits turn blue and fallen leaves carpet the rainforest floor with red.
Spring
A fantastic time to see rainforest birds while they're nesting and wildflowers in the heathland.
Summer
Enjoy the tranquillity in the rainforest and some cool respite from the summer heat.
Winter
Bask in the winter sun at Woolgoolga Creek picnic area and enjoy a sheltered walk in the rainforest.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
16°C and 28°C
Highest recorded
28.3°C
Winter temperature
Average
4°C and 20°C
Lowest recorded
4.2°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
March
Driest month
August
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
953.1mm
Facilities
Amenities
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
- Gas/electric barbecues (free)
Carpark
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - easy
- Woolgoolga Creek picnic area is fully wheelchair-accessible
Prohibited
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
Woolgoolga Creek picnic area is in Sherwood Nature Reserve. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Aboriginal culture
The landforms, creatures and plants of Sherwood continue to have cultural significance for the Gumbaynggir People. Plants found in the rainforest such as figs, rosella leaves, tamarinds, ginger fruit and wombat berries are important for local cultural knowledge. There are also many special Aboriginal sites in the reserve, like Woolgoolga Creek, which is important for Gumbaynggir Women. This gives visitors a fascinating insight into Aboriginal culture and heritage.
Bird watching paradise
Birdwatchers will find an incredible diversity of birdlife at Sherwood. Wander through the rainforest on a spring or summer morning and you’ll see and hear up to 30 different species. It’s home to white-eared monarch and other common species like yellow-throated scrub wren, rufous fantail, little shrike thrush, noisy pita and log runner. It’s also an important place for threatened migratory pigeons such as the rose-crowned fruit dove and wompoo fruit dove.
- Falls walking track Falls walking track in Sherwood Nature Reserve is an easy walk through the rainforest, offering spectacular waterfall views of Woolgoolga Creek Falls and fantastic birdwatching.
- Woolgoolga Creek picnic area Woolgoolga Creek picnic area is the ideal destination for a family daytrip. There are picturesque places to picnic, barbecues, excellent birdwatching and a nearby walking track.
Changing landscapes
Early settlers began logging here in the 1800s, and this continued right up to 1961, when it was prohibited. In 1907, they built a tramline to take timber to the mill in Woolgoolga. In the early 1900s, banana plantations were established and from the 1960s, parts of the rainforest were cleared for plantations of flooded gums and bunya pines, some of which you can still see today. Along Falls walking track, you may also see remnants of a pipeline, built in 1966 to take water from Woolgoolga Creek Falls to Woolgoolga township.
Precious plant life
Sherwood Nature Reserve protects one of the few subtropical lowland floodplain rainforests remaining on the NSW North Coast, as well as dry and warm temperate rainforest and old-growth forest. A highlight is the magnificent stand of blue quandong around Woolgoolga Creek, with its whitish trunk covered in lichen and large buttresses. You might also spot the giant climbing orchid, the only known climbing orchid in Australia.
- Falls walking track Falls walking track in Sherwood Nature Reserve is an easy walk through the rainforest, offering spectacular waterfall views of Woolgoolga Creek Falls and fantastic birdwatching.
- Sherwood Forest drive Enjoy driving through diverse landscapes on Sherwood Forest Drive. This scenic trail offers picturesque places to picnic, lookouts and spectacular views along the way.