Coolah Tops National Park
Overview
Coolah Tops National Park is a playground for walkers and mountain bikers looking for a great cycling and camping experience.
Read more about Coolah Tops National Park
Sitting at the junction of the Warrumbungle and Liverpool ranges, Coolah Tops National Park is a beautiful landscape of giant grass trees, tall eucalypt forests and stands of huge snow gums. Take in spectacular views and see magnificent waterfalls on walking trails like The Falls link track, Racecourse track or Grasstrees track. Explore the Bundella track and Mullion track on your mountain bike. Birdwatchers should keep their eyes open, as Coolah Tops is home to an abundance of wildlife and birdlife, so you might see wallabies, eagles, gliders and rare owls.
You may need to spend a weekend discovering everything that Coolah Tops has to offer. There’s remote camping, so you can spend the night stargazing, or after a day of walking and mountain biking, perhaps you’d prefer to sleep soundly at rustic Bracken’s Cottage.
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/coolah-tops-national-park/local-alerts
Contact
- in the Country NSW region
Coolah Tops National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather, fire danger or management operations. The eastern end of the park is regularly closed during wet weather due to slippery road conditions.
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Warrumbungle NP Visitor Information Centre
02 6825 4364
Contact hours: 9am to 4pm daily. Closed Christmas Day. - 4261 John Renshaw Parkway, Warrumbungle NSW 2828
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Email: warrumbungle.np@environment.nsw.gov.au
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Warrumbungle NP Visitor Information Centre
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Coolah Tops National Park.
Map
Map legend
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
From Coolah:
- Head east on the sealed Coolah Creek Road for approximately 19km
- Turn right onto unsealed The Tops Road
- Continue along this unsealed road with some steep climbs for another 11km before entering the park
Parking
- Bundella lookout See on map
- Grass Tree walking track See on map
- Snow Gum walking track See on map
By bike
Check out the Bicycle information for NSW website for more information.
By public transport
For information about public transport options, visit the NSW country transport info website
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Coolah Tops National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Great camping weather before the cold weather arrives. Swap stories by the campfire about the day's adventures.
Spring
See the park come to life as the pink darling pea, yellow flowering black wattle and silver wattle burst into colour.
Summer
Enjoy warm days walking and mountain biking and cooler nights in the bush.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
15°C and 30°C
Highest recorded
40.3°C
Winter temperature
Average
2°C and 15°C
Lowest recorded
-6.7°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
January
Driest month
May
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
186.7mm
Facilities
Toilets
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
Drinking water
Maps and downloads
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.
Nearby towns
Coolah (31 km)
Coolah is the gateway to Coolah Tops National Park, a subalpine park with tall eucalypt forests, waterfalls, giant grass trees and scenic forest drives. See animals in the wild, including the greater glider - the largest of Australia's gliding possums.
Coonabarabran (112 km)
Coonabarabran is the closest town to the craggy peaks and spires of the Warrumbungle Ranges. Warrumbungle National Park is popular for bushwalking, camping and encountering wildlife amid breathtaking scenery.
Merriwa (114 km)
Merriwa is a unique and friendly rural town nestled in the Upper Hunter Valley. Situated on the Golden Highway, Merriwa is the ideal place for a stopover, as it is centrally located. In just two hours you can reach Mudgee, Dubbo, Newcastle and Tamworth.
Learn more
Coolah Tops National Park is a special place. Here are just some of the reasons why:
Wildlife haven
Looking out across the beautiful landscape of Coolah Tops National Park, it's obvious why you'll find so much wildlife here. Wander quietly along one of the walking tracks and you'll probably have a close encounter with red-necked wallabies and eastern grey kangaroos. You might also find a wombat waddling through the campground. Coolah Tops has some of the highest population densities of greater gliders in Australia. At night, keep your torch handy to see greater gliders, ring-tailed possums and possibly feather-tailed gliders or a sugar glider in the nearby trees.
- Grass Tree walking track Grass Tree walking track is a great way to explore a magical landscape of ancient grass trees in Coolah Tops National Park. A must-do for visitors, this easy walk starts at The Barracks campground.
- Shepherds Peak walking track For experienced bushwalkers, Shepherds Peak walking track in Coolah Tops National Park is a great way to explore sub-alpine forest. Come prepared for a steep scramble up the peak’s volcanic dome.
- Snow Gum walking track Snow Gum walking track in Coolah Tops National Park is an easy way to experience some of the largest known snow gum trees in a beautiful old-growth forest setting, near Coolah.
Get active in the bush
Pack your hiking boots and your mountain bike and be ready to get active in the bush at Coolah Tops. There are plenty of great walking tracks and trails to experience the bush on your bike. Make your way to lookouts like Shepherd's Peak or Breeza lookout for spectacular views to the north over the Liverpool Plains and the sheer escarpment. You'll also find several waterfalls along the escarpment where the creeks plunge over the plateau edge.
Education resources (1)
What we're doing
Coolah Tops National Park has management strategies in place to protect and conserve the values of this park. Visit the OEH website for detailed park and fire management documents.