Weddin Mountains National Park
Overview
Scenic views, colourful walks and secluded campgrounds await you at Weddin Mountains National Park, close to Grenfell. Bring the family for a drive or a picnic.
Read more about Weddin Mountains National Park
Weddin Mountains National Park, near Grenfell, consists of a small rocky range of mountains and provides a great day out for all the family to enjoy.
Home of Ben Hall’s Cave, the land is blessed with beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife. A short bushwalk up rugged hillside takes you to a cave overhang reputed to be a bushrangers' haunt — Ben Hall’s Cave is named after one of the area's most infamous rogues.
On a clear day, the mountain can be seen towering above the landscape from over 50km away. Watching it gradually fill the horizon is one of the real treats of a scenic drive around the park.
The journey around the base of the mountain en route to Ben Hall’s campground and picnic area is outstanding and ideally suited to both bicycle and car touring. Those who prefer a bushwalk through rogue land will be equally as pleased with the scenery.
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/weddin-mountains-national-park/local-alerts
Contact
- in the Country NSW region
Weddin Mountains National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
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Bathurst office
02 6332 7640
02 6332 7680 To contact the KARST Conservation Unit in this office.
Contact hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm. - Level 2, 203-209 Russell Street, Bathurst NSW 2795
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Email: npws.centralwest@environment.nsw.gov.au
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Bathurst office
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Weddin Mountains National Park.
Map
Map legend
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
From Grenfell to Ben Halls campground:
- Travel 5.5km west along the Mid-Western Highway towards West Wyalong.
- Turn left onto Back Piney Range Road and follow the signs to Weddin Mountains National Park.
- Follow the road around for 23km and then turn left onto the park entrance road over the grid.
- Go through the State Forest and then turn left and then right into Ben Halls campground.
- The trailhead is at the eastern end of the campground.
From Grenfell to Holy Camp:
- Travel from Grenfell 2km on Bimbi Road.
- Turn right onto Holy Camp Road and continue for 15km to Holy Camp.
Parking
- Ben Halls campground See on map
- Holy Camp 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 Weddin Mountains National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Cooler days make it an ideal time to undertake some of the longer walks. It's also a good time to wander around Seaton's Farm to investigate and compare machinery used back then to what we have today.
Spring
A great time to see the wildflowers that blanket much of the ground. Venture up to the lookouts to see the sprawling surrounding farming country.
Summer
Enjoy a free barbecue at Ben Hall's campground.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
30°C and 33°C
Highest recorded
43.9°C
Winter temperature
Average
12°C and 15°C
Lowest recorded
-5°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
June
Driest month
February
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
110.7mm
Facilities
Toilets
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
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
Grenfell (35 km)
The historic goldmining town of Grenfell is the birthplace of poet Henry Lawson, who was born on 17 June, 1867. Bushranger Ben Hall was also born nearby. Hall and his gang rampaged through the area from late 1863 until his death in a hail of bullets in May 1865.Visit the Grenfell Historical Museum to learn about Grenfell and its famous and (infamous) sons.
Young (59 km)
Young is home to many different stone-fruit orchards, wineries and gourmet food shops. Pick your own cherries from November to December and explore the local cellars and restaurants.
Forbes (97 km)
Rich in gold-mining history and the site of the biggest gold robbery in Australia's history, Forbes is renowned for its connections with notorious bushrangers Ben Hall and Frank Gardiner. Find out more on the town's heritage trail.
Learn more
Weddin Mountains National Park is a special place. Here are just some of the reasons why:
Where there's a will
In 1936, the Seaton family began developing property on the western side of the Weddin Mountains as a pastoral enterprise. Money and resources were scarce during the Great Depression, so the farm was built using second-hand materials fashioned into solid structures. Seaton's Farm is a testimony to the ingenuity used by the Seatons when times were tough. It provides brilliant insight into how this farming family lived during the mid-1900s. The Weddin Mountains are also well-known as the hideout of bushrangers Ben Hall and John Bow, infamously involved in the Escort Robbery at Eugowra.
- Seaton's Farm historic site An easy scenic walk to a perfect picnic spot against a backdrop of historic agricultural relics. Binoculars are also a must for the enthusiastic birdwatcher.
Rock stars
The Weddin Mountains are a large, crescent-shaped range that rises sharply from the surrounding plains. This prominent feature can be seen from up to 50km away. There are a number of interesting rock formations, cliff lines and small caves, particularly on the northern and eastern side of the mountain. Deep gullies between gentler slopes produce some lovely small waterfalls after a good rain.
- Basin Gully to Eualdrie lookout track Enjoy a challenging walk? Highlights on this fantastic hiking track include ridges, gullies and scenic views that stretch toward Grenfell, as well as great birdwatching.
Protected population
The Weddin Mountains harbour 12 threatened plant species and 39 threatened bird species. In spring, many lilies and orchids come into bloom, as do winged peppercress and slender darling pea. The diversity in vegetation from the base of the mountain to the top also accommodates a variety of bird species, from larger emus to smaller robins and thornbills. Raptors such as wedge-tailed eagles and peregrine falcons are often seen swooping and diving from the lookouts.
- Bertha's Gully walking track This medium difficulty walk near Grenfell passes small waterfalls and rock overhangs along Bertha’s Gully. Stop by at the campground for a rest after your 6km walk.
- Eualdrie walking track Eualdrie walking track is a short hiking route that offers scenic views, birdwatching and spring wildflowers.
- Lynchs loop trail Lynchs loop trail is a short hike within Weddin Mountains National Park. The route is scenic and there are birdwatching opportunities.
Any way you like it
The park offers both relaxing and adventurous recreational opportunities. Picnickers can enjoy a campfire and barbecue at Ben Hall's campground, while more adventurous visitors can walk the mountain range on a variety of walking tracks.
Education resources (1)
What we're doing
Weddin Mountains 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.