Werrikimbe National Park

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Overview

Werrikimbe National Park, near Port Macquarie and Walcha, offers walks through World Heritage-listed Gondwana rainforest, camping, picnicking, scenic drives and 4WD trails.

Read more about Werrikimbe National Park

If you’re looking to get away from the crowds and explore pristine wilderness, then Werrikimbe National Park is the place for you.

Part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, it’s a unique natural landscape with ancient rainforest, tall eucalypt forests, pristine rivers, cascading waterfalls, rugged escarpment and deep gullies. In spring, the forests and heathland burst with colourful wildflowers.

Visit for the day, or spend a few more enjoying the tranquility of secluded campgrounds, walking tracks, and picnic areas.

With over 120 bird species, birdwatching is a fantastic activity to enjoy here. As you spy lyrebirds in the rainforest, you’ll find a range of other forest birds such as eastern yellow robins and rufous fantails. If you’re lucky, you might spot rare bird species like olive whistlers, rufous scrub-birds and sooty owls.

Current alerts in this area

There are no current alerts in this area.

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/werrikimbe-national-park/local-alerts

Contact

See more visitor info

Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about Werrikimbe National Park.

Map


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Getting there and parking

Get driving directions

Get directions

    From Wauchope:

    • Drive towards Beechwood on Beechwood Road
    • After approximately 6.5km, turn onto Bellangry Road and follow for approximately 18km to Bellangry.
    • After Bellangry, the road is unsealed and becomes known as Hastings Forest Way.
    • Follow Hastings Forest Way for about 30km through the forest to the park boundary, then continue on another 8km to the junction with Cockerawombeeba Road in the eastern precinct of the park.

    Parking

    Road quality

    Please note that access to Werrikimbe National Park is on roads managed by other land holders. Road conditions in these locations may not be suitable for 2WD vehicles.

    • Mixture of sealed and unsealed roads

    Vehicle access

    • Most roads suitable for 2WD vehicles (no long vehicle access)

    Weather restrictions

    • 4WD required in wet weather

    By bike

    Check out the Bicycle information for NSW website for more information.

    By public transport

    There are no public transport options directly to Werrikimbe National Park. For information about public transport options to nearby Wauchope, visit the NSW country transport info website.

    Best times to visit

    There are lots of great things waiting for you in Werrikimbe National Park. Here are some of the highlights.

    Autumn

    Bathe in warm days and huddle around the campfire on cool nights at one of the remote campgrounds.

    Spring

    See the bushland burst with colour as the spring wildflowers attract a range of birds.

    Summer

    Escape the crowds and the coastal heat and enjoy walking in cool temperate rainforest.

    Winter

    Experience crystal clear days and crisp early morning frosts. Listen out for the night-time territorial calls of large forest owls from your tent.

    Weather, temperature and rainfall

    Summer temperature

    Average

    16°C and 29°C

    Highest recorded

    42.2°C

    Winter temperature

    Average

    5°C and 20°C

    Lowest recorded

    -5.1°C

    Rainfall

    Wettest month

    February

    Driest month

    July

    The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day

    706.8mm

    Facilities

    Toilets

    Picnic tables

    Barbecue facilities

    Drinking water

    Showers

    Electric power

    Maps and downloads

    Safety messages

    However you discover NSW national parks and reserves, we want you to have a safe and enjoyable experience. Our park and reserve systems contrast greatly so you need to be aware of the risks and take responsibility for your own safety and the safety of those in your care.

    Mobile safety

    Dial Triple Zero (000) in an emergency. Download the Emergency Plus app before you visit, it helps emergency services locate you using your smartphone's GPS. Please note there is limited mobile phone reception in this park and you’ll need mobile reception to call Triple Zero (000).

    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

    Wauchope (65 km)

    Wauchope is great base for exploring nearby national parks that are part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Follow the Hastings Forest Way to Werrikimbe National Park, a rugged wilderness of outstanding beauty spread with short and long walks. Willi Willi National Park is a rainforest mountain park with three beautiful walking tracks that follow the river and lead to a sparkling waterfall. 

    www.visitnsw.com

    Walcha (90 km)

    Walcha is the gateway to some of the best adventure experiences in Australia. Expect gorges, rainforests, waterfalls and wilderness. Enjoy helicopter flights, 4WD tours and fishing, as well as guided bushwalks in some of Australia's most rugged terrain.

    www.visitnsw.com

    Port Macquarie (98 km)

    Vibrant Port Macquarie is surrounded by beautiful waterways - the Hastings River, canals, creeks, bays and the Pacific Ocean. The city also has a five-star collection of golden-sand beaches stretching from Port Macquarie Beach to Town Beach and north along the 16-km swathe of North Beach.

    www.visitnsw.com

    Learn more

    Werrikimbe National Park is a special place. Here are just some of the reasons why:

      World Heritage wonder

      Lookout over the wilderness, Werrikimbe National Park. Photo: John Spencer

      The rainforests in Werrikimbe National Park are part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area; the most extensive strip of diverse rainforest anywhere on earth. This World Heritage Area is a direct window into the past and the future, providing a link to the ancient pre-human world and an irreplaceable record of life on our planet. Explore the rainforest on one of the park's many walking tracks, like King Fern walking track from Plateau Beech campground. Discover ancient Antarctic beech trees and listen for the lyrebird whose mimicking calls ring out through the rainforest.

      • Carabeen walk Discover World Heritage Gondwana Rainforest on Carabeen walk, in Werrikimbe National Park. This short, family-friendly walk loops past majestic yellow carabeen trees, near Walcha.
      • King Fern walking track King Fern walking track in Werrikimbe National Park near Wauchope is a great introduction to World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests. A 2km loop, it also offers waterfalls and vibrant birdlife.
      • Platypus Pool walking track Don’t miss Platypus Pool walking track when you’re staying at Mooraback campground in Werrikimbe National Park, near Walcha. You might spot a shy platypus as you walk alongside the Hastings River.

      Traditional lands of the Dungutti People

      Platypus Pools walk, Werrikimbe National Park. Photo: John Spencer

      When you're exploring the beautiful mountains, rivers and bushlands of Werrikimbe National Park, you're on the traditional lands of the Dungutti Aboriginal People. Aboriginal groups continue to have an active role in the management of the park. There are a number of important sites in the park that show that Dungutti people are the original inhabitants of this land, including several stone arrangements and surface deposits of stone artefacts.

      Thousands of species

      Eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), Werrikimbe National Park. Photo: John Spencer

      There are close to 1,000 plant species found in Werrikimbe, including nearly 30 that are listed as rare or threatened. The diverse landscapes of Werrikimbe are home to a wide range of wildlife including around 52 species of mammals, over 120 bird species and 48 species of reptiles and amphibians. You'll see bandicoots, eastern grey kangaroos and wallabies including the rare parma wallaby, sometimes seen around Brushy Mountain. You'll also find a range of forest birds such as eastern yellow robins, scarlet robins, grey and rufous fantails. If you're lucky, you might spot rare species such as the olive whistler, rufous scrub-bird and sooty owl.

      • King Fern walking track King Fern walking track in Werrikimbe National Park near Wauchope is a great introduction to World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests. A 2km loop, it also offers waterfalls and vibrant birdlife.

      Abundant landscapes

      Platypus Pools walk, Werrikimbe National Park. Photo: John Spencer

      You'll find three different rainforest types; cool temperate, warm temperate and subtropical. The park also contains significant endangered ecological communities, like at Bishops Swamp and Racecourse Swamp. Head to Mooraback campground to see the snow gum woodland that is slowly regenerating from over 100 years of grazing.

      Education resources (1)

      What we're doing

      Werrikimbe 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.