Mount Hyland Nature Reserve
Overview
Mount Hyland Nature Reserve is a perfect pit stop on a 4WD driving tour, around Dorrigo and the New England tablelands. Check out the superb views and walking tracks through World Heritage gondwana rainforest.
Read more about Mount Hyland Nature Reserve
Answer the call of the wild with a World Heritage rainforest experience in Mount Hyland Nature Reserve. The distinctive three peaks of Mount Hyland are the highest point on the New England tablelands and offer breathtaking scenic views across the Dorrigo plateau. It’s a popular destination on a 4WD driving tour, offering superb walking, picnic and birdwatching opportunities.
Recharge your batteries on a walk through cool moss-filled rainforest. It’s a perfect picnic stop on a wilderness holiday, taking in nearby Guy Fawkes River National Park and Chaelundi Nature Park.
A biodiversity hotspot, this remote and wild region is home to some rare and endangered wildlife. Both the Hastings River mouse and rare pouched frog were believed to be extinct and were rediscovered here, alive and well in the early 1980s.
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/mount-hyland-nature-reserve/local-alerts
Contact
- in the North Coast region
Mount Hyland Nature Reserve is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
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Coffs Harbour office
02 6652 0900
Contact hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm. - 4/32 Edgar St, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450
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Email: npws.coffscoast@environment.nsw.gov.au
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Coffs Harbour office
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Mount Hyland Nature Reserve.
Map
Map legend
Getting there and parking
From Armidale via Dundurrabin:
- Turn off Armidale-Grafton Road at Dundurrabin
- Proceed along Sheepstation Road for 6.3km
- Turn left onto Chaelundi Road
- Mount Hyland Nature Reserve is 10km along Chaelundi Road
From Armidale via Hernani:
- Turn off Armidale/Grafton Road at Hernani onto Marengo Road
- Proceed along Marengo Road for 11.4km
- Turn right onto Hardens Road and proceed for 7km
Via Old Glen Innes/Grafton Road:
- At Dalmorton, turn onto Chaelundi Road.
- Proceed along Chaelundi Road for 46.5km
Parking
- Vista Point picnic area 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 Mount Hyland Nature Reserve. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Walk to the top of the summit for spectacular views across world-class wilderness.
Spring
Take the binoculars for some excellent birdwatching as spring heralds the nesting season.
Summer
Escape the summer heat with a refreshing walk through temperate rainforest.
Winter
The crisp mornings are a great time for taking in the majestic views across the mountain ranges from the lookouts.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
13.8°C and 24°C
Highest recorded
35°C
Winter temperature
Average
4.4°C and 16°C
Lowest recorded
-8.9°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
January
Driest month
August
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
254.8mm
Facilities
Picnic tables
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
Dorrigo (67 km)
Dorrigo is a serene country town and the gateway to Dorrigo National Park. Its close to the edge of the escarpment above the Bellingen Valley.
Grafton (101 km)
Grafton is a gracious, historic city in the Clarence Valley farming district. It's situated on the broad Clarence River and surrounded by river flats.
Armidale (117 km)
During autumn the parks and gardens around Armidale show their beautiful colours. Enjoy a drive along the Waterfall Way, stopping at waterfalls and craggy gorges in the rugged countryside.
Learn more
Mount Hyland Nature Reserve is a special place. Here are just some of the reasons why:
World Heritage rainforest
This unique patch of high altitude rainforest forms part of the World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. These cool temperate forests are only found at altitudes over 1,000m. Interestingly, Antarctic beech trees are absent from this patch of rainforest, possibly due to fire or drought.
Hyland history
Mount Hyland was named after an early settler to the area who established a cattle station to the south of the mountain range. Hyland lived a basic existence in a slab shelter built from nearby stringybark trees. Although life was tough and he moved on, his name remains.
Gumbaynggirr country
Mount Hyland Nature Reserve is located within the Traditional Lands of the Gumbaynggirr People. Aboriginal people in the area have a strong connection to their traditional lands and maintain connection through conservation and resource management. Sites of high cultural significance are located along the traditional walking routes between Boyd River and high country around the village of Ebor.
Famous wildlife residents
One of the more famous animals that are protected within this isolated reserve is the Hastings River mouse. Once thought to be extinct in NSW, it was rediscovered in the early 1980s. Other threated animals found in the area include the long-nosed potoroo and spotted-tailed quoll. Another of the fascinating animals protected within this rainforest remnant is the threatened pouched frog. Only 2cm in length, the male frog has two pouches on either side, which are used to carry the baby tadpoles after they've hatched.
- Summit walking track A loop through World Heritage rainforest, Summit walking track offers spectacular scenic views, birdwatching and picnic opportunities in Mount Hyland Nature Reserve, near Dorrigo.
- Vista Point picnic area For scenic views across spectacular wilderness, Vista Point picnic area offers birdwatching and World Heritage rainforest in Mount Hyland Nature Reserve, near Dorrigo.
Education resources (1)
What we're doing
Mount Hyland Nature Reserve 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.