Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp campground
Wollemi National Park
Overview
Unwind in stunning World Heritage surrounds at Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp campground, near Rylstone. Perfect for a family camping trip, go fishing, canoeing and swimming in the Cudgegong river.
| Camping type | Tent, Camper trailer site, Caravan site, Camping beside my vehicle |
|---|---|
| Facilities | Picnic tables, barbecue facilities, carpark, toilets |
| What to bring | Drinking water, cooking water, firewood |
| Group bookings | Bookings for up to 5 sites and 20 people can be made online. School groups and commercial tour operators can submit a group booking enquiry form. |
| Please note |
|
Dunns swamp, or Ganguddy as it is known to local Aboriginal people, is a beautiful, serene waterway on the Cudgegong river in Wollemi National Park. The waterway was created when Kandos weir was built in the late 1920s.
Set up camp amid picturesque woodlands of scribbly gum and striking pagoda rock formations and settle in for a truly tranquil getaway. Keen eyes may turn up wallabies, purple swamp hens and, at night, greater gliders. If you’re really lucky, you might glimpse shy long-necked turtles and platypus in the weir.
Ganguddy is perfect for a range of low-key recreational activities, from birdwatching and fishing to canoeing and swimming. You’ll also find a network of easy walks offering expansive views over the Cudgegong river, including Pagoda Lookout walking track.
This idyllic setting is great for car-based family camping so pack your tent or bring a small caravan. With wood barbecues on site you can hook dinner with your fishing line and and cook up a camping feast under the stars.
Also see
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Pagoda Lookout walking track
Pagoda Lookout walking track is a short but steep walk near Rylstone in Wollemi National Park. Enjoy incredible views over ancient pagoda rock formations and the Cudgegong River.
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/camping-and-accommodation/campgrounds/ganguddy-dunns-swamp-campground/local-alerts
Bookings
- 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
Operated by
- Mudgee office
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 4:30pm.
- 02 6370 9000
- npws.mudgee@environment.nsw.gov.au
- 27 Inglis Street, Mudgee NSW 2850
Park info
- in Wollemi National Park in the Sydney and surrounds, North Coast and Country NSW regions
Wollemi National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp campground.
Getting there and parking
Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp campground is on the west side of Wollemi National Park. To get there from Rylstone:
- Turn off Ilford Road in Rylstone on to Fitzgerald Street
- Continue on to Narrango Road for 2.4km
- Slight left on to Narango Road continue for 15.4km
- Continue straight on to Coricudgy Road and then Mount Coricudgy Road for 7.1km
Please note front-wheel-drive vehicles towing caravans and heavy trailers are not recommended.
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
There are several gravel carparks at the campground, including 1 in the northern part of the campground that has a designated accessible parking spot.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Wollemi National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
With its softer light, autumn is the perfect time of year to head out to photograph or paint Wollemi's extraordinary landscapes.
Spring
With the temperature warming up, dig out the canoe and head to picturesque Ganguddy (Dunns swamp) for a cruise along the waterways.
Facilities
- Drinking water is not available at this campground. Remember to treat or boil all water taken from creeks in the park.
- Rubbish bins are not provided so please take your rubbish with you
Toilets
- Non-flush toilets
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
- Wood barbecues
Carpark
Step-free access
The campground is mostly flat and step-free, with a gravel track that goes past some of the campsites and facilities. To get to other parts of the campground, you'lll need to cross over hard-packed ground that can be uneven and sloped in sections.
- Step-free outdoor pathways
Seats and resting points
There are 3 bench seats by the river, south of the boat ramp.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - medium
Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp campground is step-free with a gravel track that goes past some of the campsites and facilities. To get around the rest of the campground, you'll need to cross over hard-packed ground that can be uneven and sloped.
The campground has the following accessible facilities:
- 2 accessible toilet blocks in the southern part of the campground (the 3 toilet blocks towards the centre and northern parts of the campground are not accessible)
- An accessible parking spot in one of the campground's gravel carparks
- Accessible picnic tables
- 3 bench seats by the river, south of the boat ramp where you can rest
Permitted
Boating. Please note there's a 4-knot speed limit.
Camp fires and solid fuel burners
Camping
Cycling
Fishing
A current NSW recreational fishing licence is required when fishing in all waters.
Prohibited
- Chainsaws
- Unregistered vehicles
Drones
Flying a drone for recreational purposes is prohibited in this area. Drones may affect public enjoyment, safety and privacy, interfere with park operations, or pose a threat to wildlife. See the Drones in Parks policy.
This area may be a declared Drone Exclusion Zone, or may be subject to Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) rules for flying near airports, aerodromes and helicopter landing sites. See CASA's Drone Flyer Rules.
Commercial filming and photography
Commercial filming or photography is prohibited without prior consent. You must apply for permission and contact the local office.
Gathering firewood
Limited firewood is supplied at the campground and collecting firewood in the park is not permitted. You can buy firewood at the service station on Louee St, Rylstone. Phone 6379 1016.
Generators
Horses
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
Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp campground is in Wollemi National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Ancient connections
The area that is now Wollemi National Park has held significance to Aboriginal people for at least 12,000 years. Evidence of this connection can be seen throughout the park, including ceremonial grounds, stone arrangements, grinding grooves, scarred trees and rock engravings. There are around 120 known Aboriginal sites in the park and probably many more yet to be discovered. The Wiradjuri, Dharug, Wanaruah and Darkinjung people have a strong and ongoing cultural association with their traditional lands and waters.
- Guided kayak tours of Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp Experience the natural beauty of escarpments, gorges and wildlife on a guided paddling tour of Gunguddy-Dunns Swamp with Southern Cross Kayaking.
- Pagoda Lookout walking track Pagoda Lookout walking track is a short but steep walk near Rylstone in Wollemi National Park. Enjoy incredible views over ancient pagoda rock formations and the Cudgegong River.
Geological marvels
Wollemi's landscape has been sculpted over millennia into a magnificent network of soaring sandstone escarpments, plunging gorges and canyons, winding river valleys and awe-inspiring geological and geomorphological features such as pagoda rock formations, basalt-capped mountains and diatremes. The spectacular Colo gorge and its tributaries form the most extensive sandstone canyon system in eastern Australia. Grab your camera and discover for yourself the breathtaking vistas and natural marvels that make this a World Heritage treasure.
- Explore Wollemi's wonders guided tour Experience the highlights of Wollemi National Park on this guided tour with Hikeandseek NSW. Traverse canyons, tunnels and valleys while learning about the area’s history.
- Guided kayak tours of Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp Experience the natural beauty of escarpments, gorges and wildlife on a guided paddling tour of Gunguddy-Dunns Swamp with Southern Cross Kayaking.
- Pagoda Lookout walking track Pagoda Lookout walking track is a short but steep walk near Rylstone in Wollemi National Park. Enjoy incredible views over ancient pagoda rock formations and the Cudgegong River.
- Wollemi camping and canyoning expeditions Join Roam Adventures and Training on a camping and canyoning adventure in the stunning Wollemi National Park.
Nature's haven
It's little surprise that Wollemi's spectacular landscape shelters a rich diversity of plants and animals. The rare Wollemi pine - a 'living fossil' whose closest relatives thrived some 90 million years ago was rediscovered here in 1994, and the park protects an incredible array of botanical species and communities, from open eucalypt forest and woodlands including Hawkesbury and grey box, to rainforests and perched swamps. This variety makes it an appealing habitat for eastern grey kangaroos, red-necked wallabies and the elusive brush-tailed rock wallaby, as well as the beautifully marked broad-headed snake, regent honeyeater and glossy black cockatoo. Around 55 species of butterfly have also been recorded.
- Wollemi guided Glow Worm Tunnel walk Join Wolgan Valley Eco Tours on the popular Glow Worm Tunnel walking track in Wollemi National Park and see the magical natural light show created by thousands of glow worms.
Outdoor adventure
Pitch a tent at one of Wollemi's great campgrounds, like the secluded Colo Meroo backpack campground, the car-accessible Coorongooba campground or the dramatically-situated, car-accessible Newnes campground. With your base set up, you're free to get out and enjoy the park's fantastic outdoor attractions, be they more relaxed pursuits such as picnicking, canoeing and swimming or something more adventurous like rock climbing, horseriding and hiking.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
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Superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae)
With a complex mimicking call and an elaborate courtship dance to match, the superb lyrebird is one of the most spectacular Australian animals. A bird watching must-see, the superb lyrebird can be found in rainforests and wet woodlands across eastern NSW and Victoria.
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Bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus)
A large, squat marsupial, the Australian bare-nosed wombat is a burrowing mammal found in coastal forests and mountain ranges across NSW and Victoria. The only other remaining species of wombat in NSW, the endangered southern hairy-nosed wombat, was considered extinct until relatively recently.
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Southern boobook (Ninox novaeseelandiae)
The southern boobook, also known as the mopoke, is the smallest and most common native owl in Australia. With a musical 'boo-book' call that echoes through forests and woodlands, the southern boobook is a great one to look out for while bird watching.
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Satin bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus)
With vibrant blue-violet eyes and curious antics, the satin bowerbird is a favourite for bird watching and easy to spot as it forages for food in open forest. Relatively common across eastern Australia, in NSW they’re found in coastal rainforests and adjacent woodlands and mountain ranges.
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Spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)
The spotted-tailed quoll is the largest remaining carnivorous marsupial on the Australian mainland. It’s protected as a vulnerable species in NSW.
Plants
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Smooth-barked apple (Angophora costata)
Smooth-barked apple gums, also known as Sydney red gum or rusty gum trees, are Australian native plants found along the NSW coast, and in the Sydney basin and parts of Queensland. Growing to heights of 15-30m, the russet-coloured angophoras shed their bark in spring to reveal spectacular new salmon-coloured bark.
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Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis)
The Wollemi pine is one of the world’s oldest and rarest trees. Only 46 adult trees and 43 juveniles remain in the wild. Belonging to a 200 million year-old plant family, this critically endangered Australian species is considered a global treasure.