Ben Bullen trail

Sydney and surrounds

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Overview

If you love 4WDing, mountain biking and horse riding, Ben Bullen trail in Gardens of Stone National Park is for you. There are also great places along the trail to pull over and enjoy a picnic and spectacular views.

Time suggested
3hrs
What to
bring
Drinking water
Please note

There is limited mobile reception in this park.

Part of National trail, Ben Bullen trail turns Gardens of Stone National Park into a spectacular adventure for driving enthusiasts. Suitable for high clearance and well-equipped 4WDing, the trail snakes along the Great Dividing Range, through Ben Bullen State Forest, and into the park. The 4WD trail passes steep sandstone cliffs along the way, with scenic views over the Wolgan and Capertee valleys. 

If driving leaves you itching to stretch your legs, consider tackling parts of the trail via mountain biking. For something a little different, the trail is also terrific for horse riding. Any way you choose to do it, be sure to pack a hamper to break up the journey. With loads of places to pull up and rest along Ben Bullen trail, there are more than enough opportunities for a long picnic lunch and a stroll through the bush. Be sure to admire the wildflowers and stunning rock formations that give the park its evocative name.



For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Map


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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/things-to-do/4wd-touring-routes/ben-bullen-trail/local-alerts

Park info

See more visitor info

Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about Ben Bullen trail.

Maps and downloads

Learn more

Ben Bullen trail is in Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:

Aboriginal culture

Views over Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area. Credit: Harrison Candlin © Harrison Candlin

Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area is on Wiradjuri Country. This cultural landscape has many sites and artefacts like rock art, grinding grooves, wells, rock shelters and artefact scatters. The park adjoins Maiyingu Marragu Aboriginal Place – a well known rock art site and cultural education area. This location  has great value to Wiradjuri People, who hold a deep connection with the land and a strong sense of custodianship to protect and preserve sites, plants and animals who call it home.

Unique environments

Newnes Plateau Shrub Swamp. Credit: Ian Brown / DCCEEW © Ian Brown

Perched swamps are important to the Newnes Plateau and are significant ecosystems as they feed into deep gullies, creeks and the headwaters the Wolgan, Coxs and Wollangambe rivers. The area also protects the Endangered Ecological Communities of Newnes Plateau and Shrub Swamps, Montane Peatlands and Swamps.

  • Lost City walking track Lost City walking track is a family-friendly 6km return walk in Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area. Just 5km from Lithgow, you'll see unique rock formations named pagodas, panoramic views, tranquil creeks and historic mining relics.

Cultural heritage

Water trickling over a historic heritage dam surrounded by trees that once supplied water to Lithgow. Credit: Simone Cottrell © DCCEEW

Newnes and its surrounds was home to a thriving shale oil mining industry in the early 1900s. There are remarkably well-preserved remnants of the area’s mining history like dams, mine shafts and hand-carved stone steps.

  • Lost City walking track Lost City walking track is a family-friendly 6km return walk in Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area. Just 5km from Lithgow, you'll see unique rock formations named pagodas, panoramic views, tranquil creeks and historic mining relics.

Striking geology

An aerial shot of pagoda formations in Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area. Credit: Simone Cottrell © DCCEEW

Geological activity has created a landscape of Triassic Narrabeen sandstone cliffs, slot canyons, gorges, caves, grand mesas, sandstone pinnacles and pagodas. These ‘platy’ pagodas have distinctive ironstone banding and are nationally significant because of their rarity. They can be as tall as 60m and are one of the many striking rock features to see in this geologically diverse park.

  • Lost City walking track Lost City walking track is a family-friendly 6km return walk in Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area. Just 5km from Lithgow, you'll see unique rock formations named pagodas, panoramic views, tranquil creeks and historic mining relics.

Outdoor escapes

2 adults and 2 kids sitting at a square platform bench at Lost City Lookout, Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area near Lithgow. Credit: Simone Cottrell © DCCEEW

Enjoy a peaceful picnic, family-friendly walk or thrilling ride in spectacular natural surrounds. Existing adventure tracks are a drawcard for cyclists and 4WD enthusiasts while new visitor facilities provide improved access and a broader range of outdoor activities. 

Plants and animals protected in this park

Animals

  • Bare-nosed wombat. Photo: Keith Gillett

    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.

  • Yellow-tailed black cockatoo. Photo: Peter Sherratt

    Yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus)

    The yellow-tailed black cockatoo is one of the largest species of parrot. With dusty-black plumage, they have a yellow tail and cheek patch. They’re easily spotted while bird watching, as they feed on seeds in native forests and pine plantations.

  • Koala. Photo: Lucy Morrell

    Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)

    One of the most renowned Australian animals, the tree-dwelling marsupial koala can be found in gum tree forests and woodlands across eastern NSW, Victoria and Queensland, as well as in isolated regions in South Australia. With a vice-like grip, this perhaps most iconic but endangered Australian animal lives in tall eucalypts within a home range of several hectares.

Plants

  • Flannel flowers in Wollemi National Park. Photo: © Rosie Nicolai

    Flannel flower (Actinotus helianthi)

    The delicate flannel flower is so named because of the soft woolly feel of the plant. Growing in the NSW south coast region, extending to Narrabri in the Central West and up to south-east Queensland, its white or pink flowers bloom all year long, with an extra burst of colour in the spring.

  • Grass trees, Sugarloaf State Conservation Area. Photo: Michael Van Ewijk

    Grass tree (Xanthorrea spp.)

    An iconic part of the Australian landscape, the grass tree is widespread across eastern NSW. These Australian native plants have a thick fire-blackened trunk and long spiked leaves. They are found in heath and open forests across eastern NSW. The grass tree grows 1-5m in height and produces striking white-flowered spikes which grow up to 1m long.

  • Old man banksia, Moreton National Park. Photo: John Yurasek

    Old man banksia (Banksia serrata)

    Hardy Australian native plants, old man banksias can be found along the coast, and in the dry sclerophyll forests and sandstone mountain ranges of NSW. With roughened bark and gnarled limbs, they produce a distinctive cylindrical yellow-green banksia flower which blossoms from summer to early autumn.

  • A red triangle slug on the trunk of a scribbly gum tree in Blue Mountains National Park. Photo: Elinor Sheargold/OEH

    Scribbly gum (Eucalyptus haemastoma)

    Easily identifiable Australian native plants, scribbly gum trees are found throughout NSW coastal plains and hills in the Sydney region. The most distinctive features of this eucalypt are the ‘scribbles’ made by moth larva as it tunnels between the layers of bark.

  • Close up photo of a waratah flower, Blue Mountains National Park. Photo: Simone Cottrell/OEH.

    Waratah (Telopea speciosissima)

    The beautiful waratah is not only the NSW floral emblem, it's also one of the best-known Australian native plants. This iconic Australian bush flower can be found on sandstone ridges around Sydney, in nearby mountain ranges and on the NSW South Coast. The waratah has a vibrant crimson flowerhead, measuring up to 15cm across, and blossoms in spring.

Environments in this park