Where

Wadbilliga National Park in South Coast, Snowy Mountains

Distance

35km one-way

Time suggested

1hr 30min

Grade

Medium

What to
bring

Hat, sunscreen

Please note

• There is limited mobile reception in this park
• The weather in this area can be extreme and unpredictable, so please be well prepared for your visit.

For the 4WD adventurer with a bit of experience handling diverse terrain, this medium-difficulty route takes you through wild country with incredible mountain views.

Wadbilliga Road drive travels through the middle of Wadbilliga National Park, along the way you’ll traverse a wide range of environments, including coastal forest foothills, high river valley catchment plus rainforest and heathlands, all the while gaining a strong sense of being really close to true wilderness.

The drive is popular with 4WD enthusiasts, mountain bike riders, bushwalkers, remote area vehicle-based campers, and registered motorbike riders alike. It’s a terrific adventure for any outdoor enthusiast looking for an alternate route from coast to tablelands on a road less travelled.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

A botanist's wonderland

Wadbilliga has many impressive examples of open forest, woodland, heath, swamp, bogs and numerous pockets of rainforest. There are some rare species of eucalypt and acacia that do not occur anywhere else. In the Wadbilliga Valley, yellow box and forest red gum can be seen, while on the ridge tops tower large stands of silvertop ash with snow gums at high altitudes. The Wadbilliga Plateau also has dwarf she-oaks and rare stunted mallee eucalypts.

A glimpse of gold mining history

The surrounding area has a variety of artefacts, structures and features that hark back to gold and silver mining eras, as well as the early forestry history of the local area. Today, visitors can still view various mining remains that are evidence of once arduous searches for gold and other precious materials.

A natural animal sanctuary

Due to the rugged and isolated nature of the park, animal populations here have remained relatively undisturbed. Many of the park's animals are large marsupials such as swamp wallabies, eastern grey kangaroos and wombats. There are also possums, platypuses and echidnas and one of the biggest greater glider populations in all of Australia. The birdlife is varied too, with over 120 native species. Lyrebirds are common as are many colourful and tuneful bush birds.

Aboriginal cultural heritage

The Yuin people consider Wadbilliga National Park a sacred place and many sites in the park are strongly associated with Dreamtime stories. The dissected, rugged escarpment contains a network of bridle tracks that follow both high country and river courses, which Aboriginal people originally used. The bridle tracks are also the most tangible historical link with the first Europeans in the area and were used for transporting produce and moving stock from one location to another. The park is abundant in traditional foods and medicines.