Mount Nangar lookout
Nangar National Park
Overview
Go bushwalking, or 4WD, to Mount Nangar lookout for scenic views of the surrounding country and to enjoy great birdwatching, close to Orange and Forbes.
- Type
- Lookouts
- Where
- Nangar National Park in Country NSW
- What to
bring - Hat, sunscreen, drinking water
- Please note
- There is limited mobile reception in this park
- Remember to take your binoculars if you want to bird watch
As well as giving you terrific scenic views across the farming country of central west New South Wales, spending time at Mount Nangar lookout offers a sense of the importance of this conserved area of bushland. The wooded hills and ridge make a dramatic contrast with the endless fields and provide an important refuge for the resident kangaroos, wallabies, bats and birdlife.
You can take Mount Nangar hiking track down to Dripping Rock from the lookout, through valleys of mugga ironbark and red stringybark woodlands. In spring, you’ll see a variety of delicate wildflowers and while birdwatching, you may catch sight of peregrine or brown falcons and wedge-tailed eagles soaring above the ridge line. Bring your camera – the scenery is varied and the views dramatic.
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/things-to-do/lookouts/mount-nangar-lookout/local-alerts
General enquiries
- 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
Park info
- in Nangar National Park in the Country NSW region
- Nangar National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to extreme weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Mount Nangar lookout.
Getting there and parking
From Terrara Creek camping and picnic area:
- Travel east towards Dripping Rock, after which the road requires a 4WD.
- 250m beyond Dripping Rock carpark, you’ll reach the eastern intersection of Terarra Creek fire trail and Dripping Rock Bypass Road.
- Continue along Terarra Creek fire trail for 3km
- Turn left onto Goanna fire trail and continue for 2km
- Turn left onto Nangar fire trail, which will take you to the summit.
Road quality
Check the weather before you set out as the road to Mount Nangar lookout may be closed following heavy rain.
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- All roads require 4WD vehicle
Weather restrictions
- Dry weather only
Parking
Limited parking is available near the lookout at the end of the Nangar fire trail.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Nangar National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
As the days cool down, it's perfect weather for taking some of the longer walks along the walking tracks and fire trails.
Spring
Bushwalkers will be rewarded with beautiful wildflowers and flowering shrubs.
Winter
Build a cosy campfire at Terarra Creek camping and picnic area and spend a cool, clear night gazing at the stars.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
13°C and 33°C
Highest recorded
43.5°C
Winter temperature
Average
2°C and 18°C
Lowest recorded
–6.9°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
January
Driest month
April
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
129.5mm
Facilities
Drinking water is not available in this area, so it’s a good idea to bring your own.
Picnic tables
Carpark
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.
Learn more
Mount Nangar lookout is in Nangar National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
A refuge for wildlife
Amid the extensive farmlands of the central west, Nangar is home to many sedentary and migratory birds and local native animals. Among many bird species are several birds of prey such as the peregrine falcon, wedge-tailed eagle and brown falcon, which use the cliff face along the northern boundary for nesting and perching. The park is also home to the eastern grey kangaroo, common wallaroo, red-necked wallaby, swamp wallaby, little mastiff-bat and chocolate wattled bat. You may also spot the southern rainbow skink, eastern long-necked tortoise and spotted grass frog.
- Mount Murga walking track Enjoy scenic views, spring wildflowers, varied wildlife and birdwatching on Mount Murga walking track; great for a day of bushwalking near Orange and Forbes.
- Mount Nangar walking track Mount Nangar walking track to the lookout takes you bushwalking through varied landscapes to scenic views over Nangar National Park and surrounding farmlands in search of wildlife and wildflowers.
An ever-changing landscape
Ranging from the undulating hills in the south of the park to the long cliff line of red siltstone on the northern boundary - and the 770m-high Mount Nangar - the park offers a great variety of landscapes and views. Terarra Creek valley is open with wide creek flats and gentle slopes and the upper tributaries of Mogong Creek contains several natural springs. You'll see from the high vantage points of the park that the valley floor and more accessible lower slopes have been cleared by grazing and logging. Old growth forest is found in the steeper areas, but under national park protection, the park's vegetation communities will grow ever stronger.
- Mount Murga walking track Enjoy scenic views, spring wildflowers, varied wildlife and birdwatching on Mount Murga walking track; great for a day of bushwalking near Orange and Forbes.
- Mount Nangar walking track Mount Nangar walking track to the lookout takes you bushwalking through varied landscapes to scenic views over Nangar National Park and surrounding farmlands in search of wildlife and wildflowers.
Historic treasure
Gold was discovered around Eugowra in the 1860s, drawing miners and bushrangers, including the Gardener and Ben Hall gangs who roamed the area that the park now covers. Chinese miners lived here in the early 1900s, prospecting for copper. Historical remains in the park include remnants of gardens and orchards of Dripping Rock homestead, lost to fire in recent years, and its piggery, ruined hay shed and yards.
Wiradjuri country
A vast area of the central west of New South Wales, including Nangar National Park, is Wiradjuri country. Evidence suggests that Nangar Range has been an important landmark in Aboriginal culture and that the surrounding area was occupied for long periods. Places of significance include archaeological sites containing artefacts, stone scatters, quarries and scar trees.