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Boarding House Dam picnic area

Watagans National Park

Open, check current alerts 

Current alerts in this area

Last reviewed: Fri 23 September 2022, 5.17pm

Applies from Mon 30 May 2022, 9.13am. Last reviewed: Fri 23 Sep 2022, 5.17pm.

Safety alerts: Road closures

All roads in Watagans National Park are unsealed, and not readily accessible by 2WD vehicles. Closed roads include:

  • Carrolls Road
  • Ingles Road

The closures are due to rain and 4WD damage. Please do not drive on these roads as they are hazardous, and recovery vehicles may not be able to reach a stranded vehicle driver.

For more information, please call the NPWS Lake Munmorah area office on 02 4972 9000.

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Applies from Wed 26 Feb 2020, 10.38am to Fri 30 Dec 2022, 11.48am. Last reviewed: Fri 23 Sep 2022, 4.43pm.

Safety alerts: Watagan Road/Heaton Road closed due to landslips

Watagan Road (also known as Heaton Road) is closed until further notice due to a landslip.

There is no access from the cattle grid at the southern end of Heaton Road, Quorrobolong south, uphill to the second cattle grid at the Watagans National Park boundary.

This access to Olney, Heaton State Forests and Watagans National Park is closed.

For information about closures in nearby state forests, please refer to the Forestry Corporation of NSW website for closures and notices.

For more information, contact the local NPWS Lake Munmorah area office on 02 4972 9000 or Cessnock City Council on 02 4993 4100.

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Nearby alerts

Applies from Fri 17 Jun 2022, 10.44am to Fri 30 Dec 2022, 11.20am. Last reviewed: Mon 26 Sep 2022, 8.31am

Closed areas: Muirs lookout picnic area closed

NPWS has closed Muirs lookout and picnic area effective from Monday 20 June 2022. 

Factors contributing to the closure include:

  • road access is not suitable for 2WD vehicles and has been damaged and eroded following heavy and ongoing rainfall
  • visitor facilities, including picnic tables and toilets, are unsafe and outdated
  • toilets don’t meet NPWS and health standards
  • views from the lookout to the coast have diminished due to grown tall trees and vegetation. 

The surrounding area, including Watagans National Park and neighbouring state forests, have alternative sites for lookouts and picnic areas.

The closest lookouts are located off Mt Faulk Road to the north and include Heaton, Hunter and Macleans lookouts.

For further information please contact the NPWS Central Coast Area office at Lake Munmorah on 02 4972 9000.

Affects 1 park and 1 location nearby. Show list

Applies from Wed 13 Apr 2022, 10.37am. Last reviewed: Tue 14 Jun 2022, 1.47pm

Safety alerts: Prickly Ridge Road 4WD only

Prickly Ridge Road between Watagan Forest Road and Cut-Rock Road is suitable only for 4WD vehicles.

To prevent further damage visitors are asked to avoid this area and other trails in the Reserve that are still slippery and potentially hazardous.  

For further information, please contact the Central Coast Area Office at Lake Munmorah on 02 4972 9000.

Affects 1 park and 1 location nearby. Show list

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/picnic-areas/boarding-house-dam-picnic-area/local-alerts

Park info

  • in Watagans National Park in the North Coast region

  • Watagans National Park is always open, but may have to close at times due to poor weather, roads closures or high fire danger.

See more visitor info

Emergency services

For all NSW fires visit the Rural Fire Service

For the latest information on wildfires in your area please contact the NSW Rural Fire Service.

View all alerts for NSW