Kengal (The Rock) Picnic Area
The Rock Nature Reserve - Kengal Aboriginal Place
Overview
Kengal (The Rock) picnic area is a well-equipped base for viewing the scenic rock formation, with picnic tables, barbecues, an amenities block, and access to walking trails.
- Type
- Picnic areas
- Where
- The Rock Nature Reserve - Kengal Aboriginal Place
- Opening times
The Rock Nature Reserve – Kengal Aboriginal Place is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
- What to
bring - Hat, sunscreen, drinking water
- Please note
- Remember to take your binoculars if you want to go birdwatching.
- The weather in the area can be extreme and unpredictable, so please ensure you’re well-prepared for your visit.
A terrific place to settle down and admire the scenic splendour of The Rock is the nearby picnic area. Just off Lockhart -The Rock Road, this is both easy to access and equipped with everything you need to make the most of sunny afternoons. Pack a picnic hamper and a soccer ball to keep the family entertained, or bring along a paperback and take advantage of a shady spot beneath the box trees. How ever you travel, this is a prime picnicking spot for all types of visitors.
In spring, the area blooms with native wildflowers, though woodland birds provide a soothing soundtrack at any time of year. Bring your binoculars for birdwatching, or perhaps some hiking boots to drum up an appetite on Yerong walking track, which leads you to the top of the rock formation. Kengal (The Rock) picnic area is just one of several places to visit at The Rock Nature Reserve. It is a terrific place to begin and end any visit to the reserve.
The Rock picnic area - overview 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/picnic-areas/the-rock-picnic-area/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 The Rock Nature Reserve - Kengal Aboriginal Place in the Murray-Riverina region
The Rock Nature Reserve – Kengal Aboriginal Place 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 Kengal (The Rock) Picnic Area.
Getting there and parking
The Rock picnic area is in The Rock Nature Reserve – Kengal Aboriginal Place. To get there:
- From Wagga Wagga, follow the Sturt Highway west
- Turn left onto the Olympic Highway
- Continue to The Rock and turn right onto Urana Street
- Heading out of town this becomes Lockhart -The Rock Road
- Continue for approximately 2.5km
- Turn left into The Rock Nature Reserve – Kengal Aboriginal Place and continue for approximately 500m to the picnic area.
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
Parking is available at The Rock picnic area including bus parking.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in The Rock Nature Reserve Kengal Aboriginal Place. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Cooler days after the high heat of summer make this the perfect season to take advantage of the picnic area, stretching out beneath the red gums.
Spring
Spring sees the park bloom with wildflowers, including woolly ragwort, a threatened species native to the area.
Winter
The crisp clear air of winter provides views from the top of The Rock that sometimes stretch all the way to Mount Kosciuszko; this is the best season for walking.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
13.9°C and 28.5°C
Highest recorded
43.7°C
Winter temperature
Average
4°C and 13.5°C
Lowest recorded
-4.2°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
October
Driest month
February
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
87.2mm
Facilities
Amenities
Toilets
- Flush toilets
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
- Gas/electric barbecues (free)
Carpark
Drinking water
Maps and downloads
Prohibited
Camping
No camping is permitted.
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dogs and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Learn more
Kengal (The Rock) Picnic Area is in The Rock Nature Reserve - Kengal Aboriginal Place. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Geological significance
The reserve sits on the boundary between two major biophysical regions: the Riverine Plains and the western slopes of the Eastern Highlands. This geographic mix gives the area a terrific diversity of landscapes and animal habitats. The Rock itself, unique in the district, is the result of a pressure uplift of sedimentary materials, and is the highest point of a hogback ridge running north to south (The Rock is at the northern end). The summit stands 364m above the surrounding plains.
- Aboriginal special places guided tours Join Bundyi Cultural Tours in The Rock Nature Reserve - Kengal Aboriginal Place, near Wagga Wagga to explore ancient Wiradjuri culture in a beautiful and timeless landscape.
- The Towers The Towers is a 100m stretch of the north-east face of The Rock, open to rock sports and also popular with photographers and birdwatchers who want to view peregrine falcons.
Living Aboriginal culture: Kengal
The dual name of the nature reserve (since 2005) acknowledges a Wiradjuri cultural presence that stretches back many generations. The Rock is also known as Kengal (meaning ‘sloping hill’), a Dreaming place, lookout, and ceremonial site for the Wiradjuri People and their descendants. It was once used for male initiation rituals. Traditional lore has it that Kengal was created by Baiame, the creator who also taught the Wiradjuri People how to make fire and spears. When settlers arrived in the area, stories go, Baiame left his male and female dingo (Mirrigan) companions, who lay in wait for Baiame’s return, forming The Rock.
- Aboriginal special places guided tours Join Bundyi Cultural Tours in The Rock Nature Reserve - Kengal Aboriginal Place, near Wagga Wagga to explore ancient Wiradjuri culture in a beautiful and timeless landscape.
'The Hanging Rock’
Charles Sturt first saw The Rock in 1829, though the area wasn’t settled further by Europeans until 1874. They called the remarkable geological feature ‘The Hanging Rock’ because of an overhang on its eastern face. This collapsed in 1874, however, leading to the adoption of its current name – simply, ‘The Rock’. For much of its modern life, the feature has sat on Crown land, and from 1891 its lower slopes were quarried for road base material to provide ballast on a Sydney-Melbourne rail line.
