Gorge walking track
Koreelah National Park
Overview
Take this easy walk along Gorge walking track and explore Koreelah Creek Gorge and waterfalls. Excellent for swimming, birdwatching, wildlife spotting and getting back to nature.
- Where
- Koreelah National Park in Country NSW
- Accessibility
- Hard
- Distance
- 0.8km return
- Time suggested
- 30 - 45min
- Grade
- Grade 2
- What to
bring - Hat, sunscreen
- Please note
- Remember to take your binoculars if you want to bird watch.
Take an easy stroll through sclerophyll forest and explore Koreelah Creek Gorge on this short walking track. It’s only 10 minutes from Koreelah Creek campground, but there’s so much to see along the way.
You’ll see rugged peaks that rise to the west and dark green foliage of hoop pines clad to the steep cliffs. Keep a lookout as you wander along the creek for platypus swimming in the large pools of water.
Once you arrive at the gorge, stop for a while, take a refreshing swim in the cool waters or find a spot on the rocks to sit and admire the local wildlife. You might just see a brush-tailed rock wallaby on the steep rocky slopes of the gorge below the waterfall. It’s also a great place to listen out for frog calls in summer and excellent for birdwatching all year round.
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/walking-tracks/gorge-walking-track/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 Koreelah National Park in the Country NSW region
Koreelah National Park 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 Gorge walking track.
Track grading
Features of this track
Distance
0.8km return
Time
30 - 45min
Quality of markings
Clearly sign posted
Experience required
No experience required
Gradient
Gentle hills
Quality of path
Formed track: The walk is 1m-wide and starts off as gravel before becoming natural ground after around 200m. The ground can be boggy or muddy after heavy rain.
Steps
Occasional steps: Towards the end of the track, there are sets of steps ranging from between 2 to 4 steps each.
Once you reach the end of the track, there's an additional 17 steps without handrails that descend to a waterhole.
Accessible options
The first 300m of the walk is accessible for people with reduced mobility. It starts from the carpark at Koreelah Creek campground and heads north to a bend in the track before going down to a creek.
Getting there and parking
Gorge walking track is in the northern precinct of Koreelah National Park. To get there:
- Follow the directions from Woodenbong
- After you turn right at Old Koreelah onto White Swamp Road, drive for another 12km and you’ll see the campground on your left.
- The walking track starts from the campground
Parking
Parking is available at Koreelah Creek campground where this walk begins.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Koreelah National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Enjoy crisp mornings and listen to the calls of the albert lyrebird echoing throughout the valley.
Spring
See the brilliant red flowers of flame trees on the upper slopes.
Summer
Look for platypus in creek pools near the campground and enjoy swimming in Koreelah Creek Gorge.
Winter
Camp overnight and see the rugged escarpment rising out of the mist from the campground.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
15°C and 29°C
Highest recorded
29.1°C
Winter temperature
Average
2°C and 19°C
Lowest recorded
2.7°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
January
Driest month
August
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
460mm
Facilities
- There are non-flush toilets and picnic tables at Koreelah Creek campground where this walk begins.
- You are encouraged to bring gas or fuel stoves, especially in summer during the fire season.
- Drinking water is not available in this area, so it’s a good idea to bring your own.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - hard
Gorge walking track is a 1m-wide track that begins as gravel and becomes natural ground after around 200m.
The first 300m of the walk is step-free - this section of the track starts from Koreelah Creek campground and passes a bend in the walk before arriving at a creek.
People with reduced mobility may need assistance on the rest of the walk:
- There are around 50 steps towards the end of the walk in lots of 2-4 steps each, and a set of 17 steps that descend to a waterhole at the end of the track.
- Most of the walk is natural ground, which can be boggy after heavy rain
There are toilets at Koreelah Creek campground where this walk begins, but they're not accessible or ambulant.
Prohibited
Gathering firewood
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
Gorge walking track is in Koreelah National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Rich in Aboriginal culture
The forests, waterways and rugged cliffs of Koreelah are part of the traditional Country of the Githabul People. For thousands of years, this beautiful landscape provided Aboriginal people with food, medicine, and materials for tools, weapons and shelters. In recognition of their ongoing connection to the land, the Federal Court of Australia recognised the Githabul People's native title rights and today, Koreelah National Park is proudly co-managed with the local Githabul People.
Teeming with wildlife
The diverse natural habitats of Koreelah make it a haven for wildlife. You'll see red-necked wallabies and lace monitors wandering through the campground, and might spot red-bellied black snakes and carpet pythons sunning themselves on the creek banks. At night, look for brush-tailed phascogales, sugar gliders and koalas, and listen for owls such as the sooty owl and southern boobook. Birdwatchers will never be short of something to look at in Koreelah National Park. There are over 110 species of birds found here, including the wompoo fruit-dove, regent bowerbird, eastern whipbird and albert lyrebird. Near the campgrounds, you'll probably see glossy black cockatoos, scarlet honeyeaters, grey shrike thrush and blue-faced honeyeaters.
- Gorge walking track Take this easy walk along Gorge walking track and explore Koreelah Creek Gorge and waterfalls. Excellent for swimming, birdwatching, wildlife spotting and getting back to nature.
World Heritage plant life
Whether you're driving, walking, or just sitting by the creek relaxing, you'll see a diversity of vegetation types here, ranging from dry sclerophyll forests to the cool subtropical rainforests of Acacia Plateau and Wilsons Peak Flora Reserves, which are part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Enter this ancient world and you'll see black booyong, yellow carribean, rosewood and emergent hoop pines.
Education resources (1)
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
Operated by
- Kyogle office
- Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.
- 02 6632 0000
- npws.richmondriver@environment.nsw.gov.au
- 136 Summerland Way, Kyogle NSW 2474
Park info
- in Koreelah National Park in the Country NSW region
Koreelah National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.