Where

Nangar National Park in Country NSW

Distance

16km loop

Time suggested

7 - 9hrs

Grade

Grade 5

Trip Intention Form

It's a good idea to let someone know where you're going. Fill in a trip intention form to send important details about your trip to your emergency contact.

What to
bring

Drinking water, torch, hat, sunscreen, sturdy shoes, clothes for all weather conditions, snacks

Please note

• This walking track is long and requires a moderate level of fitness.
• You’ll need to follow the white reflectors on tree trunks along Mount Murga walking track and Mount Murga to Nangar link track, and the yellow markers on Mount Nangar walking track.
• Remember to take a torch in case you’re still walking when the sun sets.
• There are kangaroo tracks that cross the walking track, don’t confuse these with the marked route.
• Summer is generally too hot for bushwalking in this park

If you’re looking for a hike in Nangar National Park, near Eugowra, you can’t beat this challenging walk which links the shorter Mount Murga and Mount Nangar walking tracks.

To complete the full loop, start at Terarra Creek camping and picnic area and travel along the fire trail for 1.2km until Mount Murga walking track. This follows the ridgeline through red stringybark and scribbly gum woodland. Once you’ve reached the top of Mount Murga you can take a 650m detour for stunning countryside views, or turn at the signpost onto the Mount Murga-Nangar link track.

Scramble down the steep hill and back up the eastern side, where you’ll meet Chinamans Garden walking track. This shortcut (3.3km) takes you back to the campground if you’re not feeling energetic enough to complete the full loop. Otherwise, continue 4.8km to Mount Nangar Lookout, past an intersection with photos of the colourful wildflowers you may see along the way.

Mount Nangar Lookout is a great spot to catch your breath and soak up the panoramic views across to Mount Canobolas. You might see birds of prey like the peregrine falcon, wedge-tailed eagle and brown falcon perching on the cliff face and circling over the open valleys.

Finish the loop by heading back down the Mount Nangar walking track to Dripping Rock and then walking 1.3km west along the fire trail to Terarra Creek camping and picnic area.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

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.

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.

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.