Guy Fawkes River National Park
Overview
Guy Fawkes River National Park is a wilderness paradise popular for bushwalking and birdwatching. You can also enjoy fishing, swimming and canoeing along the Boyd River.
Read more about Guy Fawkes River National Park
Halfway between Armidale, Grafton and Dorrigo, Guy Fawkes River National Park is a rugged wilderness paradise that’s perfect for peaceful camping and hiking away from the crowds.
The park is popular with experienced bushwalkers who want to explore the Guy Fawkes River Valley, but there are lots of great activities to enjoy among the peaceful gorges and slow-flowing rivers.
Enjoy a picnic among the spring wildflowers alongside Ebor Falls, where you can watch the river tumbling from the plateau in two dramatic waterfalls. Be sure to pack your binoculars if you’re a birdwatcher, as among the many species you might spot are wedge-tailed eagles and glossy black cockatoos.
From Chaelundi campground, Escarpment walk will take you to Chaelundi Falls, with its great lookout down over the valley. From here, you can see Lucifers Thumb, a large rock that offers all those who sit on it incredible 180-degree views out over the gorge and Guy Fawkes River.
The park is a significant conservation site with amazing biodiversity. There are 24 threatened animal species you might encounter here, including the brush-tailed rock-wallabies that can often be seen in the park’s rocky areas.
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/guy-fawkes-river-national-park/local-alerts
Contact
- in the North Coast and Country NSW regions
Guy Fawkes River National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
-
-
Glen Innes office
02 6739 0700
Contact hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm. - 68 Church Street, Glen Innes NSW 2370
-
Email: npws.ntab@environment.nsw.gov.au
-
Glen Innes office
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Guy Fawkes River National Park.
Map
Map legend
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
From Dorrigo or Armidale:
- Access via Waterfall Way and Chaelundi Road
From Grafton:
- Access via Old Grafton Road, then Chaelundi Road.
Parking
- Ebor Falls See on map
By bike
Check out the Bicycle information for NSW website for more information.
By public transport
For information about public transport options, visit the NSW country transport info website.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Guy Fawkes River National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Great camping weather when the days start cooling off, yet the water in the river is still warm.
Spring
Look out for native wildflowers around Ebor Falls, including everlasting daisies, native violets and small-fruited hakea.
Summer
Paddle in the creek at Chaelundi campground or swim, canoe or fish on Boyd River at Dalmorton.
Facilities
Amenities
Toilets
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
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.
Nearby towns
Dorrigo (47 km)
Dorrigo is a serene country town and the gateway to Dorrigo National Park. Its close to the edge of the escarpment above the Bellingen Valley.
Armidale (77 km)
During autumn the parks and gardens around Armidale show their beautiful colours. Enjoy a drive along the Waterfall Way, stopping at waterfalls and craggy gorges in the rugged countryside.
Grafton (112 km)
Grafton is a gracious, historic city in the Clarence Valley farming district. It's situated on the broad Clarence River and surrounded by river flats.
Learn more
Guy Fawkes River National Park is a special place. Here are just some of the reasons why:
Wild about species
The park is an incredible biodiversity hotspot. There are over 40 different plant communities and about 1000 plant species in the park, along with 28 threatened plant species, 24 threatened animal species, and significant areas of old growth forest. The endangered brush-tailed rock-wallaby can be seen in the rocky areas of the park, while glossy black cockatoos are often spotted throughout the park. The park is also one of the few remaining areas in Australia where purebred dingoes can still be found. The park is a conservation site for one of the most significant areas of wilderness in northern NSW, extending over 84,000ha of the 107,000ha park. This preserves the biodiversity of the park, allowing its natural ecosystems to be kept free from excessive human impact.
- Ebor Falls A great stop-off between the coast and Armidale along Waterfall Way, Ebor Falls offers spectacular waterfall views and scenic lookouts.
- Escarpment walk Escarpment walk in Guy Fawkes River National Park is a forest walk that takes hikers past Chaelundi Falls and Lucifers Thumb, all the way to Spring Gully picnic area.
- Misty Creek lookout Enjoy scenic views from Misty Creek lookout over Guy Fawkes River Gorge, near Coffs Harbour, and Chaelundi campground.
Unique geology
The north-south line of the Guy Fawkes River cuts through the Demon fault line, a 240-million-year-old crack in the landscape. In the south of the park the Ebor volcano spewed lava across the landscape. This created the Ebor Falls, with their unusual organ pipe-like rock formations.
- Celebrate at Ebor Falls Come celebrate the re-opening of Ebor Falls in Guy Fawkes River National Park. Enjoy the views, new lookouts and picnic facilities at this iconic natural attraction. Bring the family to this special event, about 1hr from Armidale.
- Ebor Falls A great stop-off between the coast and Armidale along Waterfall Way, Ebor Falls offers spectacular waterfall views and scenic lookouts.
- Escarpment walk Escarpment walk in Guy Fawkes River National Park is a forest walk that takes hikers past Chaelundi Falls and Lucifers Thumb, all the way to Spring Gully picnic area.
- Misty Creek lookout Enjoy scenic views from Misty Creek lookout over Guy Fawkes River Gorge, near Coffs Harbour, and Chaelundi campground.
Routes of time
Archaeological sites suggest that Aboriginal people have occupied these valleys for over 10,000 years. The Guy Fawkes and Boyd rivers once served as important traffic and trade routes linking the tablelands to the coast. Ebor Falls was traditionally named 'Martiam', which means 'Great Falls' in Gumbaynggir language.
- Celebrate at Ebor Falls Come celebrate the re-opening of Ebor Falls in Guy Fawkes River National Park. Enjoy the views, new lookouts and picnic facilities at this iconic natural attraction. Bring the family to this special event, about 1hr from Armidale.
Gold rush
Major Edward Parke named Guy Fawkes River after camping nearby on Guy Fawkes Day, November 5, 1845. Gold was discovered in the late 1800s at Ballards Flat and Dalmorton, with the latter once supporting a town of 3,000 people during a short gold rush. A couple of building ruins remain today and old stockmen huts and yards are still present throughout the valleys.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
-
Spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)
The spotted-tailed quoll is the largest remaining carnivorous marsupial on the Australian mainland. It’s protected as a vulnerable species in NSW.
Education resources (1)
What we're doing
Guy Fawkes River National Park has management strategies in place to protect and conserve the values of this park. Visit the OEH website for detailed park and fire management documents.