Mummel Gulf National Park
Overview
Mummel Gulf is a secluded national park with a significant modern history offering attractions for daytrippers like birdwatching, car touring, horse riding, and allowing campers to retreat into nature.
Read more about Mummel Gulf National Park
In the 1990s, a group of anti-logging protesters turned their attention to an area near the small town of Walcha. Their vocal efforts led to the creation of Mummel Gulf National Park, protecting an astonishing array of plant and animal species. To visit Mummel Gulf is to visit an important site in the history of NSW national parks: it’s because of this place that NSW has many of its north-eastern reserves.
Visitors to Mummel Gulf will find ancient old-growth forests clinging to the edge of the Great Escarpment, which drops from 1450m to 470m. Scenic views are punctuated by circling wedge-tailed eagles and fan-tailed cuckoos. Koalas doze in the eucalypts, and swamp wallabies forage in the undergrowth alongside wombats.
This park is one for many types of travellers, from daytrippers looking to escape for a secluded barbecue, to campers searching for a place to settle down surrounded by placid nature. There are easy walks with stunning views, and opportunities for more hardy hiking in the backcountry. Whether bicycles, horses or 4WDs are your choice, Mummel Gulf National Park offers such opportunities for all.
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/mummel-gulf-national-park/local-alerts
Contact
- in the Country NSW region
Mummel Gulf National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
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Walcha office
02 6777 4700
Contact hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm. - 188W North Street, Walcha NSW 2354
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Email: npws.nea@environment.nsw.gov.au
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Walcha office
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Mummel Gulf National Park.
Map
Map legend
Getting there and parking
Get driving directions
By bike
Check out the Bicycle information for NSW website for more information.
By public transport
There is no public transport available for Mummel Gulf National Park.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Mummel Gulf National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Spring
The forest is in bloom in spring; keep an eye out for greenhood orchids on the forest floor.
Summer
Take advantage of the forest shade while the coast and western slopes are hot. At night, boobook owls can be heard milling about the campground.
Winter
Light snow sometimes falls in winter, combining with misty mornings to create an evocative atmosphere.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
17°C and 28.5°C
Highest recorded
42.2°C
Winter temperature
Average
6.1°C and 19.2°C
Lowest recorded
-5.1°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
January
Driest month
July
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
234.6mm
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
Walcha (75 km)
Walcha is the gateway to some of the best adventure experiences in Australia. Expect gorges, rainforests, waterfalls and wilderness. Enjoy helicopter flights, 4WD tours and fishing, as well as guided bushwalks in some of Australia's most rugged terrain.
Gloucester (99 km)
Famous for gold deposits and the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt, Gloucester is located in the north Hunter region, east of Barrington Tops. The nearby state forests and national parks are ideal for walking, camping and outdoor adventure sports.
Taree (176 km)
Taree is a major mid North Coast city, ringed by superb beaches. It's situated on the Manning River and set against rolling hills.
Learn more
Mummel Gulf National Park is a special place. Here are just some of the reasons why:
The lost Aboriginal connection
The difficult terrain in Mummel Gulf National Park poses a challenge to more than just adventurous hikers. There are very few recorded Aboriginal sites in the area because of the complexities of surveying. This doesn't mean they don't exist, though: Aboriginal people may have moved through the area as they crossed between the tablelands and the coast. They may also have lived in the area permanently, drawing on the land and water biodiversity to inform their spiritual beliefs and cultural identity.
The journey of John Oxley, the legacy of logging
The famous explorer John Oxley would have travelled in the vicinity of Mummel Gulf National Park on his crossing from Apsley Falls to the coast in 1818. Later, though little evidence remains, small-scale mining and grazing took place in the area. More notable are the logging trails - logging here ultimately caused a series of protests in the 1990s, which resulted in the creation of many national parks in the north-east of NSW.
Forests worth protecting
What were the anti-logging protesters trying to protect? Mummel Gulf National Park is notable for its wide variety of plant life, not to mention the animals which rely on the biodiversity. Your visit will expose you to everything from sclerophyll forests to warm temperate rainforests, and, if you're lucky, ant orchids and greenhoods - both threatened species.
- Mummel Forest Road Mummel Forest Road is a scenic car touring route between Wauchope and Walcha that offers forest views and opportunities for cycling, picnics and bushwalking.
Education resources (1)
What we're doing
Mummel Gulf 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.