The Ultimate Guide To Warrumbungle National Park
Explore one of my favourite National Parks in Australia, with this ultimate guide to Warrumbungle National Park!
Off the backpacker trail due to its inland location, Warrumbungle National Park is absolutely worth the six hour drive from Sydney. We visited on the way back from our Sydney to Cairns road trip, and it’s honestly one of the most spectacular places I’ve seen in Australia.
The country’s first Dark Sky Park, Warrumbungle is wonderful for stargazers – but there’s plenty to do during the daylight hours too! The towering, craggy peaks are a landscape photographer’s dream, and the and expansive forestland is home to a huge kangaroo and wallaby population. Walking trails and lookout points are the perfect way to explore, with walks and hikes for all abilities.
Discover the wonders of Warrumbungle with this guide – covering essential info, where to stay, the best hikes and other fun things to do in the park!
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Warrumbungle Essential Info
Getting there: Warrumbungle National Park is six hours’ drive from Sydney. The nearest towns are Coonabarabran, Gilgandra and Coonamble.
National park fee: $8 per vehicle per day, paid at the National Park visitor centre.
Where to stay: Camp Blackman ($), Clock Tower Motor Inn ($$), Warrumbungles Mountain Motel ($$$), Bubble Hotel ($$$$)
Best things to do: Enjoy a range of walks and hikes; spot kangaroos, wallabies and birdlife; stargazing under designated Dark Skies.
Facilities: Toilets and showers at Camp Blackman, toilets can also be found at major trailheads and picnic areas.
Top tip: Head to the visitor centre first to pay your fees, grab a paper map and find out what ranger activities are taking place for your visit!
How long should I spend in Warrumbungle National Park?
If you’re planning on walking and hiking, I’d recommend spending at least a full day in the park. Two days allows a more relaxed visit, and the chance to combine walks and hikes with stargazing, ranger activities and enjoying the peace and nature.
We spent a full afternoon and the following morning in Warrumbungle, and wished we’d had even more time to soak it all in!
When’s the best time to visit Warrumbungle?
Generally, shoulder seasons (spring and autumn) are a good time to visit Warrumbungle if you plan to be active with walking and hiking.
During the summer, average temperatures in Warrummbungle range between 15°C and 30°C. December to February are the rainiest months. September and October are usually the driest months.
Winter can get cold during the night in Warrumbungle, with temperatures known to drop below freezing. If you’re visiting during these months, I’d recommend staying in accommodation, or having a well-prepared camping setup. We visited in June, and the night time temperature dropped below freezing, to the point our gas stove didn’t even work! During the day though, the temperature was pleasant, ideally suited to hiking.
Walking & Hiking Trails
The best way to explore Warrumbungle is on foot, with a range of hiking trails for all abilities, from short, flat walks to challenging and rewarding day hikes.
Whitegum Lookout (1km, easy)
The very first stop on our Warrumbungle visit was Whitegum Lookout. Make your way just 500m along a sealed path through eucalypt forest, and you’ll find a spectacular lookout point.
Belougery Flats Circuit (5km, easy)
Not a challenging walk, but one of my favourites for gorgeous views and big-time kangaroo activitiy. Starting from Camp Blackman, this mostly flat 5km walk follows an old fire trail through woodland and plains. This walk is best saved for late afternoon, as this will be when the kangaroos are most active. I saw the most roos and wallabies I’ve ever seen in once place on this walk!
Fans Horizon (3.6km, moderate)
This short but steep hike takes you to Fans Horizon lookout, for incredible views over the Grand High Tops mountains. If you’re looking for a relatively quick hike with a great reward at the end, this is one of my favourite short trails in NSW!
Goulds Circuit (8km, moderate to challenging)
If you don’t have the time to tackle the full Spirey Creek route to Grand High Tops, Goulds Circuit is a great compromise! The trail is a little rough and steep in sections, but you’re rewarded with sweeping views across Warrumbungle range.
For an extra challenge, experienced walkers can also add the scramble climbs to Macha Tor and Febar Tor viewpoints into this route.
Breadknife and Grand High Tops (14.5km, challenging)
For a more challenging, longer hike in the Warrumbungles, head to Pincham car park for one of NSW’s most impressive national park trails. Get up close to the park’s famous rock formations, summiting Grand High Tops before making your way back to complete the loop.
You can shortcut your walk back via Dagda Shortcut, making the total route 12.5km. Very experienced hikers able to navigate steep and technical terrain can continue on to Bluff Mountain (17km route).
Burbie Canyon (2km, easy)
This 2km return walk with minimum elevation follows a creek through sandstone gorge, and is perfect for families, birdwatchers, or walkers who want to break up the more challenging trails. We picked this one up as a quick leg stretch when leaving the park, and it’s a lovely nature stroll!
Mt Exmouth (17.3km, challenging)
The Burbie Canyon track is also a starting point for one of the other iconic, more challenging walks in the park. The trail leads to the summit of the peak of the Warrumbungle Range, Mount Exmouth, with 360-degree views of the awe-inspiring landscape.
Stargazing in Warrumbungle
As Australia’s first Dark Sky Park, Warrumbungle is one of the best places in NSW for stargazing.
If you’re camping in the park and skies are clear, you’ll experience the spectacular night sky very easily. Staying in Camp Blackman, we walked a few hundred metres onto the Belougery Flats Circuit for the full effect, with no light from other campers to detract from our view!
Ranger-led tours can be booked at the Visitor Centre or online, to learn more about the constellations, planets and stars you’ll see in Warrumbungle.
Siding Spring Observatory is Australia’s leading astronomical observatory. Open to the public daily, you can learn more about the observatory’s research and discoveries. They also run night time stargazing tours at The Getaway Tourist Park.
Where to stay in the Warrumbungles
Camping
Travelling in our campervan, we stayed at the heart of the park in Camp Blackman, suitable for RV, caravan, camper and tent pitches. The amenities here are really good, with toilets, showers and grill facilities – powered and unpowered sites are available. (if you’re booking a powered site, make sure you’ve got a long lead, as our 10m one didn’t reach!)
For a smaller, quieter experience, Camp Wambelong has unpowered sites that are accessible by car. The park has some more remote options too, but these are less easy to access in a regular vehicle.
Glamping
For a unique, luxury glamping experience, Bubble Hotel ($$$$) lets you stargaze from the comfort of your bed! Enjoy the privacy of the remote location, as you have the place all to yourself.
Accommodation
If you’re looking for something a bit more ‘four walls’, the nearby town of Coonabarabran offers hotel and motor inn accommodation:
- Warrumbungles Mountain Motel ($$$) offers easy access to the park in an out-of-town location.
- The Royal Hotel ($$) and Clock Tower Motor Inn ($$) are simple and comfortable, ideally located in Coonabarabran to make the most of town facilities.
Compare the best places to stay in and around Warrumbungle National Park, including tiny homes, motels and my favourite campsite in New South Wales!
