Explore Gloucester & Stroud's National Parks

Barrington Tops National Park

The rainforests of Barrington Tops National Park are of international significance, forming part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Carved out of ancient volcanic flows, the park rises from near sea level to over 1500m and protects one of the largest temperate rainforests in mainland Australia, along with a host of diverse habitats and wide range of birds and animals.

The park is a bushwalker’s paradise, with an excellent walking track network that includes short and easy walks to more difficult overnight hikes, with plenty of sites to set up bush camping for the evening.

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Copeland Tops State Conservation Area

In the foothills of Barrington Tops, Copeland Tops State Conservation Area offers rainforest walking tracks, picnic areas, birdwatching and guided tours at a historic mine that are great for school excursions.

Two types of gold have been discovered within the New South Wales area now known as Copeland Tops State Conservation Area. The first was ‘red gold’, which was red cedar highly sought after by Australia’s European settlers. It was the early explorers who came to log along these mountain ridges who then discovered the shiny type, and goldmining took off too. Although conditions would have been tough back then in this rugged and remote area, you’ll discover that it’s actually a beautiful place to have worked in.

Copeland Tops, home to the most accessible tract of rare dry rainforest in the Gloucester district, is simply gorgeous. Hike along old logging tracks beneath a canopy of towering trees on one of the park’s scenic walking trails. There are plenty of great places to picnic.

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Woko National Park

Woko National Park is a steep and rugged landscape with large swathes of wet and dry rainforest, rocky outcroppings, and eucalypt groves – this is a national park for people looking to escape the frantic bustle of everyday life.

There are several hiking tracks in Woko, perfect for walking with children, but river camping and barbecues make it just as attractive a place for settling down over a long weekend.

Birdwatchers will also find much to celebrate here: the forest, escarpment and open grasslands are filled with beautiful species like the wedge-tailed eagle and lyrebird – don’t forget the binoculars. There are numerous animal species, too, including several threatened ones, like the brush-tailed rock wallaby, that rely on Woko National Park for their survival.

Park map