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Conservation areas in Australia topics:
National parks • Marine parks • Indigenous Protected Areas

State/territory national parks: NSW • NT • Qld • SA • Tas. • Vic. • WA

There are more than 225 national parks in New South Wales (NSW), every park containing a hidden gem and each with its own unique beauty. This is about 4 times as many national parks and reserves as in the United Stares. NSW has the second most national parks in Australia as well, just after Queensland. One third of all national parks in Australia are in NSW.

The NSW Parks and Wildlife Services (NSW PWS) logo, seen from about every national park in New South Wales.

Understand

National parks in New South Wales include some of the most spectacular natural scenery in the state, and they're often good places to go for different purposes, with hiking being the most common. Many parks are home to something unique, with a hidden beauty. There is a lot of geographic variety between the places: some parks might be considered a plain beauty by some, and "boring" by others.

Historic sites are also run by the New South Wales Parks and Wildlife services, and all have something to showcase. Some of these might not have much, but they are historically significant to the state.

There are also four "Karst Reserves" as well, designed to protect the karst landscape. These are not national parks, but are managed by the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service.

On top of all this, there are some "state conservation reserves" as well, and they may be more known or even more visited than some of their national cousins. Cape Byron State Conservation Area, for example, is a highlight for anyone coming to Byron Bay, and is much more visited than most other national parks.

A brown colour on the map means it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while a darker maroon colour means it's a historic site. Other colours on the map indicate the region.

It's worth noting that not all parks in the state are accessible or have facilities. Some like Barakee, Belford or Cataract National Parks are only there for conservation, not recreation. However, these parks will not be promoted on the ground.

Fees and permits

A typical sign before a park's fee collecting point

Of the many parks in New South Wales, only 45 parks collect fees. A full list of which parks do so can be found on the NSW Parks website.

There are also NSW Parks passes, which provide unlimited access to many parks for a year, or two if you choose to get a 24-month pass. The passes also provides faster entry and is valid for 12 months (or 24 if you purchase a two-year pass) from date of purchase. The fees per vehicle (as at 2021) as follows:

  • All Parks Pass – includes all parks in New South Wales, including Kosciuszko National Park ($195 for one year, $335 for two years)
  • Multi Park Pass – includes all parks in New South Wales, excluding Kosciuszko National Park ($65 for one year, $115 for two years)
  • Country Parks Pass – includes all parks in Country New South Wales, excluding Kosciuszko National Park ($45 for one year, $75 for two years)

There is also a fourth pass; the Single Park Pass, worth $22 for one year and $40 for two, mainly for if you're wanting to visit the same park again and again. It is not valid in Kosciuszko National Park.

National parks

Map
Map of New South Wales national parks

Sydney and surrounds

  • 1 Berowra Valley National Park – a national park next to very-crowded-full-of-traffic Hornsby. It takes a while to realise whether you're in Sydney or not. The answer to that is, yes, you are still in Sydney.
  • 1 Blue Mountains National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Site home to the Three Sisters, the most visited indigenous site in Australia, which also holds a deeper story behind it.
  • 2 Bouddi National Park – a small but yet scenic national park showcasing some of the best beaches the Central Coast has to offer, and a lot of greenery as well, right next to crowded Woy Woy
  • 3 Brisbane Water National Park Brisbane Water National Park on Wikipedia – it has pleasant and interesting walks that can vary from mild to rugged with varying environments
  • 4 Cattai National Park – while not particularly a large nor famous national park, it has stunning views of the Hawkesbury River with lookouts and walking trails
  • 5 Dharawal National Park – a national park on the border of Sydney, the Illawarra and the Southern Highlands, with stunning waterfalls and rockpools
  • 6 Dharug National Park – a park with nice and creative rock formations which also are home to a lot of Mangroves. Unusually though, parts of the park were disputed between the Dharug and Darkinjung countries before the British had arrived.
  • 2 Gardens of Stone National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Site with some stunning picturesque lookouts and hiking trails.
  • 7 Garigal National Park – popular with bushwalkers and mountain bike riders, there are over 35 trails in the park covering 120 km. 100% of the park is in Metropolitan Sydney and there have been over 100 Aboriginal sites recorded, including shelters, cave art, rock engravings, middens, grinding grooves and a possible stone arrangement
  • 8 Georges River National Park – a national park which has recreational activities such as hiking, picnicking, barbecues, boating, fishing, and water/jet skiing, segmented into 15 sectors along the riverbanks of the Georges River
  • 9 Heathcote National Park – deeply dissected Hawkesbury sandstone plateau which formed about 200 million years ago, Heathcote National Park is home to a lot of Aboriginal rock engravings, a lot more than some other neighbouring parks in Sydney
  • 10 Kamay Botany Bay National Park – home of Captain Cook's landing spot as well as Bare Island Fort, the location of where Mission Impossible 2 was filmed in part. Moreover, Kamay Botany Bay National Park is home to the French town of La Perouse, where French explorer Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse came. Many of his items have been recovered and are at the La Perouse museum at this park.
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
  • 3 Kanangra-Boyd National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Site adjacent to Jenolan Caves, with expansive mountain gorges, magnificent lookouts and a series of wild and scenic rivers give a special edge to Kanagra-Boyd's wilderness.
    Shark Island, Sydney Harbour National Park
  • 11 Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park – a big large national park right inside Sydney rich in Aboriginal culture, with one side alongside tributaries of the Hawkesbury river, and the other being beside the Hawkesbury, along with some WWII fortifications.
  • 12 Lane Cove National Park – a big national park right in the middle of the Macquarie Park/Ryde region surrounded by buildings on all four corners, but with a big blob of greenery and a river in the park, with walking trails and picnic spots
  • 13 Malabar Headland National Park – the smallest national park in New South Wales at only 1.77km², but yet with very scenic with nice cliffs and a popular whale watching spot during the months of May to November
  • 14 Marramarra National Park – offers bushwalkers a wide range of environments, from the mangrove communities along Marramarra Creek to the drier, sclerophyll scrub along the ridges
  • 4 Nattai National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Site which mostly offers bushwalking, but also the views from this UNESCO world heritage park is quite unimaginable, particularly from Wollondilly lookout
  • 15 Popran National Park Popran National Park on Wikipedia – takes its name from Popran Creek, mainly to protect the Popran Creek area but is home to a ton of mangroves
  • 16 Royal National Park – the oldest national park in the southern hemisphere and the second oldest in the entire world just after Yellowstone
  • 17 Scheyville National Park Scheyville National Park on Wikipedia – in the northwestern suburbs of Sydney, it is mostly famous for the Longneck Lagoon, which before European settlers, this was used by the people of Dharug Country for food supplies
  • 18 Sydney Harbour National Park – a national park rich in Aboriginal, military, WWII and colonial history, where history meets the harbour. It is also the only national park where the harbour bridge can be seen, as well as the opera house, but there's parts of this park where you could be lost in nature
    Mt. Yengo seen from Yengo National Park
  • 5 Thirlmere Lakes National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Site mostly known for its lakes which are just plain natural beauty
  • 19 Werakata National Park – in the 1800s when European settlers came, most of this park was destroyed. Forestry commenced and sawmills were established in and near area the area of the park (most of the timber going to local mines for pit props). The park now remains as a measure to protect what is left
  • 6 Wollemi National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Site sadly home to the largest continuous bushfire affected area in the 2019-20 bushfire season, it is home to some of the world's oldest trees, which have still been up there since the Jurassic period
  • 20 Wyrrabalong National Park – a national park mostly surrounded by water except for a small section on the north where it's connected to the mainland from Lake Tuggerah and the Tasman Sea, it is home to some woodland and water birds that are hard to find in other areas
  • 7 Yengo National Park – UNESCO World Heritage Site rich in Aboriginal culture, flora and fauna, natural beauty and wildlife, with some sacred sites visitors can visit

Central NSW

A view from Coolah Tops National Park
  • 1 Abercrombie River National Park – protects an important area of remnant bushland within the southwestern Central Tablelands, and contains a diversity of vegetation communities characteristic of montane and tableland species as well as of the western slopes of the state.

  • 2 Belford National Park Belford National Park on Wikipedia

Sean Rocks in Mount Kaputar National Park

Hunter and Mid-North Coast

Northern Rivers

Minyon Falls in Nightcap NP

Northern Tablelands

Outback NSW

Aboriginal rock art in Gundabooka National Park
  • 1 Culgoa National Park Culgoa National Park on Wikipedia – impressive river red gums and expansive floodplains, is the landscape that is thought to be representative of the Australian outback. Additionally, the park's name comes from the river that flows through this park. Also home to two iconic mammals of the outback, the common brushtail possum and Little pied bat
  • 2 Gundabooka National Park – has some petroglyph rock art and ancestral ceremonial grounds are located inside the park which also has many exotic plants, right next to the Darling River
  • 3 Kinchega National Park – a quiet lesser known national park along the Darling River that allows visitors to understand the historical significance and the importance of both Outback life in the 19th century, and birdlife in the Outback. Also has some impressive river red gums and floodplains, but for a comparison on whether Culgoa or Kinchega differs on opinion, but both are unique in their own right.
  • 4 Koonaburra National Park – protects an extensive area of sandplain
  • 5 Mallee Cliffs National Park Mallee Cliffs National Park on Wikipedia – Mallee Cliffs National Park preserves the original clay red plains of south west New South Wales, protecting extensive areas of flat to undulating sandy red plains and linear sand dunes formed during arid periods from 350,000-500,000 years ago. Unusually though, this is one of the few places where the Malleefowl can be found, which is only found in arid areas only where the mallee grows. However, do note that this park is restricted in access, and can only be used for educational purposes.
  • 6 Mount Grenfell National Park – road-inaccessible sacred park; only accessible on foot.
The Walls of China in Lake Mungo, Mungo National Park, just a natural beauty. Oh, and if you're wondering where's the lake, most of it dries up during dry season similar to how Lake Eyre works.
  • 20 Mungo National Park – UNESCO world heritage park with some of the world's oldest human bodies outside Africa dating back to about 42,000 years ago, with part of the reason why it's still well preserved today is because of the sheer isolation, getting here without a 4WD is almost impossible. Mungo N.P. is also popular for the Walls of China as well, mostly for how its shaped.
  • 7 Mutawintji National Park Mutawintji National Park on Wikipedia – filled with some gorges, canyons and a historic site in the centre
  • 8 Narriearra Caryapundy Swamp National Park – this large reasonably new outback national park is often forgotten a lot. The park protects one of the most incredible wildlife havens in the Outback
  • 9 Paroo-Darling National Park Paroo-Darling National Park on Wikipedia
  • 10 Sturt National Park – the northwestern most park in New South Wales, it is also home to Cameron Corner, a marker encompassing three states. But apart from that, this park also gives a real feel for how life was like, living in the Outback in the 19th and early 20th century. It's also one of the few places in New South Wales where the dingo fence can be seen
  • 11 Toorale National Park – just a few kilometres northwest of Gundabooka NP, home to what was once the world's largest sheep station.
  • 12 Willandra National Park Willandra National Park on Wikipedia – Aboriginal occupation in the park dates back to more than 15,000 years ago, it is mostly known for its habitat for native species like the emu, the threatened Plains-wanderer, red and grey kangaroos, echidnas and a variety of reptiles, such as Gould's sand goanna and the Mulga brown snake.
  • 13 Yanga National Park Yanga National Park on Wikipedia – A rather new national park established in 2007. It is significant to the Indigenous Aboriginal people, and a significant birdlife site

South Coast, The Highlands and Snowy Mountains

The Pinnacles in Beowa National Park

Other parks

Cave Beach, Booderee National Park
  • 1 Booderee National Park Booderee National Park and Botanic Gardens on Wikipedia – While treated like in NSW, this park is not in NSW, but in the federal territory of Jervis Bay Territory. (It was once part of the ACT.) NSW Parks passes aren't valid in Jervis Bay Territory. The area was planned as a grand "Pacific City" and the port of the nation's capital, but this vision was never realised,. Instead, it is just a national park with a population of only 393 (2020). 100% of the territory is protected. There is also an indigenous village that interests travellers called "Wreck Bay Village", which is some fishermans' secret fishing spot.
  • 2 Namadgi National Park – The only national park in the ACT, apart from Booderee (although JBT isn't part of the ACT anymore), home to many unique bird species.

Historical sites

Shamrock Inn at Hartley Historic Site
  • 1 Cadmans Cottage Historic Site Cadmans Cottage on Wikipedia
  • 2 Clybucca Historic Site
  • 3 Davidson Whaling Station Historic Site Davidson Whaling Station on Wikipedia
  • 4 Hartley Historic Site Hartley historic site on Wikipedia
  • 5 Hill End Historic Site Hill End Historic Site on Wikipedia
  • 6 Innes Ruins Historic Site Lake Innes House Ruins on Wikipedia
  • 7 Koonadan Historic Site Koonadan Historic Site on Wikipedia
  • 8 Maroota Historic Site
  • 9 Maynggu Ganai Historic Site
  • 10 Mutawintji Historic Site
  • 11 Roto House Historic Site
  • 12 South Solitary Island Historic Site
  • 13 Tweed Heads Historic Site
  • 14 Wisemans Ferry Historic Site
  • 15 Yuranigh's Aboriginal Grave Historic Site

Karst conservation reserves

See also

This travel topic about New South Wales national parks is a usable article. It touches on all the major areas of the topic. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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