National parks and karst conservation areas of the Greater Blue Mountains Area Blue Mountains • Gardens of Stone • Jenolan Caves • Kanangra-Boyd • Nattai • Thirlmere Lakes • Wollemi • Yengo

Thirlmere Lakes National Park is a UNESCO world heritage park in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1972, it became a UNESCO heritage site in the year of 2000.

Understand

History

The national park is one of the eight protected areas that, in 2000, was inscribed to form part of the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Greater Blue Mountains Area. The Thirlmere Lakes National Park is the most south–easterly and the smallest of the eight protected areas within the World Heritage Site.

The park has also had crisis before. Two of the lakes have dried out since the mid 1980s due to removal of groundwater in the region secondary to coal mining at the Tahmoor Colliery. Luckily, the local community is investigating plans to revive the lakes, which might take decades otherwise.

Flora and fauna

The lakes and their environs contain an unusual and diverse array of flora and fauna. It contains the rare freshwater sponge Radiospongilla sceptroides,[4] and is notable for an absence of freshwater snails. The lakes contain the rare watershield (Brasenia schreberi) and are lined with rare species such as the grey sedge (Lepironia articulata) and the wooly frogsmouth lily (Philydrum lanuginosum). The habitat provides a home for the otherwise scarce Australasian bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus), and migratory Latham's snipe Gallinago hardwickii.

The habitat around the lakes is open sclerophyll forest, the dominant trees being rough-barked apple (Angophora floribunda) nearby and sydney peppermint (Eucalyptus piperita) and red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera) on elevated areas. The understory species include many familiar Sydney sandstone flora such as members of the genera Banksia, Acacia, pea flowers, and the New South Wales waratah (Telopea speciosissima)

Visitor information

• Park website

Get in

To start with, unlike some other Blue Mountains National Parks, there is limited public transport and no tour buses here as this park is not well known as the others. This leaves car the only main option left.

From B88 Picton Road continue down until Picton and then use the Old Hume Hwy, then at Tahmoor, use Bargo River Rd, and then turn left onto West Pde, and immediately turn right. The park is not well signposted, so it is vital you follow the directions correctly.

If you're willing to do a bit of extra walking, infrequent services via the 828 bus route between Picton and Bowral with around 6 services daily opposite the old Couridjah station. Then make your way next to the narrow road (Pumphouse Road) until you reach the core of the park. Take extra care as drivers tend to be very ignorant of pedestrians in this area.

Fees and permits

Park opens at 8AM and closes at 5:30PM, but varies in the summer.

Get around

Getting around by car is the best for the Blue Mountains Drive, but getting around by walking is better for the walking tracks and the pump station.

The roads are not paved and can be very bumpy, but it's doable in most vehicles.

See

• 1 Heritage Pump Station. For those interested in Locomotives, and once Heritage Pump Station delivered water to Couridjah, a town near Picton. (updated Jul 2021)

Do

• Greater Blue Mountains drive – Wollondilly trail. A bushland circuit from the Hume Highway, passing the Thirlmere Lakes, and then goes up to Nattai N.P. another UNESCO world heritage park, and is probably the most scenic drives one can ever do for a day trip from Sydney. (updated Jul 2021)
• Thirlmere Lakes walking track. A 6-km grade 4 loop which takes somewhere between 1.5 to 2.5 hours. The track encircles the three large lakes showcasing the park's landscape. It can feel a bit monotonous at times, but the main draw of it is that you'll likely be the only one on the trail. (updated Jul 2024)

Eat

There aren't any restaurants here. Bring your own food – picnic areas are available. Alternatively, there are eateries in nearby Picton, Tahmoor and Thirlmere.

Drink

Nearest pub in Picton.

Sleep

There are no places to sleep. The nearest accommodation is in Picton.

Go next

• Visit the other heritage listed parks in the Blue Mountains such as Nattai National Park or Blue Mountains National Park