Outback NSW National Parks
Far horizons, rich red dunes, glittering lakes, unique wildlife ... the outback national parks of NSW are diverse, wild and untamed, offering unique experiences for every visitor. Watch in awe as endless blue skies change to blazing sunsets and millions of stars begin to sparkle in the darking sky; you'll feel that connection to the land and its long history of human habitation.
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Explore the haunting, World Heritage, Walls of China at Mungo National Park, the evocative Darling floodplains of Kinchega, the spiritual landscape of Mutawintji, the remote expanses of the Sturt. Take some time to explore ... pitch your tent, or stay in unique, heritage on-park accommodation. Create a base for hiking, birdwatching, natural and cultural experiences, or just to relax and recharge the batteries.
Everywhere in the outback you'll discover superb examples of Aboriginal connectivity to this ancient land. You'll begin to understand the importance of place for people with a culture stretching back over 45,000 years.
Some parks, such as Mutawintji, offer unique guided tours with Aboriginal custodians to culturally significant areas. Others, such as Mungo, Paroo-Darling, and Kinchega, offer special Discovery programs during the school holidays.
Outback parks protect unique Australian flora and fauna. Birds flock to the precious, sometimes ephemeral, wetlands, kangaroo and emu roam the plains. After spring rain, carpets of wildflowers appear, and everywhere there are treks with panoramic views of gorges and wide open spaces.
The outback's rich pastoral heritage is also carefully managed, giving an insight into pioneering endeavours than made the first inroads into inland Australia.
Here are 10 outback national parks ready to visit and explore. We can show you words and pictures, but this is insignificant compared with your own visitor experience. It's when visit our outback national parks that a true understanding and appreciation of our great land and its spirituality and culture begins.
It's an experience you won't soon forget.
Culgoa National Park
This is a relatively small outback park, but no less important, due to its Murray Darling location and its contribution to Aboriginal and European culture. A place of amazing birdlife, the banks of coolibah-lined Culgoa River are ideal for walking and relaxing.
Gundabooka National Park
A capricious environment of flood and drought, of heat and crisp cold nights – a place to marvel at glowing red cliffs and magnificent vistas of the hills, red sands, secluded woodlands and gorges of the Gundabooka Range. You’ll soon understand its deep significance to Ngemba and Barkinji people.
Kinchega National Park
Kinchega National Park is rich in natural history, a place that seems designed for nature lovers and photographers. It’s also a place to immerse yourself in Aboriginal and European heritage. Sit back, relax and watch the native wildlife, where the red sand reaches up and touches the clear blue sky.
Mount Grenfell Historic Site
Quiet and remote, Mt Grenfell is an appropriate location for its unique collection of Aboriginal rock art – a place, an experience so far away from our modern world. What can you see? Dancing figures, kangaroo, emu, and lizards – images from many different time periods, so many artists, creations whose meanings may be lost in time.
Mungo National Park
This is a remarkable place, its international significance recognised with World Heritage listing. It’s where you’ll find the Walls of China, an icon not only for the sheer beauty of dramatic formations but also for the amazing spiritual significance of the area. Mungo has evidence of continual human habitation over 40,000 years.
Mutawintji National Park
Mutawintji National Park is a special place, reflecting the living culture and spirituality of Aboriginal people. Colourful gorges, rock pools and creek beds surround caves with rock art and paintings, and a reliable water supply supports spectacular bird and animal life.
Paroo-Darling National Park
Explore the Paroo-Darling National Park, an ancient world of red sand hills on the Darling River floodplain. The only unregulated section of the Murray Darling Basin, the Paroo River sustains a diverse ecosystem. Peery Lake, which cycles through flood and prolonged dry, is currently full – creating a spectacular inland playground for thousands of water birds.
Sturt National Park
The massive arid landscape of Sturt National Park has unique beauty; it’s a place of peace and solitude, the most outback of our outback parks. Adventurous travellers are often drawn to iconic destinations, and Cameron Corner, bordering three States, is such a place.
Willandra National Park
Willandra appeals to lovers of nature and of heritage – it was once famous for its wool, and now offers a fascinating insight into our pastoral history. Vast, semi-arid riverine plains country comprising wetland and, grasslands that support wildflowers, kangaroos and emus, waterbirds, reptiles and frogs.
Yanga National Park
Here you’ll discover chapters of our history stretching back thousands of years – aboriginal families, explorers and pioneers, shearers and rabbit trappers, fisherman and campers have visited here. Declared in 2005, Yanga now embraces an additional 66,000 ha, with 22,000ha of River Red Gum Forest.