Overview

Mount Kaputar National Park is a 50,000 hectare protected area located in northern NSW, around 550km north of Sydney, just east of the town of Narrabri. The park covers much of the highest parts of the Nandewar Range, an area of volcanic activity around 20 million years ago that has since been eroded away to form the distinctive peaks and cliffs of Mt Yulludunida, Mt Ningadhun, Mt Kaputar and Sawn Rocks. The park contains a variety of landscapes, from towering forests to grassy woodlands, due to its wide elevation range - over 1000m - in a short distance. It is home to a large number of threatened species, including the spotted-tail quoll, the yellow-bellied glider and the brush-tailed rock wallaby. It is also home to a the unique red triangle slug, which can be found after rain.

Access

There are three main areas of the park - the Mount Kaputar area, the Sawn Rocks area and the Waa Gorge area.

The Mount Kaputar area is reached from Narrabri, via a narrow winding road. From Narrabri, head south out of town on the Old Gunnedah Rd for around 4km, and turn left on to Kaputar Rd. It is about 27km to the park entrance, and the road begins to become windy and unsealed at this point. There are some narrow sections, and it is slow going to the summit - a further 17km, and all up around an hour from Narrabri. Signposted turnoffs or parking areas for many of the walks can be found along the way.

The Sawn Rocks area is around 30 mins drive from Narrabri via sealed roads. Head north out of Narrabri on the Newell Highway for around 3km, and turn right onto Killarney Gap Road. Continue on Killarney Gap Road for around 35km, turning right at the Sawn Rocks turn-off.

The Waa Gorge area is reached from Narrabri via sealed roads. Head north out of Narrabri on the Newell Highway for around 3km, and turn right onto Killarney Gap Road. Continue on Killarney Gap Road for around 21km, and turn left on Melburra Road. Continue on Melburra Road for 30km, then right onto Allambie Road for 6.5km before it becomes Waa Gorge Rd at the park entrance. It is a further 700m to the parking area.

Activities

Bushwalking

There are numerous short and longer walks in the park.

Short walks in the Mt Kaputar area include Mt Kaputar Summit, Euglah Rock Lookout, The Governor and Dawson Springs Nature Trail, all of which are under an hour. Longer walks - in the 1-4 hour range - include Mt Coryah, Kaputar Plateau Loop, Bundabulla Circuit and Mt Yulludunida, to the end of the walking track. Scutts Hut and Kurrawonga Falls can be done as a long day, or easier overnight walk.

In other parts of the parks, there are short walks to Sawn Rocks and Mill-bullah Waterholes, and a longer one to Waa Gorge.

Beyond these, there is the possibility for walkers to go off track. Mt Yulludunida is a good area to explore, with both summits accessible to capable scramblers and navigators. The ridge south of Mt Coryah is also another good starting point. Water around Mt Kaputar can be hard, so this may limit overnight walking options.