Namadgi National Park

Alerts

1 December 2023 until further notice
Booroomba Rocks Road, Old Boboyan Road and Orroral Ridge Road have reopened. We recommend 4WD only on these roads. For further advice on road conditions, contact the Namadgi Visitor Centre on 6237 5307 or namadginationalpark@act.gov.au.
1 January 2023 until further notice
The Yankee Hat rock art site and Yankee Hat walking trail from Bogong Creek remain closed to public access until further notice.
23 January 2024 until further notice
There is no access inside Westermans Homestead on the Settlers Walking Track due to repair works. Barriers and signage are in place.

Namadgi National Park is located on Ngunnawal Country, an ancient and diverse landscape managed by Ngunnawal people for tens of thousands of years. For time immemorial Ngunnawal people have maintained a tangible and intangible cultural, social, environmental, spiritual, and economic connection to these lands and waters.

Namadgi National Park protects 106,095 hectares of alpine, sub-alpine and mountain bushland and makes up almost half of the ACT. The park protects high altitude sphagnum bogs which provide critical habitat for endangered species, and act as giant sponges slowly releasing pristine water into the ACT's water supply.

Admission to the park is free.

Download the Namadgi National Park Guide and Map (5.5 MB).

Namadgi Visitor Information Centre

Drop in to Namadgi Visitor Information Centre to find out where you can go in the park, collect a map, buy firewood or ask a question.

Please note, the Namadgi Visitor Centre does not accept cash. Card payments only.

Opening hours: 9am to 4pm weekdays; 9am to 4:30pm weekends and public holidays; closed Christmas Day
Find us: We are about 2.7 km south of Tharwa via Naas Road
Contact us: 02 6237 5307 or email namadginationalpark@act.gov.au

Namadgi National Park sign outside the Visitor Centre

Find a recreation area

Ready-Cut Cottage

An historic cottage within Namadgi National Park

Honeysuckle Campground

An historic campground within Namadgi National Park

Woods Reserve

A popular camping spot near Namadgi National Park

Bushfire recovery in Namadgi

New growth on blackened eucalypt tree

Bushfire recovery in Namadgi

In early 2020, the Orroral Valley bushfire burnt over 80% of Namadgi National Park, or 86,562 hectares. Soon after the bushfire, intense rainfall over the fireground caused significant and widespread flood damage. The ACT Government has worked hard to make the infrastructure and environment safe for the community to get back into the park, and visitors should note the park will be in a recovery phase for many years to come.

The Yankee Hat rock art site remains closed while we work with the Ngunnawal people to finalise upgrade plans and designs for the site. This will take some time, but it is important that we have new infrastructure, signage and experiences that respect and value Ngunnawal culture and celebrate the significance of this art site and the cultural landscape surrounding it.

Things to do

Namadgi National Park provides options for:

walking on one of the many walking tracks in Namadgi
running
camping
picnics
wildlife and nature observation
photography
bird watching
visiting heritage sites
mountain bike riding on more than 400 kilometres of management trails
rock climbing
swimming
fishing
horse riding (arrange access for use of horse yards at Mt Clear at Namadgi Visitor Centre)
exploring historic huts
enjoying the snow (common on the Brindabella Range)
events and organised activities (a permit is required for groups of 20 or more people)

Explore Namadgi National Park with Google Trekker.

Dogs are not allowed in Namadgi National Park or the adjoining Gibraltar Forest Regeneration Area (formerly known as Gibraltar Pines, on the southern side of Corin Road). Dogs are permitted in vehicles that are travelling between the ACT and NSW on Boboyan or Brindabella Roads.

Walking trail and metal bridge over a creek on the way to Baroomba Rocks in Namadgi National Park.

Walking tracks

Man and woman hiking in snow in Namadgi National park

Walking tracks

Namadgi National Park features hundreds of kilometres of walking tracks.

Popular walks are described on the Namadgi walks page, or you can purchase a Namadgi Map and Guide from the Namadgi Visitor Centre or the Canberra and Region Visitor Centre for $4.50.

If you venture into Namadgi, please take a moment to learn about the Australian Walking Track Grading System, let someone know where you are going and when you'll return, and record details of your trip in the bushwalking registers located in the park. Walking off marked tracks requires expertise with a map and compass. Warm and waterproof clothing is always required as mountain weather can change unexpectedly at any time of the year.

You can hire a personal locator beacon (PLB) for extra peace of mind. Contact the Namadgi Visitor Centre for more details.

Access to several walks has been affected by public road closures, which could lengthen some suggested walking routes.

Find a track in Namadgi National Park.

Historic huts and homesteads

Namadgi is home to historic huts and homesteads. Please protect these buildings by following the Huts Code for Visitors.

Learn more about historic huts in Namadgi National Park.

Westerman's Homestead, Namadgi National Park

Ngunnawal Country and People

Namadgi National Park has many significant Ngunnawal cultural sites and objects located within the landscape. Places such as the Yankee Hat Rock Art and other sites and objects tell the stories of vital knowledges, cultural values and wisdom. These are significant to the Ngunnawal people, as knowledge of history is not only embedded in archaeological sites, it is also preserved within the landscape through traditional oral stories, dance, memory, ceremony, and artistic depictions found at rock art sites.

It is important to the Ngunnawal people that these stories, sites and objects are protected for their future generations and ask that visitors to Namadgi respect these sites and objects as it is a rich and ancient part of the Namadgi story.

European heritage

Declared a national park in 1984, Namadgi National Park has helped protect the biodiversity of the ACT, preserving diverse bird and animal species, plant life, and Aboriginal and European cultural heritage sites.

The Namadgi Visitor Centre opened in 1990. In 1991, the park was expanded to its current size of 106,095 hectares, about 46% of the ACT.

Pastoralists settled in the upper valleys of the Cotter, Gudgenby, Orroral, Naas and Tidbinbilla rivers from the 1830s. Timber extraction began in the Brindabellas in the 1930s but has long since ceased.

Recreational skiing began in the Brindabella Range with the formation of the Canberra Alpine Club in 1934, and a shelter and interpretation site stands today at the site of the old Mount Franklin ski chalet.

Space tracking stations commissioned by NASA and operated by local technicians were integral in the Apollo program of the 1960s, with the huge 'dish' antenna operated at Honeysuckle Creek beaming live images to the world on the day of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

About the ecology

Walkers at Bendora Arboretum

About the ecology

Namadgi's biodiversity is extensive with:

700 species of plants
222 species of vertebrate animals
15 threatened species
40 rare species recorded to date

Namadgi also protects Canberra's main water supply catchment. Its mountain ranges form a distinctive backdrop to the city.

The western parts of the ACT and adjacent land in NSW have, historically, been the source of bushfires that move in an easterly direction towards Canberra. In 2003, the park was hit by major fires and fire management has become an increasingly important issue, with regular fuel management activities required to reduce fuel hazards and protect both natural and built assets.

The beautiful Bendora Arboretum was established in 1940 and is the sole surviving arboretum in the Brindabella Range. It was established to determine suitable softwood species for industry in the region and is now home to some of the best examples of mature conifer trees anywhere in Australia.

Before you go

Prepare by understanding safety and checking alerts.

Drop in to the Namadgi Visitor Centre for the latest updates.

In Namadgi's camping and walking areas, you will need to:

tell someone where you are going and when you’ll return, especially if you plan to venture into remote areas
make a campground or cottage booking
abide by campfire usage guidelines
check road conditions, and use a 4WD or chains when required in winter
take your rubbish with you (bins are not provided)
bring your own drinking water
bring your own firewood (or purchase it from Namadgi Visitor Centre)
be aware that mobile phone reception may be unreliable
check water quality before swimming

Please abide by rules noted on the signs at entrances to the park.

Drones are not permitted to be used in Namadgi National Park.

Dingoes, often referred to as wild dogs, can be found in low numbers throughout Namadgi. Although incidents of dingoes interacting with people in Namadgi are extremely rare, visitors are advised to observe the advice on dingoes to discourage these animals from becoming less fearful of humans. Find out more about dingoes and report any incidents to Access Canberra.

More information

If you notice any issues during your visit:

report maintenance issues to Access Canberra
report vandalism or other illegal activities to the police on 131 444
in an emergency, call 000

Find out about:

In a life threatening emergency dial Triple Zero (000)

triple zero 000

5124 0000

6201 6111

1800 629 354

6205 1065

13 11 26

5124 9977

(02) 6205 1700

1800 022 222

13 25 00

Namadgi National Park

Alerts

Namadgi Visitor Information Centre

Find a recreation area

Ready-Cut Cottage

Honeysuckle Campground

Woods Reserve

Bushfire recovery in Namadgi

Things to do

Walking tracks

Historic huts and homesteads

Ngunnawal Country and People

European heritage

About the ecology

Before you go

More information