Warrumbungle National Park

The Warrumbungles are a mountain range in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The nearest town is Coonabarabran. The area is easiest accessed from the Newell Highway which is the major road link directly between Melbourne, Victoria and Brisbane, Queensland and cuts across inland New South Wales from the north to the south. The Warrumbungle National Park is based on the geographical Warrumbungle Mountain Range, sometimes shortened to the Warrumbungles, and thus the park name is often heard in the plural.

The Warrumbungles area has some of NSW's best bush walks due to volcanic action from many years ago. The Grand High Tops and Breadknife walk in regarded as one of the best walks in NSW, offers close up views of the park's iconic rock formations. The Park contains a dramatic jumble of craggy spires, domes, vast plateaus, forested ridges, towering dykes and deep gorges. 13 million years of rain, wind and ice have eaten away at the structure revealing the skeleton of the Warrumbungle Volcano.

Breadknife and Grand High Tops walk is the jewel in the glistening crown and is must do for bush walkers who love a challenge with their scenery. The track follows Spirey Creek before climbing steeply to give close encounters with iconic formations such as Belougery Spire, Bress Peak and Crater Bluff. Once at the top the view is amazing with all the high peaks visible as far as Bluff Mountain, Mount Exmouth and Siding Springs Observatory while behind you is the impressive Crater Bluff.

In spring, walkers will be treated to a wildflower display of purple hoveas, white daisy bushes, yellow wattles and orange pea flowers. A haven for birdwatchers, be sure to look for wedge-tailed eagles soaring high above the cliffs and listen out for the screech of peregrine falcons.

The Warrumbungles are considered one of the best night sky viewing points in Australia due to lack of nearby urban light pollution sources. There are many points of interest along the way including White Gums Lookout, Siding Springs Astronomical Observatory and a plethora of astronomical letterboxes, private astronomy telescope shelters and several large roadside educational astronomy billboards associated with Siding Springs Observatory.

Warrumbungle National Park is the ideal spot for a day trip or camping holiday. Popular activities in the Park include bushwalking along 43 kilometres of walking tracks, landscape photography, rock climbing (permits required), bush picnics, bird watching and camping.