Dharawal National Park National Park

Dharawal National Park is a protected area in New South Wales that conserves sandstone plateaus, gorges and remnant bushland with important Aboriginal cultural sites. The park was formally proclaimed in 2012 to protect the region’s natural and cultural values.

The park features sandstone escarpments, sheltered gullies with pockets of rainforest, freshwater swamps and a mix of woodland vegetation that supports native mammals and birdlife. It also contains multiple recorded Aboriginal sites, including open rock art and stone arrangements, which are significant to the local Dharawal people. Walking tracks and management trails provide access to viewpoints and gorges, but many areas are rugged and best attempted by experienced bushwalkers.

The area has long been part of the traditional lands of Dharawal peoples; formal park status was established in 2012 to consolidate protections for conservation and cultural values. Land added to the park came from state forest and other Crown lands to conserve representative sandstone country and Aboriginal heritage.

The park is located to the south and south-west of metropolitan Sydney in the Illawarra and Macarthur regions of New South Wales, occupying sandstone country between coastal escarpments and lower inland valleys.

• Aboriginal heritage: Contains numerous recorded Aboriginal cultural sites including rock art and stone arrangements, which are protected and sensitive; visitors should not disturb these sites.
• Management and access: Manage by New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service since its proclamation in 2012, with several marked walking tracks and rugged sandstone country.

Dharawal National Park is south of Sydney and accessible by car from the Princes Highway. Public transit reaches nearby towns; from there, local roads and short hikes reach park entrances and trailheads. Check the NSW National Parks website for up-to-date access information and seasonal closures.

• Plan for seasonal trail closures intended to protect threatened species and cultural sites.
• Use the mapped trails around the Dharawal area - sandstone escarpments can be brittle and dangerous off-track.
• Visit at dawn to hear the park's birdlife; Aboriginal heritage sites are best visited with an interpreter.