Nattai National Park
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Nattai National Park NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service | |
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Website | Nattai National Park |
See also | Protected areas of New South Wales |
The Nattai National Park is a
The Nattai National Park is one of the eight protected areas that, in 2000, was inscribed to form part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains Area.[3] The Nattai National Park is the most southern of the eight protected areas within the World Heritage Site. The national park forms part of the Great Dividing Range.
The national park is bounded to the north by the
The Nattai National Park contains much of the
History
The area now known as Nattai National Park has had a limited impact from Europeans. Several early expeditions attempting to cross the Blue Mountains passed through the area at the end of the 18th century, and settlers settled in the lower Nattai and Burragorang Valleys in 1827.[5] Early conservationists Myles Dunphy and Herb Gallop went on bushwalks in the region from 1912 onward. An area of note was a forest of Eucalyptus saligna, commonly referred to as Sydney blue gum around Blue Gum Creek which was held in high regard.
Dunphy lobbied for the stand to be preserved upon becoming aware of plans to log the area but was unsuccessful, and the area was logged in the 1920s and 30s. Dunphy put forward a plan for a Greater Blue Mountains National Park, which incorporated what is now Nattai National Park in the southeast in 1932. The creation of Warragamba Dam in 1960 limited access for the development of land upstream, but it was not until 1991 that plans for permanent protection and national park status looked to become realised.[5]
Access
The national park can be accessed via Wattle Ridge Fire Road, located northeast of the small town of Hill Top. Access to a small, unsealed car park situated at the edge of the park is through an unsealed road. There are no facilities available except for an information board and a logbook. Visitors are required to sign in and out of the logbook when entering and exiting the park.
Alternate access is via the Wombeyan Caves Road.
Activities
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Bushwalking
Nattai National Park has several bushwalk trails. Backpack camping is allowed, with a remote campground by the Nattai River known as Emitts Flat at the end of the Starlights Trail.
The difficulties on the park's trails include: limited mobile reception,[6] all trails requiring bushwalking experience[7][8] and encounters with wildlife, such as snakes or wombats, being common.
Trails
- The Starlights Trail
- Nattai Road Park Entrance to Emmetts Flat on the Nattai River, It is 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) one way with 550 metres (1,800 ft) descent, approx. It begins at an elevation of roughly 640 metres (2,100 ft) and descends to 93 metres (305 ft) which is the altitude of the river. These are aggregate measurements based on topographical maps and GPS.
- Russells Needle
- An extension of Starlights Trail from Emmetts Flat south along the Nattai River to a tall rock spire.
- Katoomba to Mittagong Trail
- A long-distance trail starting in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area – 132 kilometres (82 mi) in length.
- Couridjah Corridor walk
- A 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) trail with gentle hills, nearby to lakes and rivers.
Climbing
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See also
References
- ^ a b "Nattai National Park: Park management". Office of Environment and Heritage. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ^ "Nattai National Park | Visitor info". NSW National Parks. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "Greater Blue Mountains Area". World Heritage List. UNESCO. 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Nattai National Park". Office of Environment & Heritage. Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ^ ISBN 0-9587590-1-4.
- ^ "Nattai National Park | Visitor info". NSW National Parks. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "Starlights trail | Visitor info". NSW National Parks. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "Couridjah Corridor walk | Visitor info". NSW National Parks. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
External links
- Free online topographic maps of Nattai – NSW Dept of Lands Spatial Portal
- Track notes with a topographical map for Russells Needle via Slott Way Track and Starlight Track