Yarrangobilly Caves House: East and West wings
Yarrangobilly area in Kosciuszko National Park
Overview
Stay in the cosy Yarrangobilly Caves House East and West wings—self contained heritage accommodation (circa 1901) set in a secluded section of Kosciuszko National Park. You’ll find scenic walking, skiing, fishing and a thermal pool right at your doorstep.
| Accommodation type | House |
|---|---|
| Where | 51 Yarrangobilly Caves Road, Yarrangobilly, NSW, 2720 - in Yarrangobilly area |
| Bedrooms | 9 |
| Maximum guests | 14 |
| Facilities | Barbecue facilities, cafe/kiosk, carpark, drinking water, public phone, showers, toilets, electric power |
| What to bring | Food supplies |
| Entry fees | Park entry fees apply |
| Group bookings | School groups and Park Eco Pass holders can make a group booking enquiry. |
| Please note |
|
For a weekend away from it all, head for Yarrangobilly Caves House East and West wings in the picturesque Yarrangobilly Valley. Escape from the crowds and revel in the wonder of a bygone era in this heritage building—built in 1901. It's the perfect place to relax in your own homely, lovingly restored and self contained wing.
Perfect for conferences, family gatherings and special interest groups, Yarrangobilly Caves House East and West wings are a lovely spot for enjoying the splendour of all four seasons. Yarrangobilly Caves offers bushwalking, self guided and guided cave tours, and fishing in the clear mountain streams. It’s only a short drive to the Selwyn Snowfields to enjoy a day of skiing the slopes.
After a hard day of adventuring, dive into the naturally heated thermal swimming pool. Round it off with a relaxing drink on the verandah, gazing across at scenic views of the limestone bluffs.
In 2015 and 2016, Yarrangobilly Caves House won commendations for the Unique Accommodation category in the Canberra Region Tourism Awards.
Map
Map legend
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation/accommodation/yarrangobilly-caves-house-wings/local-alerts
Bookings
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Operated by
- Yarrangobilly Caves Visitor Centre
- 9am to 5pm daily. Closed Christmas Day
- 02 6454 9597
- yarrangobilly.caves@environment.nsw.gov.au
- 50 Yarrangobilly Caves Road, Yarrangobilly, NSW 2720
Park info
- in the Yarrangobilly area of Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains region
The Yarrangobilly area is open all year. See individual show caves and guided tours for times and prices. Additional tours run during NSW school holidays. Contact Yarrangobilly Caves on (02) 6454 9597 to confirm the tour times for your visit.
-
Park entry fees apply in the Yarrangobilly area
$4 per vehicle per day applies at Yarrangobilly Caves for motor vehicles without a Kosciuszko National Park day pass or NPWS All Parks annual pass.
See vehicle entry fees for other areas in Kosciuszko National Park.
You’ll need to buy a ticket or cave pass from the Yarrangobilly Caves Visitor Centre to visit all Yarrangobilly’s caves.
Buy annual pass.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Yarrangobilly Caves House: East and West wings.
Getting there and parking
Yarrangobilly Caves House is in the northern precinct of Kosciuszko National Park.
From the Monaro Highway:
- At Cooma, take the Snowy Mountains Highway and continue for around 110km.
- Turn left onto Yarrangobilly Caves Entrance Road.
- Follow the unsealed road for around 6km to Yarrangobilly Caves House.
From the Hume Highway:
- At Gundagai, take the Tumut exit and follow Gocup Road to Tumut.
- Continue on Snowy Mountains Highway south for around 90km.
- Turn right onto Yarrangobilly Caves Entrance Road.
- Follow the unsealed road for around 6km to Yarrangobilly Caves House.
The closest service stations are in Talbingo and Adaminaby. 24-hour fuel is only available in Gundagai or Cooma. Cabramurra also has a 24/7 card-only service.
Road quality
- Yarrangobilly Caves entrance and exit roads are graded gravel. They're suitable for 2WD and 4WD vehicles up to 12.5m in length, however the Roads and Maritime Service (RMS) advise that the roads are unsuitable for caravans.
- RMS recommends snow chains are carried by all vehicles driving in the park in winter, including 4WD and AWD, in case of extreme weather. Visit the Live Traffic website for road conditions.
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- Snow chains required after snow
Parking
Parking is available at Yarrangobilly Caves House. Bus parking is available – contact Yarrangobilly Caves Visitor Centre for access.
Facilities
- East wing bed configuration: 1 king bedroom and 6 single rooms. 2 bathrooms with shower, toilet and bath.
- West wing bed configuration: 2 bedrooms with 1 king and 1 single bed each. 1 bathroom with toilet and shower. King beds can be split into 2 singles.
- Each wing has a dining room, family/lounge room, fully equipped kitchen, bathroom, verandah and outdoor barbecue area.
- The kitchen has a stove, cook top, microwave, slow cooker and a full range of baking pans and utensils.
- There are heaters in the bedrooms.
- Washing machine and drying room available.
- There's no DVD player, television or stereo.
- Please leave the accommodation clean and tidy, with all dishes washed up and put away. Any unreasonable cleaning will be charged a cleaning fee.
- A function room is available for hire. For more information, contact Yarrangobilly Caves Visitor Centre.
Toilets
- Flush toilets
Barbecue facilities
- Gas/electric barbecues (free)
Cafe/kiosk
Yarrangobilly Caves Visitor Centre has a limited range of snacks, soft drinks and ice cream, personal items and basic supplies.
Carpark
Drinking water
UV-treated on site
Public phone
Calls paid for at the visitor centre on check out.
Showers
- Hot showers
Electric power
Hydro and diesel.
Maps and downloads
- Yarrangobilly Caves House: East and West wings factsheet
- Yarrangobilly Caves House: East and West wings map (1.6MB pdf)
- Yarrangobilly Caves House: East and West wings floor plan (371.2KB pdf)
- Northern Kosciuszko walking tracks (1015KB pdf)
- Northern Kosciuszko mountain bike and horse riding trails (1.4MB pdf)
Fees and passes
Please note there is a $4 site fee (valid for 24hrs) for vehicles without a day pass or annual pass.
- All Parks Pass - For all parks in NSW (including Kosciuszko NP) $190 (1 year) / $335 (2 years)
Accessibility
Disability access level - hard
Wheelchairs can access this area with some difficulty
Permitted
- Cavers must be part of a registered caving association and have a Cave Permit for all recreational caving activities
- A current NSW recreational fishing licence is required when fishing in all waters
Prohibited
Camp fires and solid fuel burners
Camping
Drones
Flying a drone for recreational purposes is prohibited in this area. Drones may affect public enjoyment, safety and privacy, interfere with park operations, or pose a threat to wildlife. See the Drones in Parks policy.
This area may be a declared Drone Exclusion Zone, or may be subject to Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) rules for flying near airports, aerodromes and helicopter landing sites. See CASA's Drone Flyer Rules.
Commercial filming and photography
Commercial filming or photography is prohibited without prior consent. You must apply for permission and contact the local office.
Gathering firewood
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Visitor centre
-
Yarrangobilly Caves Visitor Centre
50 Yarrangobilly Caves Road, Yarrangobilly, NSW 2720 - 9am to 5pm daily. Closed Christmas Day
- 02 6454 9597
Learn more
Yarrangobilly Caves House: East and West wings is in Yarrangobilly area. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Unique landscapes
Yarrangobilly’s karst landscapes were created from a belt of limestone laid down about 440 million years ago. Almost all cave formations can be seen here, from stalactites and stalagmites, hollow straws and delicate helictites, to shawls, cave coral, and massive flowstones. Karst environments are nature’s time capsules, preserving evidence of climate change, floods, droughts, fires, animal and human activity. Over the years, Yarrangobilly's caves have hosted researchers from universities, nuclear science organisations and the Snowy Hydro. You can now visit Harrie Wood Cave, which was closed from 2006-2016, to learn how stalagmites have growth rings, and find out about about climate change monitoring.
- Jersey Cave Step back in time on a guided tour of Jersey Cave. You’ll be awed by some of the most colourful and diverse decorations at Yarrangobilly Caves in Kosciuszko National Park.
- Jillabenan Cave Take a fascinating guided tour of Jillabenan Cave. It's the smallest and most accessible of the Yarrangobilly Caves in Kosciuszko National Park, but it's packed with incredibly delicate formations.
- North Glory Cave North Glory Cave is closed until the end of 2024. You can still visit the other caves at Yarrangobilly.
- South Glory Cave Take a leisurely self-guided tour through the lofty chambers of South Glory Cave at Yarrangobilly, near Tumut. It never fails to astonish.
Explore above and below ground
No visit to Yarrangobilly is complete without a visit to its marvellous caves, so stop by the Yarrangobilly Caves Visitor Centre to get your tickets and tour times. The largest, South Glory Cave, allows you to explore at your own pace on a self-guided tour. Jersey and Jillabenan Caves offer guided tours that run 3 or 4 times daily - Jillabenan even boasts wheelchair-access. The visitor centre can also help with tours of other caves, meetings, weddings, custom tours for groups or students from 10 to 100 people. With caves, tours, walks, and the natural mineral waters of the thermal pool to tempt you, you’ll need to stay a few days. Book your own lovingly restored wing or a great-value room at Caves House. Enjoy the creature comforts of Lyrebird Cottage, or set up camp at Yarrangobilly Village campground, just off the Snowy Mountains Highway.
- Yarrangobilly Caves thermal pool walk Take the short Yarrangobilly Caves thermal pool walk and enjoy a swim in the spring-fed natural pool. It's easily combined with a picnic, bushwalk or cave tour in the Yarrangobilly area of Kosciuszko National Park.
- Yarrangobilly Caves Visitor Centre Yarrangobilly Caves Visitor Centre is your one stop destination for information on cave tours and tickets, and top tips on where to stay and what to do in the Yarrangobilly and northern areas of Kosciuszko National Park.
A wonderland for wildlife
Karst environments are complex ecosystems containing highly specialised plants, animals and micro-organisms. The dense shrubs around Yarrangobilly River provide protection for the endangered smoky mouse, as well as being great for bird watching. At night you might be lucky to see a possum or sugar glider, forest bats, tawny frogmouth owl or even an endangered sooty owl. Don’t be put off if you see algae or even springtime tadpoles in the thermal pool. Algae and weed provide a breeding site for eastern banjo frogs, aka pobblebonks, because of their banjo-like ‘plonk’ or ‘bonk’, meaning the water is clean and healthy. School students can learn more about Kosciuszko National Park’s ecosystems and important biodiversity on a school excursion.
Discover Aboriginal culture
Yarrangobilly is the perfect place to experience the rich Aboriginal culture of the Wolgalu People. Join a NPWS Aboriginal ranger to see the tools and techniques of the Traditional Owners of this unique landscape. Take part in hands-on activities like string making, or learn how to start a fire without matches. Wolgalu culture tours run on select dates during school holidays, and start from the picnic area near Yarrangobilly Caves Visitor Centre (bookings essential).
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
-
Bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus)
A large, squat marsupial, the Australian bare-nosed wombat is a burrowing mammal found in coastal forests and mountain ranges across NSW and Victoria. The only other remaining species of wombat in NSW, the endangered southern hairy-nosed wombat, was considered extinct until relatively recently.
-
Eastern water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii lesueurii)
The eastern water dragon is a subaquatic lizard found in healthy waterways along eastern NSW, from Nowra to halfway up the Cape York Pensinsula. It’s believed to be one of the oldest of Australian reptiles, remaining virtually unchanged for over 20 million years.
-
Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
One of the most fascinating and unusual Australian animals, the duck-billed platypus, along with the echidna, are the only known monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, in existence. The platypus is generally found in permanent river systems and lakes in southern and eastern NSW and east and west of the Great Dividing Range.
-
Superb fairy wren (Malurus cyaneus)
The striking blue and black plumage of the adult male superb fairy wren makes for colourful bird watching across south-eastern Australia. The sociable superb fairy wrens, or blue wrens, are Australian birds living in groups consisting of a dominant male, mouse-brown female ‘jenny wrens’ and several tawny-brown juveniles.
-
Superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae)
With a complex mimicking call and an elaborate courtship dance to match, the superb lyrebird is one of the most spectacular Australian animals. A bird watching must-see, the superb lyrebird can be found in rainforests and wet woodlands across eastern NSW and Victoria.
-
Swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor)
The swamp wallaby, also known as the black wallaby or black pademelon, lives in the dense understorey of rainforests, woodlands and dry sclerophyll forest along eastern Australia. This unique Australian macropod has a dark black-grey coat with a distinctive light-coloured cheek stripe.
Plants
-
Billy buttons (Craspedia spp. )
Billy buttons are attractive Australian native plants that are widespread throughout eastern NSW in dry forest, grassland and alpine regions such as Kosciuszko National Park. The golden-yellow globe-shaped flowers are also known as woollyheads. Related to the daisy, billy buttons are an erect herb growing to a height of 50cm.