Colo Meroo campground
Wollemi National Park
Overview
Colo Meroo campground in World Heritage-listed Wollemi National Park is a great place for experienced campers to enjoy a weekend or longer in the great outdoors.
| Number of campsites | 2 |
|---|---|
| Camping type | Tent, Remote/backpack camping |
| Facilities | Barbecue facilities, toilets |
| What to bring | Drinking water, cooking water, firewood |
| Price | There are no camping fees at this campground but a $6 booking fee applies. |
| Bookings | Book up to 12 people or 2 sites online. |
| Group bookings | This campground is not suitable for group bookings. |
| Please note |
|
At Colo Meroo campground, you can pitch your tent on grassy flats just 100m from the beautiful Colo river. Pop your billy on the wood barbie and settle in for a magnificent night sky showing.
While the Colo is often described as a ‘wild’ river, this is more to do with it being a haven for an abundance of plants and animals. The tranquil waters and tributaries that flow through here are part of the most extensive sandstone canyon system in eastern Australia. This pristine catchment area, an important place for local Aboriginal custodians, is one of Wollemi National Park's highlights.
The facilities at this campground are basic, but the backdrop of striking sandstone cliffs and ambient river soundtrack make for a priceless experience.
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/campgrounds/colo-meroo-campground/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
- Glenbrook office
- Entry station is only open on weekends, public holidays and school holidays.
- 02 4720 6200
- npws.hawkesburynattai@environment.nsw.gov.au
- 68 Bruce Road, Glenbrook NSW 2773
Park info
- in Wollemi National Park in the Sydney and surrounds, North Coast and Country NSW regions
Wollemi National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Colo Meroo campground.
Getting there and parking
Colo Meroo campground is in the southeast precinct of Wollemi National Park. The campground can only be accessed by foot. To get there:
- From Bells Line of Road, turn into Mountain Lagoon Road at Bilpin
- Turn left at Sams Way and left again when you see the National Parks and Wildlife Service sign
- Follow Gospers Ridge Trail approximately 4km to the end
- From here the walk is approximately 8km to the campground
Alternatively, if starting upstream from Upper Colo Road:
- This 2.5km walking track crosses private property so please leave the gates as you find them
- Please ensure you stay on the marked walking route into Colo Meroo
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- Dry weather only
Parking
Parking is available at Gospers Ridge Trail, Upper Colo Road and Bob Turners Trail.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Wollemi National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
With its softer light, autumn is the perfect time of year to head out to photograph or paint Wollemi's extraordinary landscapes.
Spring
With the temperature warming up, dig out the canoe and head to picturesque Ganguddy (Dunns swamp) for a cruise along the waterways.
Summer
Escape the heat and join an illuminating tour of the Glow Worm tunnel.
Facilities
- Water is not available at this campground
- Remember to treat or boil all water taken from creeks in the park
- There are no rubbish facilities at this site. Please take all garbage with you when you leave.
Toilets
- Non-flush toilets
Barbecue facilities
- Wood barbecues (bring your own firewood)
Maps and downloads
Prohibited
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.
Learn more
Colo Meroo campground is in Wollemi National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Ancient connections
The area that is now Wollemi National Park has held significance to Aboriginal people for at least 12,000 years. Evidence of this connection can be seen throughout the park, including ceremonial grounds, stone arrangements, grinding grooves, scarred trees and rock engravings. There are around 120 known Aboriginal sites in the park and probably many more yet to be discovered. The Wiradjuri, Dharug, Wanaruah and Darkinjung people have a strong and ongoing cultural association with their traditional lands and waters.
- Guided kayak tours of Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp Experience the natural beauty of escarpments, gorges and wildlife on a guided paddling tour of Gunguddy-Dunns Swamp with Southern Cross Kayaking.
- Pagoda Lookout walking track Pagoda Lookout walking track is a short but steep walk near Rylstone in Wollemi National Park. Enjoy incredible views over ancient pagoda rock formations and the Cudgegong River.
Geological marvels
Wollemi's landscape has been sculpted over millennia into a magnificent network of soaring sandstone escarpments, plunging gorges and canyons, winding river valleys and awe-inspiring geological and geomorphological features such as pagoda rock formations, basalt-capped mountains and diatremes. The spectacular Colo gorge and its tributaries form the most extensive sandstone canyon system in eastern Australia. Grab your camera and discover for yourself the breathtaking vistas and natural marvels that make this a World Heritage treasure.
- Explore Wollemi's wonders guided tour Experience the highlights of Wollemi National Park on this guided tour with Hikeandseek NSW. Traverse canyons, tunnels and valleys while learning about the area’s history.
- Glow Worm Tunnel self-guided audio tour Discover the fascinating history of the Glow Worm Tunnel on this self-guided audio tour in Wollemi National Park. You’ll follow the bed of the old Wolgan Valley Railway line to Tunnel No. 2, now home to thousands of glow worms.
- Guided kayak tours of Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp Experience the natural beauty of escarpments, gorges and wildlife on a guided paddling tour of Gunguddy-Dunns Swamp with Southern Cross Kayaking.
- Pagoda Lookout walking track Pagoda Lookout walking track is a short but steep walk near Rylstone in Wollemi National Park. Enjoy incredible views over ancient pagoda rock formations and the Cudgegong River.
- Wollemi camping and canyoning expeditions Join Roam Adventures and Training on a camping and canyoning adventure in the stunning Wollemi National Park.
Nature's haven
It's little surprise that Wollemi's spectacular landscape shelters a rich diversity of plants and animals. The rare Wollemi pine - a 'living fossil' whose closest relatives thrived some 90 million years ago was rediscovered here in 1994, and the park protects an incredible array of botanical species and communities, from open eucalypt forest and woodlands including Hawkesbury and grey box, to rainforests and perched swamps. This variety makes it an appealing habitat for eastern grey kangaroos, red-necked wallabies and the elusive brush-tailed rock wallaby, as well as the beautifully marked broad-headed snake, regent honeyeater and glossy black cockatoo. Around 55 species of butterfly have also been recorded.
- Glow Worm Tunnel self-guided audio tour Discover the fascinating history of the Glow Worm Tunnel on this self-guided audio tour in Wollemi National Park. You’ll follow the bed of the old Wolgan Valley Railway line to Tunnel No. 2, now home to thousands of glow worms.
- Glow Worm Tunnel via Wolgan Valley loop Set aside a day to hike 9km through Wollemi National Park on Glow Worm Tunnel via Wolgan Valley loop. Marvel at the historic railway tunnel, a lush rainforest gorge, and rocky pagoda outcrops, on this special walk between Newnes and Lithgow.
- Wollemi guided Glow Worm Tunnel walk Join Wolgan Valley Eco Tours on the popular Glow Worm Tunnel walking track in Wollemi National Park and see the magical natural light show created by thousands of glow worms.
Outdoor adventure
Pitch a tent at one of Wollemi's great campgrounds, like the secluded Colo Meroo backpack campground, the car-accessible Coorongooba campground or the dramatically-situated, car-accessible Newnes campground. With your base set up, you're free to get out and enjoy the park's fantastic outdoor attractions, be they more relaxed pursuits such as picnicking, canoeing and swimming or something more adventurous like rock climbing, horseriding and hiking.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
-
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.
-
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.
-
Southern boobook (Ninox novaeseelandiae)
The southern boobook, also known as the mopoke, is the smallest and most common native owl in Australia. With a musical 'boo-book' call that echoes through forests and woodlands, the southern boobook is a great one to look out for while bird watching.
-
Satin bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus)
With vibrant blue-violet eyes and curious antics, the satin bowerbird is a favourite for bird watching and easy to spot as it forages for food in open forest. Relatively common across eastern Australia, in NSW they’re found in coastal rainforests and adjacent woodlands and mountain ranges.
-
Spotted-tailed quoll (Dasyurus maculatus)
The spotted-tailed quoll is the largest remaining carnivorous marsupial on the Australian mainland. It’s protected as a vulnerable species in NSW.
Plants
-
Smooth-barked apple (Angophora costata)
Smooth-barked apple gums, also known as Sydney red gum or rusty gum trees, are Australian native plants found along the NSW coast, and in the Sydney basin and parts of Queensland. Growing to heights of 15-30m, the russet-coloured angophoras shed their bark in spring to reveal spectacular new salmon-coloured bark.
-
Wollemi pine (Wollemia nobilis)
The Wollemi pine is one of the world’s oldest and rarest trees. Only 46 adult trees and 43 juveniles remain in the wild. Belonging to a 200 million year-old plant family, this critically endangered Australian species is considered a global treasure.