Federal Falls campground
Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area
Overview
Pitch your tent at Federal Falls campground in Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area near Orange. Explore walks, enjoy scenic views and go birdwatching.
| Number of campsites | 10 |
|---|---|
| Camping type | Tent, Don't mind a short walk to tent |
| Facilities | Picnic tables, barbecue facilities, toilets |
| What to bring | Clothes for all weather conditions, drinking water, cooking water, firewood |
| Price | There are no camping fees at this campground but a $6 booking fee applies. |
| Bookings | Bookings for up to 2 sites and 12 people can be made online. |
| Group bookings | This campground is not suitable for group bookings. |
| Please note |
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Federal Falls campground is a great place to relax, enjoy the surrounds and explore Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area. It’s close to some of the park’s walking tracks, including Federal Falls walking track and Snowgum track.
When you’re worn out from a day in the park, you can relax as the evening comes alive. Thousands of stars ignite the night sky and the park’s nocturnal animals start stirring. In the morning you’ll be awoken by birds as they sing and dart between the majestic white gums that surround this campground.
This is the location of an ancient Aboriginal campsite. Be sure to check out the interpretive display to find out more about the Wiradjuri People’s connection to this stunning Country.
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/federal-falls-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
- Bathurst office
- Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.
- 02 6332 7640
- 02 6332 7680 To contact the KARST Conservation Unit in this office.
- npws.centralwest@environment.nsw.gov.au
- Level 2, 203-209 Russell Street, Bathurst NSW 2795
Park info
- in Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area in the Country NSW region
Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area 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 Federal Falls campground.
Getting there and parking
On entering Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area, follow Mount Canobolas Road before turning right on Towac Road. Federal Falls campground is on the right.
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
Parking is available at Federal Falls campground. From the carpark it's a short walk to the campground to set up your tent. Camping beside your vehicle is not permitted at this campground.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Wake up to misty mornings and enjoy clear, sunny skies – it's a magical time of year to visit.
Spring
See the violet kunzea, fringe myrtle and mirbelia flowers blossoming in the heaths around rocky outcrops.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
13°C and 26°C
Highest recorded
36.7°C
Winter temperature
Average
0°C and 8°C
Lowest recorded
-3.3°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
August
Driest month
March
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
124.2mm
Facilities
Water is not available at this campground.
Toilets
- Non-flush toilets
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
- Gas/electric barbecues (free)
- Wood barbecues (bring your own firewood)
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - hard
Wheelchairs can access this area with some difficulty
- Paved wheelchair access is available from the carpark to the interpretive displays and toilet facilities
Prohibited
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
Federal Falls campground is in Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
An Australian menagerie
Mount Canobolas has an abundance of native animals which thrive in this special environment. Around 950 species of plants and animals have been recorded in the park, including several species that exist nowhere else in the world. Thornbills, treecreepers, flame robins, wrens and honeyeaters, as well as good old magpies, currawongs, rosellas, kangaroos and wallabies call Mount Canobolas home. Threatened and endangered species like the antechinus marsupial mouse and silver-leaf candlebark can also be found in the area. When the sun goes down, grab your torch to spot the many possums and wombats, all the while being serenaded by the southern boobook owl.
- Snowgum walking track Snowgum walking track is short and easy, it starts from the summit of Mount Canobolas or from Federal Falls campground. It’s a great way to work up a hunger for a barbecue lunch.
- Spring Glade walking track Spring Glade walking track provides easy access to the summit of Mount Canobolas via a pleasant easy walk through grassy woodland, offering birdwatching and picnic opportunities.
Ancient connections
Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area incorporates the traditional land of the Wiradjuri People. The name Canobolas comes from the Wiradjuri words Gaahna Bulla meaning two shoulders, referring to the two main peaks, Old Man Canobolas and Young Man Canobolas. The area has a strong Aboriginal connection as an important place for male initiation ceremonies and stone tool making, as well as being a rich source of food and medicines. Find out more about this area's Aboriginal heritage at Federal Falls campground.
- Summit lookout Summit lookout in Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area is the highest peak in central-west NSW and offers stunning views. Just 18km from Orange and easy to get to, it’s ideal for a quick trip.
Outstanding landscapes
Now extinct and with a violent past, Mount Canobolas was an active and aggressive volcano responsible for creating the landscape between 11 and 13 million years ago. The result? Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area boasts vents, dykes, peaks and plugs which all can be seen here and the large rocky outcrops are home to rare lichens, towering basalt cliff lines and impressive waterfalls. The high altitude, cool climate and moist environment make this fertile ground for more than 300 plant species in the region. Large areas of snow gum subalpine woodland, grassy woodland and rocky outcrops covered with a variety of mosses and lichens make this a great place to visit. It’s hard to say what is most beautiful here, but certainly the heaths in spring which burst with purple, white, yellow and red flowers are a sight to behold.
- Mount Towac walking track This short walk will take you to Towac Peak where you can enjoy panoramic views of Mount Canobolas State Conservation Area and the scenic countryside of Orange.
Rising from the ashes
Mount Canobolas is recovering strongly from devastating fires that burned nearly 70% of the state conservation area in 2018. NPWS staff is working with the Orange Field Naturalist and Conservation Society to monitor, audit, and survey plant vegetation communities, insect and animal species, and Aboriginal sites. The park’s after-fire monitoring and conservation program has increased the number of known plant and animal species in the park, including discovery of 2 new ground orchid species new to science and rediscovery of 2 orchids unseen for over 20 years. As animals return, trees sprout new growth and plants come back there’s hope for the recovery of our native plants and animals.
Plants and animals protected in this park
Animals
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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.
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Common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus)
Commonly found in forests, woodlands and leafy gardens across eastern NSW, the Australian ringtail possum is a tree-dwelling marsupial. With a powerful tail perfectly adapted to grasp objects, it forages in trees for eucalypt leaves, flowers and fruit.