Plateau Beech campground
Werrikimbe National Park
Overview
Set among World Heritage-listed Gondwana rainforest, the peaceful Plateau Beech campground offers great picnicking, walking, nearby waterfalls and birdwatching to enjoy.
| Camping type | Tent, Don't mind a short walk to tent |
|---|---|
| Facilities | Picnic tables, 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 |
|
Looking for a campsite or a place to picnic that’s set among beautiful scenery and provides a place of solitude away from the crowds? Then get off the beaten track and surround yourself with World Heritage-listed Gondwana rainforest at Plateau Beech campground.
Find a spot to pitch your tent anywhere in soft grassy patches dotted with wildflowers. Sit back, relax and enjoy the peacefulness of this secluded campground.
Take an easy 2km walk along King Fern walking track to see King Fern Falls and Filmy Ferns Cascades. This classic walk ventures into a deep, rainforest-clad mountain gully and is a great introduction to the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. Marvel at the giant Antarctic beech and ancient coachwood trees.
The rainforest provides lots of opportunities for birdwatching. You’re likely to see log-runners, warblers and yellow robins. Listen out for the powerful and melodious whistling ‘eeoow-chewww-cho-cho’ call of the olive whistler.
Take a virtual tour of Plateau Beech campground captured with Google Street View Trekker.
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/plateau-beech-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
- Port Macquarie office
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm.
- 02 6588 5555 for general enquiries only, no bookings.
- npws.hastingsmacleay@environment.nsw.gov.au
- 22 Blackbutt Road, Port Macquarie NSW 2444
Park info
- in Werrikimbe National Park in the North Coast and Country NSW regions
Werrikimbe 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 Plateau Beech campground.
Getting there and parking
Plateau Beech campground is in the eastern precinct of the park, and is best accessed via Wauchope or Port Macquarie. On entering Werrikimbe National Park:
- Continue driving on Hastings Forest Way for 8km to the junction with Cockerawombeeba Road (Cocky Road).
- Turn into Cockerawombeeba Road and continue for about 11km to the turnoff to Plateau Beech.
- Follow for approximately 2.8km to Plateau Beech campground.
Please be aware that access to Werrikimbe National Park is on roads managed by different land holders. Road conditions in these locations may not be suitable for 2WD vehicles.
Road quality
Roads in this location are remote with limited mobile coverage and subject to rapidly changing weather conditions.
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles (no long vehicle access)
Weather restrictions
- Dry weather only
- 4WD required in wet weather
Parking
Parking is available at Plateau Beech campground.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Werrikimbe National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Bathe in warm days and huddle around the campfire on cool nights at one of the remote campgrounds.
Spring
See the bushland burst with colour as the spring wildflowers attract a range of birds.
Summer
Escape the crowds and the coastal heat and enjoy walking in cool temperate rainforest.
Winter
Experience crystal clear days and crisp early morning frosts. Listen out for the night-time territorial calls of large forest owls from your tent.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
16°C and 29°C
Highest recorded
42.2°C
Winter temperature
Average
5°C and 20°C
Lowest recorded
-5.1°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
February
Driest month
July
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
706.8mm
Facilities
- Water is not available at this campground.
- Firewood is not provided and should not be collected from the park.
Toilets
- Non-flush toilets
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
- Wood barbecues (bring your own firewood)
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - hard
Wheelchairs can access this area with some difficulty.
Prohibited
Generators
Generators are not permitted in this campground.
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
Plateau Beech campground is in Werrikimbe National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Abundant landscapes
You'll find three different rainforest types; cool temperate, warm temperate and subtropical. The park also contains significant endangered ecological communities, like at Bishops Swamp and Racecourse Swamp. Head to Mooraback campground to see the snow gum woodland that is slowly regenerating from over 100 years of grazing.
Thousands of species
There are close to 1,000 plant species found in Werrikimbe, including nearly 30 that are listed as rare or threatened. The diverse landscapes of Werrikimbe are home to a wide range of wildlife including around 52 species of mammals, over 120 bird species and 48 species of reptiles and amphibians. You'll see bandicoots, eastern grey kangaroos and wallabies including the rare parma wallaby, sometimes seen around Brushy Mountain. You'll also find a range of forest birds such as eastern yellow robins, scarlet robins, grey and rufous fantails. If you're lucky, you might spot rare species such as the olive whistler, rufous scrub-bird and sooty owl.
- King Fern walking track King Fern walking track in Werrikimbe National Park near Wauchope is a great introduction to World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests. A 2km loop, it also offers waterfalls and vibrant birdlife.
Traditional lands of the Dungutti People
When you're exploring the beautiful mountains, rivers and bushlands of Werrikimbe National Park, you're on the traditional lands of the Dungutti Aboriginal People. Aboriginal groups continue to have an active role in the management of the park. There are a number of important sites in the park that show that Dungutti people are the original inhabitants of this land, including several stone arrangements and surface deposits of stone artefacts.
World Heritage wonder
The rainforests in Werrikimbe National Park are part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area; the most extensive strip of diverse rainforest anywhere on earth. This World Heritage Area is a direct window into the past and the future, providing a link to the ancient pre-human world and an irreplaceable record of life on our planet. Explore the rainforest on one of the park's many walking tracks, like King Fern walking track from Plateau Beech campground. Discover ancient Antarctic beech trees and listen for the lyrebird whose mimicking calls ring out through the rainforest.
- Carabeen walk Discover World Heritage Gondwana Rainforest on Carabeen walk, in Werrikimbe National Park. This short, family-friendly walk loops past majestic yellow carabeen trees, near Walcha.
- King Fern walking track King Fern walking track in Werrikimbe National Park near Wauchope is a great introduction to World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests. A 2km loop, it also offers waterfalls and vibrant birdlife.
- Platypus Pool walking track Don’t miss Platypus Pool walking track when you’re staying at Mooraback campground in Werrikimbe National Park, near Walcha. You might spot a shy platypus as you walk alongside the Hastings River.