Darling River drive
Toorale National Park
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Darling River drive.
Getting there and parking
Darling River drive is in Toorale National Park. To get there:
From Bourke:
- Travel 10.5km north from Bourke on Hungerford Road
- Continue for 21.5km and turn left at the sign to Louth, onto unsealed Toorale Road (Rural Local Road 10).
- Drive for 38km and, after crossing a stock grid, you’ll see a Toorale entrance sign. 1km from the park entrance, turn left onto Darling River Drive.
From Louth:
- Cross the bridge over Darling River and travel 52km on unsealed Toorale Road (Rural Local Road 10) through the park entrance, and then turn right onto Darling River Drive.
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- All roads require 4WD vehicle
Parking
Parking is available along Darling River drive, as well as at the Darling River campgrounds.
Best times to visit
You may experience a great range of temperatures on any day in the park. In summer it's generally hot in the daytime and temperatures often exceed 30C. In contrast, winter can be very cold and the temperature drops below freezing at night. Rainfall is also highly variable, ranging from drought to prolonged wet periods. Less rain falls on the western side of the park than on the eastern side. It rains most from December to February and the annual average rainfall is 720mm. Thunderstorms are common in mid to late summer.
Spring
During early spring wildflowers are in bloom, including a huge variety of golden wattle flowers With a more moderate climate, spring is a great time to get out and camp under the stars .
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
15°C and 30°C
Highest recorded
42.6°C
Winter temperature
Average
0°C and 15°C
Lowest recorded
-9°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
January
Driest month
September
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
176.3mm
Facilities
You’re encouraged to bring gas or fuel stoves, especially in summer during the fire season.
Maps and downloads
Permitted
Fishing
A current NSW recreational fishing licence is required when fishing in all waters.
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.
If you're travelling through a national park or reserve on a public road you can have pets inside your vehicle. However, you must keep them inside your vehicle while driving through national parks or reserves. You must also comply with any conditions in the park’s plan of management, and you cannot stop to visit the park or use park facilities (unless for safety reasons, or to use publicly accessible toilets).
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Operated by
- Bourke office
- Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.30pm.
- 02 6830 0200
- npws.bourke@environment.nsw.gov.au
- 51-53 Oxley Street, Bourke NSW 2840
Park info
- in Toorale National Park in the Outback NSW region
Toorale National Park and SCA is always open, but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.