Raspberry lookout

Gibraltar Range National Park

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Overview

This well-positioned lookout has been used for centuries, and offers tremendous views over the Bindery-Mann wilderness, with birdwatching and picnic opportunities close by.

Type
Lookouts
Where
Gibraltar Range National Park in North Coast, Country NSW
Accessibility
Easy
Entry fees
Park entry fees apply
What to
bring
Hat, sunscreen, drinking water
Please note
  • The weather in this area can be extreme and unpredictable and the park is in a remote area; please ensure you are well prepared for your visit and advise a friend or family member of your plans.
  • Remember to take your binoculars if you want to bird watch.

Named after a spur used by Aboriginals and stockmen in their descent to Mann River, this lookout offers a spectacular survey point for the entire Bindery-Mann Wilderness Area. You can see the challenging slopes and ridges once traversed by early graziers and miners. Sometimes mist rolls in, creating a dazzling scene of ghostly hollows and quiet rainforest down below.

This is a terrific spot for birdwatching: you might even glimpse a wedge-tailed eagle soaring on updrafts created by coastal sea breezes as they push onto the tablelands. Eastern whip birds with their distinctive whip-crack call can also be heard, though watch out for lyrebirds with their unrivalled knack for mimicry.

Bring a picnic lunch and take advantage of the nearby tables, setting down to enjoy the view and the blooming guinea flowers. Whilst early morning and dusk sees wallabies feeding along the road to the lookout.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Map


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Current alerts in this area

There are no current alerts in this area.

Local alerts

For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/lookouts/raspberry-lookout/local-alerts

General enquiries

Park info

See more visitor info

Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about Raspberry lookout.

Getting there and parking

Raspberry lookout is in the Gibraltar Range National Park. To get there:

  • From Glen Innes, drive 60km east towards Grafton along the Gwydir Highway.
  • From Grafton, drive 100km west towards Glen Innes along the Gwydir Highway.
  • The lookout is a short distance along a sealed road just off the main thoroughfare and well signposted

Road quality

  • Sealed roads

Vehicle access

  • 2WD vehicles

Weather restrictions

  • All weather

Parking

Parking is available in a small gravel carpark at Raspberry lookout including 2 accessible parking spaces.

Best times to visit

There are lots of great things waiting for you in Gibraltar Range National Park. Here are some of the highlights.

Spring

The most popular time of the year to visit, spring sees the park erupt into a vibrant display of wildflowers, including the Gibraltar waratah.

Summer

Take in an early morning bushwalk before the day heats up, then cool down in one of the many waterways, like the Little Dandahra Creek.

Winter

It can be below freezing at night, but the daytime temperatures make this the best time of the year to take in some of the longer treks like the Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage walk.

Weather, temperature and rainfall

Summer temperature

Average

13°C and 24.1°C

Highest recorded

35°C

Winter temperature

Average

1°C and 13.2°C

Lowest recorded

-8.9°C

Rainfall

Wettest month

January

Driest month

August

The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day

258.4mm

Facilities

You are encouraged to bring gas or fuel stoves, especially in summer during the fire season.

Toilets

  • Non-flush toilets

Picnic tables

Carpark

Step-free access

The lookout is located on an outcrop on the end of Raspberry Lookout Road. The entire area is step-free:

  • The road and area leading up to the lookout is bitumen
  • The lookout platform is paved
  • Step-free outdoor pathways

Seats and resting points

There is a bench with a backrest at the lookout.

Maps and downloads

Safety messages

Bushwalking safety

If you're keen to head out on a longer walk or a backpack camp, always be prepared. Read these bushwalking safety tips before you set off on a walking adventure in national parks.

  • If you’re bushwalking in this park, it’s a good idea to bring a topographic map and compass, or a GPS.
  • The walking opportunities in this park are suitable for experienced bushwalkers who are comfortable undertaking self-reliant hiking.

Mobile safety

Dial Triple Zero (000) in an emergency. Download the Emergency Plus app before you visit, it helps emergency services locate you using your smartphone's GPS. Please note there is limited mobile phone reception in this park and you’ll need mobile reception to call Triple Zero (000).

Accessibility

Disability access level - easy

Raspberry lookout is flat and step-free:

  • The road and area leading up to the lookout is bitumen
  • The lookout platform is paved

There's an accessible toilet 50m north of the lookout that you can reach along a bitumen pathway that leads from the main lookout carpark. There's an informal gravel carpark closer to the toilet, but there's no wheelchair access from this informal carpark to the toilet block.

There is a bench with a backrest at the lookout for resting and 2 accessible parking spaces in the main carpark.

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

Raspberry lookout is in Gibraltar Range National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:

    Lands of plenty

    Mulligans Hut, Gibraltar Range National Park. Photo: Rob Cleary

    The European heritage of the park may be shorter, but look around and you'll find its traces clearly etched in the natural environment. Living around the range are direct descendants of graziers, lumberers and miners who made their livings here. Bullock teams and horses once struggled through the bush and granite tors, attempting to tame a landscape that today inspires for its wild ruggedness. Evidence of their work can be glimpsed at Mulligans campground and picnic area, where an aborted hydro-electric scheme from the 1900s is memoralised by a remaining hut and several weirs. Hikers on the wide-reaching Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage walk might also notice relics of pre-WWII tin and gold-mining operations in the Grassy Creek area.

    • Dandahra Crags walking track Dandahra Crags walking track, in Gibraltar Range National Park, is a hiking route with scenic views and birdwatching opportunities.
    • Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage walk Keep an eye out for birds and wildflowers on the 45km Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage walk through eucalypt forests, rainforests, wetlands and granite tors in the rugged Northern Tablelands.

    World Heritage Area

    A couple looking out over the mountain range, Gibraltar Range National Park. Photo: Rob Cleary

    Part of the Gondwana Rainforests Reserves of Australia, Gibraltar Range is listed on the World Heritage register for rainforest plants that have existed since Australia was part of the Gondwana super-continent. Gibraltar Range National Park is home to several threatened species of animal: the endangered giant barred frog, which can grow to the size of a small adult's hand; and glossy black cockatoos, under threat from a loss of breeding habitat. Feeding locations are very important to the continuing survival of the cockatoo.

    • Dandahra Falls walking track Suitable for fit and experienced bushwalkers only, Dandahra Falls walking track in Gibraltar Range National Park offers impressive waterfall views in stunning World Heritage surrounds.
    • Duffer Falls walking track Within easy reach of Glen Innes or Grafton and ideal for a day trip, Duffer Falls walking track offers waterfall views in the beautiful forest setting of Gibraltar Range National Park.
    • Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage walk Keep an eye out for birds and wildflowers on the 45km Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage walk through eucalypt forests, rainforests, wetlands and granite tors in the rugged Northern Tablelands.
    • Junction Spur walking track For experienced bushwalkers only, Junction Spur walking track in Gibraltar Range National Park will suit adventure seekers who want to get off the beaten track and explore the tablelands.
    • The Needles walking track The Needles walking track offers jaw-dropping views of granite rock formations in Gibraltar Range National Park, near Glen Innes. Part of the Gibraltar-Washpool World Heritage walk, it’s a great shorter walk option.
    • Tree Fern Forest walking track Tree Fern Forest walking track is an iconic 9.2km loop walk through World Heritage-listed rainforest and dramatic heathlands in Gibraltar Range National Park, between Glen Innes and Grafton.
    Show more

    Years in the making

    Little Dandahra Creek, Gilbraltar Range National Park. Photo: Rob Cleary

    Long stewarded through history by Aboriginal people in the area, the Gibraltar Range continues to hold significance for contemporary descendants. The Range is rich in cultural sites and sacred places, with Aboriginal groups having moved regularly between the tablelands and coastal plains, conducting ceremonies and gathering food along the way.

    • Dandahra Crags walking track Dandahra Crags walking track, in Gibraltar Range National Park, is a hiking route with scenic views and birdwatching opportunities.

    Education resources (1)