Dandahra picnic area

Gibraltar Range National Park

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Overview

Between Grafton and Glen Innes, Dandahra picnic area in Gibraltar Range National Park is a great rest stop offering walking and birdwatching.

Type
Picnic areas
Accessibility
Easy
Entry fees
Park entry fees apply
What to
bring
Drinking water

Situated right on the doorstep of iconic Gibraltar Range and Washpool World Heritage Area, Dandahra picnic area is a perfect pit stop on a driving tour of NSW North Coast. Located halfway between Glen Innes and Grafton, right next to Gwydir Highway, it’s also a convenient spot for nature-lovers and bushwalkers keen to explore the lush rainforests protected in this region.

Unpack a picnic at the picnic tables, or spark up a barbecue and enjoy a leisurely lunch in this scenic bushland setting. There’s lovely scenic views and interesting local native wildlife to watch while you eat. If you’re keen to step out, try Little Dandahra Creek walking track.

If you like birdwatching, keep an eye out for the glossy black cockatoos that call this area home. You might even hear the call of the endangered giant barred frog.

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/picnic-areas/dandahra-picnic-area/local-alerts

General enquiries

Park info

See more visitor info

Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about the Dandahra picnic area.

Getting there and parking

Dandahra picnic area is in the Dandahra precinct of Gibraltar Range National Park. To get there:

  • From Glen Innes, travel 68km east along Gwydir Highway.
  • From Grafton, travel 92km west along Gwydir Highway.

Road quality

  • Sealed roads

Vehicle access

  • 2WD vehicles

Weather restrictions

  • All weather

Parking

Parking is available in bitumen carparks at Dandahra picnic area.

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

Toilets

There is an amenities block at the picnic area with flush toilets, including an accessible toilet.

  • Flush toilets

Picnic tables

Barbecue facilities

  • Wood barbecues (bring your own firewood)

Carpark

Public phone

Step-free access

There is step-free access around the picnic area along gravel pathways that lead from the carpark to the toilet facilities and also to some of the picnic tables.

At one of the carparks, there are 4 steps with a handrail but there's alternate ramp access to get to the picnic area.

  • Step-free outdoor pathways

Seats and resting points

There are 2 platform-style benches without backrests near the display shelter.

Maps and downloads

Safety messages

Fire safety

During periods of fire weather, the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service may declare a total fire ban for particular NSW fire areas, or statewide. Learn more about total fire bans and fire safety.

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

Dandahra picnic area is flat and mostly step-free with:

  • Gravel pathways that lead from the carpark to the toilet facilities and also to some of the picnic tables
  • An accessible amenities block with an accessible toilet
  • Platform-style benches for resting near the display shelter.

Some of the picnic tables are not set along the gravel pathway - you'll need to cross over flat grass to reach them.

Prohibited

Gathering firewood

Firewood may not be collected from the park.

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

Dandahra picnic area 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.
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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.

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