Washpools picnic area and viewing platform
Towarri National Park
Overview
Set beside the tranquil Middle Brook, Washpools picnic area and nearby scenic lookout are ideal for spending a relaxing day of swimming and barbecues with friends and family.
- Type
- Picnic areas
- Where
- Towarri National Park in Country NSW
- Accessibility
- Medium
- What to
bring - Hat, sunscreen, drinking water
- Please note
- There is limited mobile reception in this park.
- Check the weather before you set out as the road to Washpools picnic area and viewing platform has a creek crossing which may become impassable when it rains.
Washpools picnic area and viewing platform are set within river oak forest and box woodland beside the tranquil Middle Brook. Come and enjoy a relaxing barbecue lunch and take in the scenic views across the Upper Hunter. Bring your binoculars and keep an eye out for the park’s various birds. When you see a red flash flying through the bushland, is it a king parrot or a crimson rosella?
After lunch, go for an easy walk along the banks of Middle Brook to Washpools waterhole. The kookaburras may start laughing when you strip down for a swim, but don’t shy away. This natural waterhole is a lovely way to cool down. If you stay overnight at Washpools campground, visit the picnic area very early in the day, or leave late and you may see grazing wallabies, kangaroos, or even a wombat.
Nearby
-
Washpools waterhole
Only 500m along Middle Brook from Washpools picnic area and viewing platform is the shallow, naturally formed Washpools waterhole — great for a dip on a hot day.
-
Range View track
Take a short, steep hike up Range View track in Towarri National Park, near Scone. You’ll journey past woodlands, caves and towering sandstone walls to the top of an outcrop with impressive views of the Liverpool Range.
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Washpools campground
Washpools campground is the place to enjoy a relaxing stay and refreshing dip in Towarri National Park. Situated beside Middle Brook, it’s easily accessed from Middlebrook Road.
Map
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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/washpools-picnic-area-and-viewing-platform/local-alerts
General enquiries
- 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
Park info
- in Towarri National Park in the Country NSW region
Towarri 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 the Washpools picnic area and viewing platform.
Getting there and parking
From Scone:
- From the town centre, drive west on Liverpool Street for 1.5km.
- Turn right at the roundabout onto Middlebrook Road
- Follow Middlebrook for 20.5km until you reach the picnic area entry on your right. Please note: this drive includes 2km of unsealed road.
From the New England Highway:
- Turn west on to Cressfield Road off the New England Highway 12.5km north from Scone
- Drive for 7km then turn right on to Middlebrook Road at the intersection.
- Follow Middlebrook for 4.5km until you reach the picnic area entry on your right. Please note: this drive includes 2km of unsealed road.
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
There's a gravel carpark at Washpools picnic area and viewing platform.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Towarri National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
After the wind down from the hotter months, the temperatures at Washpool are delightful and a great time to visit the park.
Spring
Wildflowers emerge in spring and that gets the birds and bees excited too.
Summer
These hot months are a great time for swimming in Middle Brook and Washpools waterhole.
Winter
Wood fires are allowed in the park during winter, so it's an ideal time to come camping. Pack your billy and your thermals.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
16°C and 30°C
Highest recorded
40.6°C
Winter temperature
Average
2.5°C and 14.5°C
Lowest recorded
-6.5°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
January
Driest month
April
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
227.3mm
Facilities
Toilets
- Non-flush toilets
Picnic tables
There are 5 picnic tables and a barbecue shelter at the picnic area, set on concrete slabs and surrounded by grass.
Barbecue facilities
- Gas/electric barbecues (free)
Carpark
Step-free access
There is step-free access around this picnic area, but no formal pathways. You'll need to cross over a flat, grassy area to reach the picnic area facilities.
Seats and resting points
There are 3 benches with backrests at the picnic area.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - medium
- There is step-free access around the picnic area, but no formal pathways. You'll need to cross over a flat, grassy area to reach the facilities.
- There's an accessible toilet
- There are accessible picnic tables that are set on concrete slabs and surrounded by grass.
- There are benches with backrests.
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.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Learn more
Washpools picnic area and viewing platform is in Towarri National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Fabulous flowers and creatures of flight
Towarri is inhabited by a range of birds and animals, many with a particularly distinctive call, appearance or ability that appears in their name. The powerful owl is as strong as it sounds, hunting and feeding on medium-sized mammals and marsupials including gliders, possums and wallabies. The glossy-black cockatoo is as self-explanatory as the red-tailed and yellow-tailed black cockatoos. The greater glider spreads itself out like a sheet of paper to change trees. The Liverpool Range sees the blending of many plant species. Towarri National Park is home to about 650 species. From the cassuarina forests along the creeklines to the majestic snow gum on the ridgeline, that are capped with snow on occasion. The miltant grass trees stand on the hills amongst the serene poa grasslands. The gully lines off the falls of sandstone play host to dry rainforest pockets providing habitat to many fauna species. The unique area is a floristic wonderland with many species at the edge of the range.
- Range View track Take a short, steep hike up Range View track in Towarri National Park, near Scone. You’ll journey past woodlands, caves and towering sandstone walls to the top of an outcrop with impressive views of the Liverpool Range.
Snow gums and spinifex
Three distinct bioregions meet in Towarri: the Sydney Basin, the Brigalow Belt South and North Coast. This means that the soil type, fertility and depth differ throughout the park. Throw in a variation in rainfall, elevation and geological features and the result is a mosaic of plant communities. Snow gums decorate the skyline above a snowgrass understorey on the high plateau areas of Mount Tinagroo and Bald Hill.
- Range View track Take a short, steep hike up Range View track in Towarri National Park, near Scone. You’ll journey past woodlands, caves and towering sandstone walls to the top of an outcrop with impressive views of the Liverpool Range.
The first people
The Wonnarua People (also spelt Wanaruah) were the first inhabitants of the Upper Hunter Valley. Their name means ‘people of the hills and plains’, describing their traditional lands from Merriwa in the west, Barrington Tops to the east, the sandstone escarpment at Wollombi to the south and the Liverpool Range mountains to the north. Towarri means ‘warrior’ in the Wonnarua language, whose people fought hard for their land after European settlement. There is an array of artefacts including stone flakes, scarred trees and hearths in the park and surrounds, demonstrating long cultural use and occupational of the area by the Traditional Custodians.