Cliff Face track

Woko National Park

Open, check current alerts 

Overview

Cliff Face track provides a challenging walk through the best of Woko National Park, with dramatic scenic views towards the escarpment above.

Distance
3km loop
Time suggested
1 - 2hrs
Grade
Grade 4
Trip Intention Form

It's a good idea to let someone know where you're going. Fill in a trip intention form to send important details about your trip to your emergency contact.

What to
bring
Drinking water, cooking water, hat, sunscreen
Please note
  • Remember to take your binoculars if you want to birdwatch
  • There is no mobile phone reception in this park
  • Remember to apply insect repellent before you start, particularly in warmer months and wet spells throughout the year.

Adventurous travellers visiting Woko National Park won’t want to go past this challenging alternative to Brush Turkey track, which it branches off from shortly after the trailhead. A steep 4km circuit, Cliff Face track threads through dry rainforest and pockets of subtropical rainforest, finishing up in dry sclerophyll woodlands. What makes it a really special day walk, however, is what you see along the way: climbing higher, you’re afforded scenic views of the cliff face above; rocky outcroppings are extensions of a striking escarpment.

Be sure to bring your camera as cliffs like these provide precious habitat for the threatened peregrine falcon. You might even be lucky enough to glimpse a wedge-tailed eagle cycling across the sky. Birdwatching opportunities are superb.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Map


Map legend

Map legend

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/walking-tracks/cliff-face-track/local-alerts

General enquiries

Park info

  • in Woko National Park in the North Coast region
  • Woko National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.

See more visitor info

Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about Cliff Face track.

Track grading

Features of this track

Distance

3km loop

Time

1 - 2hrs

Quality of markings

Clearly sign posted

Experience required

Some bushwalking experience recommended

Gradient

Flat

Steps

Many steps

Quality of path

Rough track, many obstacles

Getting there and parking

On entering Woko National Park from the direction of Gloucester, turn left into the campground.

Road quality

Check the weather before you set out as the road to Woko campground can become boggy when it rains

Parking

Parking is available at Woko campground. It can be a busy place on the weekend, so parking might be limited.

Best times to visit

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

Spring

Walk along Brush Turkey track, keeping an eye out for brush turkeys and lyrebirds scratching in the undergrowth.

Summer

Escape from the summer heat by taking advantage of Manning River for a refreshing dip, or float along the current on an air mattress.

Weather, temperature and rainfall

Summer temperature

Average

16.8°C and 25.9°C

Highest recorded

26.6°C

Winter temperature

Average

20.1°C and 14.4°C

Lowest recorded

6.2°C

Rainfall

Wettest month

February

Driest month

July

The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day

666.2mm

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.

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).

Water activities

The aquatic environment around rivers, lakes and lagoons can be unpredictable. If you're visiting these areas, take note of these river and lake safety tips.

  • Strong currents may be present in Manning River, so take care in the water and please supervise children at all times.

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

Cliff Face track is in Woko National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:

Rare animals

Myrtle scrub, Woko National Park. Photo: John Spencer

Woko National Park contains a number of threatened or endangered species, including the brush-tailed rock wallaby, masked owl, and wompoo pigeon. This is, in fact, prime territory for birdwatching, with lyrebirds, brush turkeys, and wedge-tailed eagles regularly spotted in the park. Largely, this is due to the variety of environments encompassed by Woko: the grey fantail, for example, favours the mid-layer of the forest, while the willy wagtail enjoys the openness of the forest edge and spaces created by cattle clearing.

  • Brush Turkey track A short but sweet bushwalk, Brush Turkey track begins and ends at Woko campground and gives the hiker an insight into the progressive growth of a dry rainforest.
  • Cliff Face track Cliff Face track provides a challenging walk through the best of Woko National Park, with dramatic scenic views towards the escarpment above.

Rich Aboriginal culture

Maxwells Flat, Woko National Park. Photo: John Spencer

The Biripi people of the Manning Valley were the first to inhabit this area, with several open campsites having been recorded along the ridgelines and peaks of the park. Indeed, 'Woko' is thought to be a local Aboriginal name for the boobook owl. Aboriginal culture engages with the land, waterways, plants and animals of a specific place; the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service works with local Aboriginal communities to protect this heritage for future generations.

Significant forest

Myrtle scrub, Woko National Park. Photo: John Spencer

Woko conserves 8598 hectares of regionally significant forest communities, including part of one of the most extensive areas of dry rainforest in NSW. The steep hills in the park are occupied by a variety of plants and forest types, from dry sclerophyll forest to subtropical rainforest and eucalypt zones. This makes a walk here particularly fascinating, as you traverse different regions and watch the landscape transform before your very eyes.

  • Brush Turkey track A short but sweet bushwalk, Brush Turkey track begins and ends at Woko campground and gives the hiker an insight into the progressive growth of a dry rainforest.
  • Cliff Face track Cliff Face track provides a challenging walk through the best of Woko National Park, with dramatic scenic views towards the escarpment above.

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