Highlights: The area was part of the Ophir goldfields and was first mined in 1851 — one of the earliest gold strikes in Australia. Casuarina forests line the riverbanks, interspersed with red stringy bark, white box, red iron bark and bundy box. Swamp wallabies and eastern grey kangaroos are common and spotted-tailed quolls have been sighted in the area.

Activities: Access to some areas of the reserve is not easy and there are no facilities. However, you can spend the day exploring mining ruins along Summerhill Creek, where you might see a platypus or eastern water dragon, or following Dry Creek firetrail. Camping is not allowed.

Access: 24 km north-east of Orange via the Ophir Road (take Millers Crossing and turn east for the last 2 km). Access is via a train on Crown Land and requires crossing Lewis Ponds Creek. There's limited space for vehicles to turn around after the creek crossing. Pedestrian access only beyond this point.