Walking Tracks

There are two things that are important to understand if you want to visit the forest and safely walk the tracks listed here. Firstly, the majority of the forest is a Conservation area, not a National Park. Accordingly it is not maintained for recreational use by NPWS. Despite its proximity to a major regional city it is relatively isolated, there are no facilities, internet coverage is poor and if you experience difficulties you are likely to be faced with a long walk and reliant on the goodwill of locals or strangers to get help. Secondly, there are no features or destinations in the forest, no majestic views, cascading waterfalls, interesting rock formations, sculpture parks or historical homesteads. There are pleasures to be experienced in the forest but they are subtle. It is the natural world at its most basic and the closest thing to wilderness in the area.

To safely walk the tracks listed you should heed the following as you should for any bushwalk;

• Take a map - the map/s provided on this site should suffice.
• Wear sturdy walking shoes and a hat. 
• Tell somebody where you are planning to go.
• Take ample water, 1 litre/hr in summer and carry extra water in your car.

Contrary to what we tell our UK and US visitors, the Australian bush is not full of dangerous and poisonous animals. You have more chance of encountering these in suburban Dubbo than in the forest. You may come across an animal such as a snake or pig that feels threatened enough to challenge you. Slowly back away to reduce the risk of interaction. Always watch where you put your feet and be particularly aware near water where these animals tend to be found. The worst experience I have had was when I stood on an ants nest for too long, inconvenient but hardly life threatening. Don’t go lifting up logs or metal objects to see what is underneath and don’t poke sticks down holes. It’s not rocket science.

Please note that throughout this site I make a distinction between trails and tracks. Trails that are mentioned are sign posted NPWS fire trails. You are allowed to drive on these trails subject to conditions. Please check the NPWS web page before travelling on these trails to confirm they are open. Trails are maintained by NPWS for access to private properties and use in case of bushfires. Quality of these trails varies according to expected use and conditions, the most reliably accessible trails are those required for access to private properties such as Western Boundary Rd, Garlings trail etc. Tracks that are listed here are primarily old logging roads and paths maintained by trail bike riders. You are not permitted to drive on these tracks, they are not maintained and mostly in a poor condition with fallen trees and often in an advanced state of being reclaimed by the forest. The naming of the tracks listed is purely my own invention.

One of my primary reasons for providing this website is to encourage people to experience and appreciate this valuable environment and to provide some guide as to how to safely do so. If you do take up this opportunity, your feedback and comments would be most appreciated and useful via the “contact “ link on this site.