The Ultimate Guide to the best of Coolah Tops National Park - Watch before you go!

Planning a trip to Coolah Tops National Park? This is a must-watch guide showing you the best experiences most visitors can realistically reach, even in a 2WD, helping you plan smarter and make the most of your time in the park. From historic huts and waterfalls to dramatic lookouts, short walks, and camping areas, we focus on what’s genuinely worth prioritising. In this video, we showcase the highlights of Coolah Tops, including historic huts such as Bracken’s Hut, Joe’s Hut, and the Cattlemen’s Hut, along with waterfalls including Norfolk Falls, Cox’s Creek Falls, Bald Hills Creek Falls, and Talbragar Falls. Sadly, on our visit, none of the falls were flowing particularly weel as it was so dry. We also visit standout lookouts like Bundella Lookout, the Pinnacles, and Breeza Lookout, walk the Giant Grass Trees Walk and Giant Snow Gums Walk, and explore historic relics from the park’s logging and grazing past — including the impressive Cox’s Creek Sawmill Ruins, home to one of the largest boilers we’ve ever seen. We spend two nights at the Pines Campground, sharing simple, practical camp cooking ideas that anyone can replicate. On the first night, we cook a half leg of lamb in a camp oven, showing just how easy it is to produce a proper camp meal with minimal effort using a camp oven. On the second night, we keep things simple with a quick and tasty one-pot meal, perfect for an easy night around camp. At the time of filming, camping in the park was free, with the exception of a small booking fee. You can also book Bracken’s Hut to stay overnight, which is a great option if you want solid shelter — just remember to bring a padlock so you can secure the door while you’re out exploring and away from your gear. We visited over the January long weekend, with hot daytime temperatures and pleasant overnight lows around 15°C, making camping comfortable once the sun went down. Keep in mind that parts of the park are closed during winter, so seasonal access is something to factor into your planning. Access & road conditions: The majority of access roads within the park are suitable for 2WD vehicles in dry conditions. After turning off Coolah Creek Road onto State Forest Road, the initial climb through the hills is sealed and in excellent condition. Once you reach the top, the road transitions back to unsealed dirt roads, with surface quality varying across sections. The fire trail out to and beyond Talbragar Falls is 4WD only, and conditions can change quickly after rain — always check weather forecasts and local conditions before heading in. Coolah Tops National Park is around 5 hours’ drive from Penrith, and you can pick up final fuel, food, and supplies in Coolah before heading out to the park. We met a couple of other YouTubers at the Pines campground, thanks for the chats. Checkout their channels here... TRACKS WE EXPLORE:    / @tracksweexplore   SCOTT ROY GBIV:    / @scottroygbiv   (And no, you cannot park your vehicle next to Bracken's Hut like we show in the thumbnail) A map showing where we start this trek: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rbFf1A5sLLu6v... If you would like to read more about this weekend 4WD escape and see the route map, you can click here: https://bit.ly/3ZGeyt1 Don’t forget to like, subscribe and hit the bell to follow more of our adventures. You can find more trips, guides, and resources on our website: https://www.roaming-oz.com If you’d like to support the channel, you can buy us a coffee here: https://buymeacoffee.com/roaming.oz.a... INDEX 00:00 Introduction & the drive in 03:44 Arriving at the National Park and heading to camp 04:48 Arriving at the Pines Campground 05:10 Getting the leg of lamb on in the camp oven and setting up camp 09:00 A wander around camp while the leg of lamb cooks 09:55 The leg of lamb is done - Dinner time! 11:11 After dinner discussion of the day ahead plans 12:10 Breakfast and the day ahead 14:10 Bracken's Hut 15:21 Joe's Hut 17:04 Bald Hills Picnic area & Bald Hills Falls 19:03 Norfolk Falls Picnic Area & Norfolk Falls 20:51 Cox's Creek Campground & Cox's Creek Falls 22:24 The Giant Grass Tree Walk 23:40 Cox's Creek Sawmill Ruins 24:50 Barracks Campground and lunchtime 26:03 Bundella Picnic Ground and Lookout 28:28 Talbragar Falls Picnic Ground and Talbragar Falls 33:23 Giant Snow Gum Walk 34:22 Cattlemans Huts & Gemini Loop Drive 36:14 Breeza Picnic Ground & Breeza Lookout 37:30 Night 2 dinner - Dinner - Creamy Coconut & Pumpkin Chicken One-Pot 40:27 After dinner discussion and the day ahead 42:44 Pinnacles Lookout walk & views 44:15 Summing up the weekend & adventure