Wares Yards campground

Selwyn area in Kosciuszko National Park

Wares Yards campground, Kosciuszko National Park. Photo: Murray Vanderveer/NSW Government

Overview

Wares Yards campground, just off Snowy Mountains Highway, offers basic facilities and room for horses, not far from Tantangara Dam.

Accommodation Details
Camping type	Tent, Camper trailer site, Caravan site, Camping beside my vehicle , Camping with horses
Facilities	Carpark, toilets
What to bring	Firewood
Price	There are no camping fees at this campground but a $6 booking fee applies.
Group bookings	Book up to 20 people or 5 sites online. For larger groups, make a group booking enquiry.
Please note	Campsites are unpowered. Maximum length of stay is 14 days at this campground and 21 days in this national park. This campground is suitable for camping with horses. This is a remote campground, please arrive well prepared. There is limited mobile reception in this area of the park.

Wares Yards campground is conveniently located just off Snowy Mountains Highway and offers an ideal base to explore the area, including Boggy, Nungar, and Kellys Plains.

Sheltered among snow gums in subalpine woodland, Wares Yards campground is a great place to go horse riding and kick back for a relaxing weekend escape. Those who enjoy bushwalking or mountain biking can also explore plenty of meandering trails nearby. The abundance of birdlife makes this campground a birdwatching wonderland, and nearby Tantangara Dam is well-suited for swimming, fishing, and boating or kayaking in the warmer months.

Keep watch for local wildlife around Wares Yards campground as the site is also home to eastern grey kangaroos and flame robins, so remember to bring the camera.

Map

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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://uat.nswparks.cloud/camping-and-accommodation/campgrounds/wares-yards-campground/local-alerts

Bookings

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

Operated by

Tumut Region Visitor Centre
9am to 5pm daily. Closed Christmas Day.
02 6947 7025
tumutrvc@environment.nsw.gov.au
The Old Butter Factory, 5 Adelong Road, Tumut NSW 2720

Park info

in the Selwyn area of Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains region
The Selwyn area is open all year, but some roads and trails may close due to weather conditions or park management issues. Kings Cross Road and the Khancoban-Cabramurra Road are closed in winter (June to October long weekends). Some campgrounds in the Selwyn area close in winter.
Park entry fees apply in winter on Link Road

June to October long weekends: $29 per vehicle per day (24hrs from purchase); motorcycles $12; bus passengers $11.45 per adult, $3.60 per child per day (24hrs). Single and Multi-Day passes available from entry stations, NPWS visitor centres, pay machines or via the Park'nPay app.

See vehicle entry fees for other areas in Kosciuszko National Park.
Buy annual pass (//pass.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/).

See more visitor info

Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about Wares Yards campground.

Maps and downloads

Wares Yards campground factsheet

Learn more

Wares Yards campground is in Selwyn area. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:

Kiandra's claims to fame

Kiandra Heritage track, Kosciszko National Park. Photo: Murray Vanderveer/NSW Government

The discovery of gold at Kiandra in 1859 attracted up to 10,000 prospectors hoping to strike it rich. Just 18 months later, after harsh winters and falling gold finds, only a few hundred gold miners remained. It's remembered as one of Australia’s shortest gold rushes, not to mention it’s highest (and coldest). In 1861, Kiandra became the birthplace of skiing in Australia, when Norwegian gold miners fashioned skis from fence palings. By the 1870s regular ski carnivals were arranged, and Australia had its first official ski slope here. Mining continued into the 1930s, with grazing and winter skiing also keeping the community alive. Before devastating fires in 2019-2020, four buildings still stood here, including Kiandra Courthouse, which had served as a courthouse, private residence, ski chalet, hotel and bar.

Plants and animals protected in this park

Animals

Bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus)

A large, squat marsupial, the Australian bare-nosed wombat is a burrowing mammal found in coastal forests and mountain ranges across NSW and Victoria. The only other remaining species of wombat in NSW, the endangered southern hairy-nosed wombat, was considered extinct until relatively recently.
Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)

One of the most fascinating and unusual Australian animals, the duck-billed platypus, along with the echidna, are the only known monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, in existence. The platypus is generally found in permanent river systems and lakes in southern and eastern NSW and east and west of the Great Dividing Range.
Wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax)

With a wingspan of up to 2.5m, the wedge-tailed eagle is Australia’s largest bird of prey. These Australian animals are found in woodlands across NSW, and have the ability to soar to heights of over 2km. If you’re bird watching, look out for the distinctive diamond-shaped tail of the eagle.

Plants

Billy buttons (Craspedia spp. )

Billy buttons are attractive Australian native plants that are widespread throughout eastern NSW in dry forest, grassland and alpine regions such as Kosciuszko National Park. The golden-yellow globe-shaped flowers are also known as woollyheads. Related to the daisy, billy buttons are an erect herb growing to a height of 50cm.