Where

Bindarri State Conservation Area, Bindarri National Park in North Coast

Distance

26km loop

Time suggested

3hrs

Grade

Medium

What to
bring

Hat, sunscreen, drinking water

Please note

• There is limited water available in this area, so it’s a good idea to bring your own.
• It’s a good idea to bring a topographic map and compass, or a GPS.
• Check the weather before you set out as the road to Bindarri National Park can become boggy when it rains
• This park is in a remote location. Please be well-prepared and tell a family member or friend about your travel plans.
• There's no mobile reception in this park

Immerse yourself in this remote landscape and spend the day exploring on your mountain bike. Just a short drive from Coffs Harbour, you’ll see beautiful scenery while cycling along the gentle gravel roads of Bindarri National Park and the adjacent Bindarri State Conservation Area.

Pack a picnic lunch and make sure you’re prepared with plenty of water and a tool kit, as you’re heading into the remote yet beautiful corners of the park.

Head to Bangalore Falls picnic area and follow the short walking track to see beautiful cascading waters. Then, continue riding through lush subtropical rainforest to Urumbilum picnic area. Admire the majestic hoop pines, lush subtropical rainforest and spectacular gorge scenery along the way.

Take a moment to explore Urumbilum Creek gorge below the picnic area on foot. The spectacular waterfall that drops away into a large, natural amphitheatre and deep pool makes for great photography.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Visitor info

Maps and downloads

Learn more

A bygone era

Walking out to Bangalore Falls, you might notice the large stumps standing as reminders of the parks former days of logging. Known as the 'cedar getters', the first Europeans arrived in this region in the mid-1800s. However, logging did not start until 1863. By 1880, concerns that Orara Valley would be cleared called for the declaration of Forest Reserve No 642, which later became Orara West State Forest in 1917.

Biodiversity hotspot

Bindarri National Park is considered a ‘biodiversity hotspot’ due to the number of rare and threatened species found here, such as the palm orchid, fish bone fern and southern quassia. The park also provides an important corridor of native vegetation linking the hinterland and plateau habitats of the World Heritage-listed Dorrigo National Park with the coastal habitats of Bongil Bongil National Park. It's also home to a range of wildlife including an abundance of bird species,wallabies, possums and spotted-tailed quolls, as well as threatened species such as koalas, platypus, owls and bats. You might also spot the brown-speckled giant barred frog or the giant panda snail - the largest snail in Australia,with a shell measuring up to 12cm long.

Traditional Aboriginal lands

The deep gorges, cascading waterfalls and lush forests of Bindarri National Park are the traditional lands of the Gumbaynggirr people. The park is named after the Gumbaynggirr word 'Bindarray', which means 'many creeks'. Many Aboriginal sites have been identified as places used by local Aboriginal people for camping, tool-making, ceremonies and dreaming stories.