Sugar Creek picnic area
Wallingat National Park
Overview
Sugar Creek picnic area is a family-friendly relaxation spot with easy walking trails through forested landscape, a leisurely drive from Forster and Pacific Palms.
- Type
- Picnic areas
- Where
- Wallingat National Park in North Coast
- What to
bring - Drinking water
- Please note
- Remember to take your binoculars if you want to bird watch.
Looking for a place to relax and admire nature? Walk through the forest? Maybe cook up a snag or two? Sugar Creek picnic area is a cool sanctuary among the tall timber. Make use of the gas barbecue before heading off on one of the easy walks.
The tall cabbage palms and flooded gums are awe-inspiring, having survived logging in the area that continued until 1999. From September to December, you might see the purplish flowers of the red beard orchid or, in early spring, the mauve blossoms of the velvet mint-bush.
These forests are also home to hundreds of species of birds, including catbirds (not surprisingly, their call sounds a bit like the mewling of a cat), as well as kangaroos, wallabies, possums and frogs. Those with eagle eyes might also be able to spot koalas in the tall eucalypts, although they’re much easier to see if you bring binoculars.
Map

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Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://uat.nswparks.cloud/things-to-do/picnic-areas/sugar-creek-picnic-area/local-alerts
General enquiries
- 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
Park info
- in Wallingat National Park in the North Coast region
Wallingat National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to extreme weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about the Sugar Creek picnic area.
Maps and downloads
Learn more
Sugar Creek picnic area is in Wallingat National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Ancient footprints

The 6,557ha of Wallingat National Park is part of the identity and spirituality, as well as a resource, for people of the Worimi nation. The Worimi People lived a traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle and used the leaves of the cabbage palm for weaving baskets and its fibrous bark for making fishing line. They used many of the area's natural resources, including the freshwater lakes, stone outcrops, and the ocean. A central campsite was known to exist in the area now known as Coomba Park, although there are few other Aboriginal sites recorded within the park include the Bungwahl area.
Fun times

Whether you're after a relaxing time or something more adventurous, Wallingat is just the spot. Take to the gravel roads either on foot, in a car or on a bike – to explore the forests. You can swim, fish and paddle on Wallingat River. Pitch a tent in the campground and get away from it all for a few days in this naturally beautiful setting. Surrounding some of the picnic areas and campsites, you’ll find magnificent stands of trees. In the southeast corner of Wallingat, there are tall, straight flooded gums, as well as stands of cabbage palms. Find both during a walk from Sugar Creek picnic area. Some rare plants such as the liana woody climber, a climbing species that bears white flowers from August to May, can also be found here.
- Double Wharf trail Experience the scenic waterways and mountainous forests of Wallingat National Park along Double Wharf trail – perfect for walking or mountain bike riding.
- Wallingat Forest drive The 25km loop of Wallingat Forest drive, near Forster, is on unsealed roads that meander through forests, and excellent for cars, 4WDs, bicycles, walking and horse riding.
- Whoota Whoota lookout From Whoota Whoota lookout, easily accessible by car, you can see for miles. Take in scenic views of Wallingat’s eucalypt forests, Wallis Lake and 100km of coastline.
Life among the trees

More than 200 species of birds make Wallingat National Park a home. Walking through forest as well as stands of straight flooded gums, and cabbage palms, you'll hear birds singing. Noisy friarbirds, for instance, have a distinctive 'ya-kob' call, while a 'woop, woop, woop' sound signals the presence of the wonga pigeon. You might see blue wrens flitting through the trees, as well as king parrots and glossy black cockatoos. Wallingat is also a popular spot for the satin bowerbird – the males are black and shiny, the females are a plainer brown. They both, however, have startling lilac eyes.
- Double Wharf trail Experience the scenic waterways and mountainous forests of Wallingat National Park along Double Wharf trail – perfect for walking or mountain bike riding.
- Sugar Creek picnic area Sugar Creek picnic area is a family-friendly relaxation spot with easy walking trails through forested landscape, a leisurely drive from Forster and Pacific Palms.