Mount Royal National Park
Mount Royal National Park is adjacent to the south-western edge of Barrington Tops National Park and contains part of the Barrington Tops Wilderness Area. It was declared over former state forest in 1996 and includes rainforest areas that provide habitat for threatened species such as the Hastings River mouse.
Getting there
This park is near...
Singleton (50 km)
Best access routes
The park is 50km north of Singleton. Turn right into Bridgeman Road off the New England Highway north of Singleton and follow the signs to Lake St Clair. The last 7km is along Mount Royal Road, which is unpaved and has some deep ruts. A 4WD vehicle is required.
Road quality: unpaved sections
Facilities & things to do
Walking tracks
A number of walking tracks are accessible from Mount Royal Road, which runs through the park. Alternatively, follow the trail from Youngville down to Carrow Brook, a 5 km return walk. Consult either the Barrington Tops and Gloucester District map or the Carrabolla map before you go.
Driving in the park
Mount Royal Road is suitable for 4WD vehicles only. It offers a scenic 40km return drive, linking up with Cassels Road. Visitors are advised not to access the private section of Cassels Road beyond the park boundary.
Lookouts
Climb Mount Royal and Pieries Peak for stunning views of the areas.
Natural environment
Native plants
Mount Royal National Park has a variety of forest types and vegetation communities, ranging from shrubland to tall open forest and wet eucalypt forest. The most dominant form of vegetation is mid-altitude grassy forest with plentiful stands of New England blackbutt, Sydney blue gum and grey gum. Approximately 20 per cent of the park is rainforest.
Native animals
The park is home to some 20 species of birds, mammals and reptiles listed as rare and threatened, including rufous scrub birds, paradise riflebirds, parma wallabies and rough-scaled snakes and Hastings River mice—first trapped along the Hastings River in 1921. This little known animal is listed as threatened and until it was rediscovered in 1981 was thought to have disappeared.
The rainforest areas are particularly rich in smaller mammals such as brush-tailed possums, greater gliders, koalas and red-necked pademelons.
Information for this National Park has been supplied courtesy of The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service