This trek note has been prepared to provide one of the 3 alternative access routes into the
Mungo National Park, located in the southwest corner of NSW, roughly 100km northeast of Mildura (Vic). For other access routes please also read our trek note for
Mildura to Mungo NP.
For full details on visiting the park please ensure you also read our
Mungo National Park trek note which provides details on all park features and provides the plot file for touring the 70km self-drive route within the park.
Go to top Interactive Route Map
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Mungo NP via Top Hut Road 
From: Wentworth Pooncarie Rd & Top Hut Rd
To: Main Camp (Mungo NP)
This trek supports moving map, to take a virtual tour click on the Play button.
If you are driving into
Mungo National Park, then you will need to purchase a
Vehicle Day Pass.
Payment is by self registration. Envelopes & information from the front of the Mungo NP Visitor Centre.
Camping fees in Mungo NP also apply. Belah campsite has 12 sites. This campground is a great overnight
spot for people taking their time doing the Mungo Drive Tour, or for those looking for a secluded campsite. No fires are allowed.
For more information on fees, please click:
Camping in Mungo NPFor more information in general, you can contact the park office in Buronga.
Buronga
Street address: Corner of Sturt Highway and Melaleuca Street, Buronga NSW
Postal address: PO Box 318, Buronga NSW 2739
Phone: (03) 5021 8900
Fax: (03) 5022 2037
Email: buronga.office@environment.nsw.gov.auGo to top Things to See & Do
Mungo National Park does not have closing times, but be aware that all roads in and around the park are closed after rain. Please take adequate supplies of fuel, food and water. No food, petrol or diesel is available at or near the park, and water is a rare commodity in a semi-arid environment - so always carry plenty with you. All roads in and around the park are unsealed. Many of them have little traffic, particularly outside holiday seasons. Always carry extra food and water in case of an emergency. If you become stranded - stay with your vehicle.
Consider taking
communications equipment such as HF or UHF radios. Mobile phones do not work in
Mungo National Park, so in emergencies, a ranger can be contacted on UHF channel 22. Mungo lies in the fruit fly exclusion zone so you can only bring in food bought in from
Broken Hill,
Menindee,
Hillston,
Griffith, Narrandera, Shepparton, Swan
Hill, Mildura, Waikerie, Renmark or other
places within those boundaries.
Fuel Supplies & Usage
 | |
Diesel | 4cyl 17 litres |
ULP | 4cyl 20 litres |
LPG | 4cyl 24 litres |
|---|
| 6cyl 19 litres | 6cyl 22 litres | 6cyl 22 litres |
| 8cyl 19 litres | 8cyl 20 litres | |
Usage is averaged from
TrekFuel (* specific to trek) submissions and calculated based on trek distance.
Unfortunately, there is no longer any fuel available at
Pooncarie.
Best Time To Visit
Outback New South Wales experiences very hot and dry summers. Travel is safer and more enjoyable between March and October. Please note - unsealed roads may be closed after rain.
Closest Climatic Station
Mildura Airport
Distance from Trek Mid Point 88.09km SW
| | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Mean Max. °C |
32.2 | 31.6 | 28.4 | 23.5 |
19.0 | 16.0 | 15.3 | 17.2 |
20.4 | 23.8 | 27.4 | 30.1 |
| Mean Min. °C |
16.6 | 16.4 | 13.8 | 10.1 |
7.4 | 5.2 | 4.3 | 5.2 |
7.4 | 9.8 | 12.5 | 14.8 |
| Mean Rain mm |
20.5 | 19.6 | 18.3 | 18.3 |
25.6 | 22.8 | 26.1 | 26.2 |
27.4 | 30.4 | 26.2 | 23.3 |
Best time to travel Ok time to travel Travel NOT recommended
Go to top Camp Sites & Accommodation
The crescent shaped lunette, otherwise known as the ‘Walls of China’, is one of the main highlights in
Mungo National Park. Standing around 30m high and stretching nearly 30km long, this now dry eastern shore holds secrets of preserved campfires,
cooking hearths and burials of ancient Aboriginal people. There are three distinct layers of sands and soil forming the Walls of China. The oldest is the reddish Gol Gol layer, formed between 100,000 and 120,000 years ago. The middle greyish layer and the most archaeologically rich is the Mungo layer, deposited between 50,000 and 25,000 years ago. The most recent is the Zanci layer, which is pale brown, and was laid down mostly between 25,000 and 15,000 years ago.
Flora
There are three main types of native vegetation that co-exist in the
Mungo National Park - being grassy woodlands, heathlands and semi-arid woodlands. Within the grassy woodlands, cypress pines thrive on loamy soils, sandy ridges and rocky out-crops. They can grow in dense communities, but these days are somewhat scattered, mainly due to extensively harvesting. These trees must be seen in their native habitat to be truly appreciated, as they play host to a variety of wildlife including pink cockatoos, which feed on the seeds of the small pinecones. The heathlands consist of lakebed shrubs such as Chenopodiaceae, commonly known as saltbush or bluebush. During Spring, these plants reveal a beautiful understorey of wildflowers. In the semi-arid woodland parts, mallee dominate the area. The name mallee comes from an Aboriginal word for eucalyptus trees that are multi-stemmed from their base. The underground woody structure (lignotuber) stores water and nutrients, allowing the plant to survive in such harsh conditions. Aborigines used to rely on these lignotubers as an important source of drinking water.
Fauna
There are many species of fauna within the park such as the largest of our marsupials - the kangaroo. These herbivores spend their days grazing quietly in the grasslands or resting in a scratched out pad in the woodland shade. All three species - Red, Western grey, and the Eastern grey kangaroos co-exist in the park. Other animals you may be lucky to encounter are short-beaked echidnas, spiny anteaters, bats, pygmy and larger possums, bandicoots and the common and fat-tailed dunnarts. The largest reptile in the park is the harmless carpet python, which grows between 2 and 4 metres long. Mungo supports a wide variety of bird species mainly due to the diverse environment. Birds you may see include: emus, mallee ring-necks, galahs, pink cockatoos, zebra finches, crested pigeons, blue bonnets, budgerigars, and
orange and crimson chats.
