Yengo National Park

Whilst this trek’s central theme is Yengo National Park, there is much more the visitor can experience as you make your way from Wiseman’s Ferry, crossing the Hawkesbury River by ferry, before arriving at St Alban’s. St Alban’s is an historic settlement where the Settlers Arms Inn is the focal point for most visitors. As you leave St Alban’s take the time to have a stroll through the cemetery which is well kept and not far from the Inn.

After St Alban’s the road meanders through the St Alban’s common before climbing towards Mogo camping area near where you can view sections of the old convict road.

The trek takes you on a short trip down the bitumen to Yango Creek Road, just before the village of Laguna, and this will eventually lead you into the Park proper with the trek doing a circuitous route taking in the Burragurra Aboriginal Site and Finchley Aboriginal Site before taking you past some horse studs and vineyards before arriving at Wollombi.

For those not wanting to commence the trek at Wiseman’s Ferry it is possible to travel up the F3 Freeway from Sydney, taking the Peat’s Ridge turn-off and starting the trek at the Yango Creek Road turn-off. If you are returning to Sydney this is the quickest route especially if you have done the trek in one day.

No permits are required to visit the region, but overnight camping attracts a fee within the park and is based on an honour system. Please respect the private access roads within the region.

This is an area that ranges from rugged sand-stone cliffs to picturesque farms alongside the water courses making it a photographers paradise.

There are a number of stand-out attractions within this region, one of which is the aboriginal rock carvings that can be viewed within Yengo National Park. The area also has a link to Australia’s early settlement with some settlers in the region having links to our convict past. Visitors can also view sections of the Great North Road that was built with convict labour.

Watching the sun set over Yengo National Park from the Burragurra Aboriginal site is a peaceful experience, especially if you are lucky to be there by yourself.

Whilst this is not a difficult four-wheel drive trek, the standard recovery gear should be carried, along with a supply of water. Whilst water is sometimes available at Mogo camping area, there is none available at the Finchley camping area and campers will need to be self-sufficient.

There is camping available at Mogo camping area, which is a picturesque area that has wood fire places, a camp shelter and a pit toilet. Mogo camp area also has bollards in place making it difficult for those with camper trailers. Finchley camping are is more basic, but also has a pit toilet and wood fire places, but is camper trailer friendly.

Accommodation is plentiful at Wiseman’s Ferry, ranging from a Caravan Park to Resort style accommodation. The Settlers Arms Inn at St Alban’s also has overnight accommodation available and there are numerous B & B alternatives available at Wiseman’s, St Alban’s and Wollombi.

Yengo is a wilderness of steep gorges and rocky ridges. There are several rock types scattered throughout the park, the oldest being Narrabeen sandstone. Geologists think it formed when sand particles began washing down from mountains in northern NSW about 230 million years ago. Hawkesbury sandstone then formed on top. The youngest and rarest rock type in the park is Wianamatta shale. Because shale areas are very fertile they have mostly been used for farming. Areas in their natural state like those in the park are now quite scarce.

According to local Aboriginal lore, Mt Yengo is the place where Biamie departed to the skies after finishing his creative tasks during the Dreamtime. The mountain top was flattened when he stepped on it. Aboriginal people have probably live in the area for about 13,000 years. Yengo is criss-crossed with Aboriginal routes used by highland and coastal tribes, where reciprocal visits were often arranged to exploit seasonally abundant food. The path of the historic Old Great North Rd was probably an Aboriginal travelling route shown to surveyors by local people.

The land and waterways, and the plants and animals that live in them, feature in all facets of Aboriginal culture – including recreational, ceremonial, and spiritual and as a main source of food and medicine. They are associated with dreaming stories and cultural learning that is still passed on today. We work with local Aboriginal communities to protect this rich heritage.

To find out more about Aboriginal heritage in the park, you can get in touch with the local Aboriginal community. Contact the park office for more details.

The Old Great North Road, which runs along the park's south-east border, was one of the most important civil engineering feats of the early years of the colony of New South Wales. It was built using convict labour over the period 1826–1836 to provide a route from Sydney to the Hunter Valley. Today you can see spectacular and beautifully preserved examples of convict-built stonework including buttresses, culverts, bridges and 12 m high retaining walls. Unlike most major roads of the period, the Old Great North Road has survived in its original form because it fell into disuse almost before it was completed. Steamers between Sydney and Newcastle became the preferred mode of transport in the 1830s and an alternative road to the Hunter also became more popular.