If the Blue Mountainst and Kosciuszko National Park were to have a baby, we imagine it would look like Barrington Tops. This beautiful national park a few hours northwest of Sydney had a rugged, mountainous landscape with plenty of walking tracks, waterfalls and wallabies hopping about. That makes it just about the perfect weekend escape for nature lovers like us.

Not nearly as busy as its national park ‘parents’, Barrington Tops seems to have slipped under the radar. Even on a long weekend the trails were quiet, hotel rooms were available (and not at a premium) and traffic was light… until we got back to Sydney.

We just can’t believe it took us to long to get here.

Our Barrington Tops itinerary

We visited over a long weekend so took three days (two nights) to explore the area. If you’re short on time, you certainly can cram it into two busier days or skip a few things. (We’ll note below what we think are must-dos and what you can skip if you’re short on time.)

Day 1 in Barrington Tops:

• Head to Dungog for lunch and beers at the Tinshed Brewery
• Drive to Barrington Tops National Park for the Blue Gum Loop Trail
• Swim at Ladies Well (weather dependant, for us it was too cold)
• Continue onto Gloucester and check into your accommodation
• Eat dinner at the Avon Valley Inn

Day 2 in Barrington Tops:

• Grab breakfast at a bakery in town, we went to Batter & Dough
• Drive back into Barrington Tops National Park, this time to Gloucester Tops
• Do the full Gloucester Tops Circuit walk
• Wine taste in the afternoon, we went to Mograni Creek Estate
• Have dinner back in Gloucester at The Kitchen at the Roundabout Inn

Day 3 in Barrington Tops:

• Get breakfast in town, we went to The Common
• Stretch your legs on the Hidden Treasure Tail in Copeland Tops State Conservation Area
• Take a scenic drive along the north of Barrington Tops National Park, stopping at lookouts
• Wander around the track at Polblue Swamp
• Pass through the Dingo Gate and make your way back home

What to do in Barrington Tops

For us, visiting the Barrington Tops region was all about the Ws – walks, waterfalls and wineries. The main attraction here is the sprawling 76,500-square-kilometre national park. In it, there are dozens of scenic bushwalks and lookout points for all abilities and accessibilities, with tumbling waterfalls to see along them and even swim under and, closer to town, a handful of wineries to check out.

Walks

Over the three days we were in the area, we managed to squeeze in five walks. Many more were on our list, but time just didn’t allow it. Here’s where we went in order.

Blue Gum Loop Trail

Length: 3.5km | Difficulty: Easy-Moderate

A great warm up to our handful of hikes in the area, Blue Gum is a relatively easy walk but does have some extended uphill sections that will certainly warm you up on a cooler day.

The first few hundred metres is completely accessibly, including the first bridge over the creek offering lovely views of the crystal-clear waters flowing through the ancient Gondwana Rainforest.

For those doing the full loop, we highly recommend the side trail down to Crystal Pools. The creek here is perfectly clear and deep enough to go for a swim… if you can bear the cold water.

Recommended? Yes. ✅

Gloucester Tops Circuit

Length: 8km | Difficulty: Moderate

Our favourite walk in the park, this circuit is actually a few loop walks combined. Each has its own characteristics and surprisingly different scenery consider how close together they all are. The Gloucester Falls section takes you to a scenic lookout and then along forest trails following the cascades. We didn’t go in, but saw quite a few people swimming in the natural pools along the way.

After crossing through a picnic area, the River Walk is a pleasant, mostly flat section through sub-alpine landscapes surrounded by countless white trunked snow gums. Last, is the Antarctic Beech walk; a beautiful forest thick with trees and home to a stunning mossy cascade along the way.

In total, the walk is about 8km, but you can break it down into sections that are 1.8km to 2.5km each.

Recommended? Yes. ✅

Hidden Treasure Track

Length: 3.4km | Difficulty: Moderate

Named for the abandoned gold mine you’ll find along the way, this rainforest track is wide and offers pleasant views of the surrounding rainforest. The walk itself isn’t actually that difficult, but does include a lot of uphill walking which could be difficult for some. If it’s a hot, humid day, you’ll certainly feel the incline.

Recommended? If you have time, yes. It was a nice walk, but much of the scenery was similar to the others.

Polblue Swamp Track

Length: 3km | Difficulty: Easy

With direct access from a camping area of the same name, Polblue Swam Track’s landscapes are totally different to the rest of the park. The circular track surrounds a grassy swamp, which was relatively dry on our visit and features a few boardwalk sections.

There were plenty of wombat burrows and patches of grass dug up by brumbies along the track, but, unfortunately, we didn’t see either.

Watch out for the magpies though, we were swooped!

Recommended? Yes. ✅

Gloucester District Park

Length: 2.7km | Difficulty: Easy

Right in Gloucester, this park follows the river for a pleasant stroll that’s accessible for prams, wheelchairs and for those with mobility issues. There’s little to no incline and pavement for the whole stroll.

Recommended? If you have time. It’s not a bush walk, but perfect for an after dinner stroll if it’s before sunset– which is exactly what we did.

Other walks that we had on our list, but didn’t make it to, include: Bucketts Scenic Walk (1.3km), Gloucester River Walking Track (2.5km), Polblue Falls Walk (400m) and Rocky Crossing Walk (16km).

Wineries

Not too far north of the Hunter Valley, the Gloucester region is home to a bunch of wineries. While we only made it to one, we did have a few we were keen to check out. Unfortunately, being a long weekend and getting there late in the day, only one was still open.

Mograni Creek Estate

Address: 450 Mograni Creek Road
Hours: Monday to Friday, 10am-5pm and Saturday to Sunday, 12pm-5pm

Down a windy, country road and past a dozen-or-so Wagyu cows, Mograni Creek Estate looks like it belongs more in Italy than inland New South Wales. The family run estate offers just a few varietals and, for the purpose of research, we tried them all. We visited on a quiet Sunday and the owners spent plenty of time with us, chatting about their wines and their story. The whole experience felt like you were visiting a family home rather than a commercial property, in the very best way.

Website: https://mogranicreek.com/

Recommended? Yes. We liked all the wines we had here, as many were on the sweeter side, which we’re fans of. ✅

Other wineries that were on our list, but didn’t make it to, include: Gloucester River Wines and Faulls Ridge.

Where to eat near Barrington Tops

If you’re looking for gourmet, fine dining, this isn’t really the region. But, that’s not to say we didn’t have some fantastic meals out here. Neither Gloucester or Dungog had high-end restaurants. Pubs are the way to go here and we weren’t mad about it, especially after a full day hiking in the national park.

Tinshed Brewery, Dungog

Address: 109 Dowling Street, Dungog
Hours: Thursday to Sunday, 11am-8pm

On the south side of Barrington Tops National Park, Dungog is a great stopping point on the way in from Sydney. We popped into the Tinshed for lunch and a drink on our way to the first walks of the day. The brisket sandwich was great and well seasoned fries completed the meal.

✅ We ate here!

Avon Valley Inn, Gloucester

Address: 82 Church Street, Gloucester
Hours: Monday to Friday, 11:30am-2pm and 5:30pm-7:45pm, Saturday, 11:30am-2:30pm, Sunday 11:30-2:30pm, 5pm-7pm (Bistro)

In what ended up being our favourite meal of the trip, this pub meal was a stand-out. The veal special (pictured above) was juicy and fresh, with a mushroom bearnaise sauce that paired with it perfectly.

✅ We ate here!

Batter n Dough, Gloucester

Address: 35 Church Street, Gloucester
Hours: Wednesday to Friday, 7:30am-2pm, Saturday, 7:30pm-1pm, Sunday, 8am-12pm

For a breakfast to go, this bakery was serving both sweet and savouries along with hot and cold coffees. We had a meaty sausage roll and a spinach and feta pocket that fuelled us up for a long walk in the national park.

✅ We ate here!

Kitchen at Roundabout Inn, Gloucester

Address: 28 Church Street, Gloucester
Hours: Daily, 11am-Late

The beer garden was the biggest draw for us to the Roundabout Inn, and luckily the food was good enough to keep us there for the evening. We visited on a beautiful evening and grabbed the last available table outside. There’s a little bit of everything on the menu here, but the crumbed lamb and schnitzel were definite hits.

✅ We ate here!

The Common, Gloucester

Address: 56 Church Street, Gloucester
Hours: Monday to Friday, 5:45am-1pm, Saturday 6am-12pm

The only place in town open on a long weekend Monday didn’t mean having a bad breakfast. The Common was serving a crowd the morning we visited, but the breakfast sandwich and pulled pork toastie were both served piping hot with matchas to match.

✅ We ate here!

Where to stay near Barrington Tops

The two closest towns to the national park with accommodation and amenities are Dungog and Gloucester, we stayed in the latter solely due to availability of accommodation. Having stopped in Dungog on the way, we would have been more than happy to stay in that town as well.

Both towns offer plenty of Country NSW charm and are about a 40-60 minute drive from many of the park’s sites, some along unsealed roads too. If self-contained accommodation is more your style, there are plenty of rural options closer to the National Park. But, be warned, this will mean being a bit of a journey from restaurants, supermarkets and other shops.

If you’re on a bit of a budget or don’t mind roughing it, there are plenty of places to camp in the area, including right in the national park. On our drive to Gloucester Tops, we did pass through a large campground in the national park and there were barbecues and (clean!) toilets to use here.

Bucketts Way Motel, Gloucester

Affordable and walkable to Gloucester’s main street, Bucketts Way Motel may not have been a luxury retreat, but it was just what we needed for our two-night stay. The rooms were clean and comfortable and the pressure in the shower was better than we’ve got at home.

While we didn’t use it, there was an outdoor pool that would have been perfect after a bushwalk on a hot day.

Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia

✅ We stayed here!

Getting to Barrington Tops

Driving is pretty much the only option. Unlike the Blue Mountains or Royal National Park, there aren’t day tours or overnight trips from Sydney that are regularly available. Train service from Sydney is available to Dungog or Gloucester, but from there you’ll be on your own.

By road, it’s about 2 hours, 45 minute to Dungog (227 kms). If you’re staying on Gloucester, expect the drive to take about 3 hours (268 kms).

When to go to Barrington Tops

October through April is the best time to visit. We recommend October-November or March-February, specifically. Even during the height of summer, since much of the national park is at a higher elevation, it doesn’t get too hot. But, keep in mind that where you’re staying might.

When we visited in October, it was about 10ºC cooler up in Gloucester Tops than it was in town.

During the winter months, tt can snow there and the roads can get icy. They’re often unsealed, windy and steep, so if you’re not used to driving in those conditions, then it’s best to avoid.