gap creek falls

Watagans National Park

Safety alerts: Watagans National Park and Heaton State Forest - Changed access
Watagan Forest Road remains the only vehicle access road into and out of Watagans National Park and the adjacent Heaton State Forest for the remainder of 2022 and up to the end of June 2023. This is due to major landslips on both Mount Faulk Road and Watagan / Heaton Road.
Access to both Watagan Forest Road and Heaton Sate Forest is either via Martinsville Hill Road, Martinsville or Walkers Ridge Road, Bucketty from Friday 23 September 2022.
The following visitor areas will be accessible via Watagan Forest Road:

• Boarding House Dam picnic area
• Gap Creek and Monkey Face lookouts
• Georges Road lookouts
• Heaton lookout
• Taylors Road lookout
• Watagan Forest Headquarters campground
• Macleans lookout
• Hunters lookout

Please note:

• Bangalow Road and Gap Creek campgrounds remain closed to repair a major landslip near the entry gate.  
• If rain persists it may again be necessary to close Watagan Forest Road for driver safety and to minimise damage to the newly repaired road.

For assistance during severe weather visit the NSW SES website. In life-threatening situations call emergency services on Triple Zero (000).
For information about closures in nearby state forests, please refer to the Forestry Corporation of NSW website for closures and notices.
Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, contact the Central Coast area office at Lake Munmorah on 02 4972 9000.

Closed areas: Temp Closure for Road works - Carrolls Road and Ingles Road Watagans NP
Carrolls Road and Ingles Road are closed temporarily to all vehicles for road reconstruction due to severe erosion and 4WD damage. This closure will commence from Monday 20th February and be completed toward the end of March 2023.
Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, contact the NPWS Lake Munmorah area office on 02 4972 9000 or visit the NSW National Parks safety page for park safety guidelines.

Safety alerts: Pest Animal Control Work Underway in Watagans NP.
Feral animal control work is currently underway in Watagans NP and on some adjoining private properties in the Congewai Valley with the consent of landowners. The control work will target wild-dogs, foxes, feral cats and goats up until  the 30th of June 2023. Control methods will include trapping and euthanasia and also limited shooting programs within defined precincts and  subject to an endorsed shoot plan . Control areas targeted  will have signs displayed indicating temporary access restrictions. The work is aimed at reducing the predation of protected native fauna including the endangered Brush-tailed rock wallaby. 
1080 poison baiting may also be deployed during this time and will be subject to specific notification protocols before commencing. ( 1080 poison is toxic to domestic cats and dogs. Visitors are reminded not to touch, handle or disturb any baits). Visitors are also reminded that domestic animals are not permitted in the national park at any time. For more information contact the Central Coast Area Office at Lake Munmorah on (02) 4972 9000.

Safety alerts: Mount Faulk Road closed due to major landslip
Mount Fault Road is closed until further notice due to a major landslip below Bangalow Road.
There is no vehicle or pedestrian access into Heaton State Forests or Watagans National Park due to the landslip, which has removed a larger section of the access road . Please avoid the area due to the high safety risk. Repair work is schedule to begin mid February 20223
Road barriers are in place on Mount Faulk Road below Bangalow Road  and the corner of Mount Fault Road and Monkey Face Road.
Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, please contact the Central Coast area office on 02 4972 9000 or visit the Forestry Corporation of NSW website.

Safety alerts: Watagan Road/Heaton Road closed due to landslips
Watagan Road (also known as Heaton Road) is closed until further notice due to a major landslip on the Cessnock City Council section.
There is no access from the cattle grid at the southern end of Heaton Road, Quorrobolong south, uphill to the Georges Road intersection in the Watagans NP.
This access road to Olney, Heaton State Forests and Watagans National Park is closed.
Work is currently underway way but will be complex, involve major earthworks and road realignment.
For information about closures in nearby state forests, please refer to the Forestry Corporation of NSW website for closures and notices.
For more information, contact the local NPWS Lake Munmorah area office on 02 4972 9000 or Cessnock City Council on 02 4993 4100.

Closed areas: Campgrounds closed due to road damage and landslide.
There is no visitor access along Bangalow Road due to significant road damage and new landslides on this road and nearby Mount Faulk Road. The following areas remain closed:

• Bangalow campground
• Gap Creek campground
• Gap Creek picnic area 
• Gap Creek Falls walking tracks

The entry gate will remain locked and there will be no visitor access, including pedestrians.
NPWS is aiming to have all work completed and visitor access restored prior to Easter. A new major landslide on nearby Mount Faulk Road on Thursday 7 July 2022 has also affected access for planned heavy plant repair machinery to reach and repair the Bangalow Road landslip.. However work is scheduled to start on the Mt Faulk Road landslip on the 20th Feb and on the Bangalow Road landslip on 6 March 2023
For information about closures in nearby state forests, please refer to the Forestry Corporation of NSW website for closures and notices.
Penalties apply for non-compliance. For further information please contact the NPWS Central Coast area office at Lake Munmorah on 02 4972 9000.

Closed areas: Click Creek Fire Trail - Watagans NP
Click Creek fire trail is closed due to extensive storm damage. The trail will remain closed until maintenance works can be completed.
Penalties apply for non-compliance For more information, contact the NPWS Central Coast area office at Lake Munmorah on 02 4972 9000 or visit the NSW National Parks safety page for park safety guidelines.