Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk
A new multi-day walk and visitor centre are proposed for Dorrigo National Park.
The centrepiece of proposed upgrades to Dorrigo National Park is a brand-new Arc Rainforest Centre, which will feature a spectacular elevated walkway and lookout to offer accessible and exceptional experiences for visitors.
The visitor centre will be a unique starting point for the stunning new multi-day walk along the escarpment edge through Gondwana World Heritage rainforests, with hut and camping accommodation.
The Arc Rainforest Centre, combined with the new multi-day walk, aims to engage more visitors for longer periods with sustainable nature-based experiences to support NSW tourism and local jobs.
What the project involves
The Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk project proposes 2 main components to be constructed in stages:
- the Dorrigo Arc Rainforest Centre – a new visitor centre and elevated walkway on the footprint of the existing Dorrigo Rainforest Centre- will provide an improved rainforest experience and a more accessible pathway to the existing Balaminda welcome platform and Wonga Walk
- the Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk – a 46-kilometre multi-day walk with purpose-built low impact hiker huts and camping platforms.
Dorrigo Arc Rainforest Centre
The proposal's centrepiece is a new Arc Rainforest Centre featuring a spectacular elevated walkway overlooking the World Heritage rainforest. It will provide flexible spaces for a variety of events and be a major drawcard for the North Coast.
The Arc elevated walkway will cater for all weather conditions with an upper open deck and a lower sheltered deck. Descending pathways will take visitors down into the rainforest and connect with the existing 6-kmWonga Walk and the new Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk.
The visitor centre will offer a place for people to learn and connect with the culture of the traditional custodians, the Gumbaynggirr People, and a new way to experience the ancient plants and animals from which life on Earth evolved.
Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk
The proposed Dorrigo Escarpment Great Walk traverses Dorrigo and Bindarri national parks along the rugged escarpment, past teeming waterfalls, giant old-growth trees and over wild rivers as it heads down towards the coast. It will include new viewpoints, several suspension bridges and 46 km of walking track. More than half of this follows existing and historic tracks and trails.
To offer enhanced access and affordability, accommodation will include a communal cooking shelter, hiker bunk huts, tent platforms and toilets.