Paddling in Towarri National Park

The water in Towarri National Park is creek country — small, seasonal, and shaped by the sandstone and Liverpool Range terrain of the Upper Hunter.

The park sits about 25 kilometres from Scone in New South Wales, tucked into a landscape of rainforest pockets, snow gum stands, and sandstone outcrops that drain into narrow watercourses rather than broad navigable rivers.

Middle Brook is the park's central water feature, running through the camping and picnic area.

The Washpools waterhole, accessible from the same area, is the park's signature swimming spot — a natural pool in the creek system that draws visitors in warmer months. These are the waters people actually get into here.

Towarri is not a paddling destination in the conventional sense. Middle Brook and the Washpools are creek-scale water: worth knowing about for a swim after a hot hike, not a put-in for a touring day.

The park is managed by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service out of the Scone office. Check current alerts before visiting — the park can close for weather or fire danger, and conditions in the Upper Hunter can shift quickly between seasons.

If you're driving to this part of New South Wales with a boat on the roof, Towarri is worth the detour for what it is: a quiet sandstone park with a good waterhole. Just don't plan the paddle here.