Bago State Forest

Visitor facilities

Blowering Dam Foreshore

Located close to Tumut, where the pine forest meets the waters of Blowering Dam, are a number of secluded camping spots to spend a night or even a few days. Most popular during holiday periods over summer, visitors pass their time relaxing, fishing or boating on Blowering Dam.

Hume and Hovell Walking Track

A great adventure for those who enjoy hiking or are interested in Australian history. This 440km track stretches between Yass and Albury, retracing the route of explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell on their expedition to Port Phillip in 1824. Fully sign-posted, the track takes about 24 days to walk, although there are plenty of opportunities for various day walks. Major track heads can be accessed via Wee Jasper, Cootamundra River (near Tumut) and Henry Angel (near Tumbarumba). There are 18 campsites along the route, and the track passes through Buccleuch, Bago, Mannus and Munderoo State Forests. More information on the track, including maps, is available from Vistor Information Centres throughout the region and from the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources office in Wagga Wagga.

Pilot Hill Arboretum

A fabulous spot for a picnic in Bago State Forest, located less than a half hour drive from both Batlow and Tumbarumba, near the village of Laurel Hill. The arboretum has plantings of more than fifty tree species from all over the world, with most planted in the 1920s and 1930s. Two short walking tracks pass through the arboretum and the adjoining native forest of alpine ash. The site is a great base to begin further explorations into the native alpine ash forest of the Bago Plateau.

Sugar Pine Walk

The Sugar Pine Walk is a must-see for any visitors to the Tumbarumba area. Our visitors agree it’s one of the best kept secrets in NSW! Take the short stroll amongst a dense stand of enormous sugar pines planted in 1928, the largest and tallest of all pines. The walk is located on the edge of Kopsens Road, around half a kilometre from the Batlow-Tumbarumba Road at Laurel Hill.

Paddy's River Dam

The beautiful Paddys River dam is a peaceful and scenic spot, and a popular attraction in the heart of the alpine ash forests of the Bago Plateau. In summer, it's a great place to go fishing or splash around in the waters of the Dam, and a year-round great place to camp and relax. It was originally constructed as a source of water for gold mining activities in the late 1800s.

Paling Yards

An interesting spot on the edge of the Paddy River, a lush green open flat in the high country plains.