Nattai

Nattai National Park is a large and wild sandstone park on the Southern Highlands escarpment south-west of Sydney, protecting the rugged gorge country of the Nattai River and its tributaries between Mittagong and Picton. Covering approximately 62,730 hectares, the park encompasses extensive Hawkesbury Sandstone heath, dry sclerophyll woodland, and moist gully communities on the escarpment margin. The park forms part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area landscape and provides significant ecological connectivity between the Blue Mountains and the Southern Highlands conservation reserves.

Nattai National Park supports diverse wildlife typical of the Greater Sydney sandstone system. The yellow-bellied glider and greater glider inhabit old-growth forest in the remote gullies. The platypus occurs in the permanent streams. Powerful owls hunt the forest. Eastern grey kangaroos and common wombats are common. The park's remote sections provide refuge for spotted quolls. Glossy black-cockatoos and yellow-tailed black-cockatoos are commonly observed. The endangered southern emu-wren inhabits heath communities on the plateau.

Hawkesbury Sandstone heath with banksias, scribbly gums, and diverse wildflowers dominates the plateau and ridges. Dry sclerophyll woodland transitions to wet sclerophyll forest and warm temperate rainforest in the sheltered gorges. Hanging swamp communities on the sandstone plateau are of high conservation significance. The gorge vegetation includes coachwood, sassafras, and diverse fern communities. The park's intact vegetation is enhanced by the rugged terrain and limited human access.

Nattai National Park is underlain by Triassic Hawkesbury Sandstone, forming the plateau and gorge terrain of the escarpment margin. The Nattai River has carved deep gorges into the sandstone as it descends from the Southern Highlands plateau. The rugged terrain reflects the resistant nature of the sandstone and the deep dissection by rivers draining to the Nepean River system.

The park has a warm temperate to cool temperate climate. Annual rainfall is approximately 900 to 1,100 millimetres. Winters are cool with frosts on the plateau. Summers are warm, typically 22 to 28°C. The gorges are warmer than the plateau.

The Dharawal and Gundungurra peoples are the traditional custodians of the Southern Highlands escarpment. The sandstone country and the fertile valleys below were important cultural landscapes. European settlers established farms on the surrounding tablelands from the 1820s.

Nattai National Park was gazetted in 1991, protecting the sandstone escarpment country and its ecological connections to the Blue Mountains. The park contributes to the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area landscape.

The park offers challenging wilderness walks through the gorge country. The Yerranderie Historic Area within the park provides heritage interest, with the ruins of a former silver-mining town accessible by 4WD. Multi-day walks attract experienced bushwalkers seeking remote sandstone country close to Sydney.

The park has limited visitor facilities. Yerranderie Historic Area is accessible by 4WD. Access is via roads from Mittagong and Picton. Those communities provide visitor services. A national parks pass applies.

The park's remote character provides inherent conservation protection. Managing feral deer, which have expanded significantly in the Southern Highlands, is a growing priority. Invasive weed control focuses on blackberry and exotic grasses in accessible areas.