Tallaganda

Tallaganda National Park is a significant highland forest park in the southern tablelands of New South Wales, located in the ranges east of Canberra between Braidwood and the ACT border. Covering approximately 65,995 hectares, the park protects extensive areas of cool temperate and subalpine eucalypt forest, wet sclerophyll forest, and warm temperate rainforest on the ranges of the Shoalhaven and Murrumbidgee catchments. The park forms part of the conservation landscape protecting the southern tablelands ranges and provides critical habitat for many threatened species dependent on old-growth forest.

Tallaganda National Park supports diverse cool temperate forest wildlife. The yellow-bellied glider and greater glider are abundant in old-growth forest. The spotted quoll has been recorded. The platypus inhabits permanent streams. The powerful owl and masked owl hunt the forest. Gang-gang cockatoos and glossy black-cockatoos feed in the forest. The endangered swift parrot winters in the woodland. The park's old-growth forest provides nesting hollows for diverse hollow-dependent species.

Tall wet sclerophyll forest with brown barrel, alpine ash, and mountain gum covers the moist slopes. Warm temperate rainforest with coachwood and sassafras fills the sheltered gullies. Subalpine snow gum woodland occurs at the highest elevations. Dry sclerophyll woodland with ribbonwood and scribbly gum covers drier ridges. The park's old-growth forest is of outstanding conservation significance for the diverse hollow-dependent fauna.

The park is underlain by Silurian and Devonian sedimentary and metamorphic rocks of the Lachlan Fold Belt, with granite intrusions at higher elevations. The ranges form part of the southern tablelands highland zone at elevations of approximately 700 to 1,200 metres.

Cool temperate climate at high elevations. Annual rainfall approximately 900 to 1,200 millimetres. Cold winters with snow events. Mild summers.

The Ngarigo people are the traditional custodians of the southern highlands. The forest was logged extensively from the late 19th century.

Tallaganda National Park was established to protect the old-growth forest and associated wildlife of the southern tablelands ranges east of Canberra.

Walking through old-growth forest and along permanent streams. Birdwatching for forest-dependent species including gang-gangs and gliders. Remote camping in a cool highland forest setting.

Camping areas with basic facilities. Access via roads from Braidwood. Braidwood provides visitor services. Approximately 260 kilometres south of Sydney and 80 kilometres east of Canberra. A national parks pass applies.

Protecting old-growth forest from wildfire is critical. Feral deer management is an increasing priority. Managing the old-growth forest for hollow-dependent species requires long-term planning.