Weddin Mountains

Weddin Mountains National Park is a rocky granite range park in the Central West of New South Wales, located near Grenfell south of Orange. Covering approximately 7,470 hectares, the park protects the Weddin Mountains, a prominent range of granite hills rising from the surrounding plains and famous as the hideout of the bushranger Ben Hall in the 1860s. The park protects significant areas of mallee, dry sclerophyll woodland, and rock habitat communities on the granite terrain, contributing to the conservation of the Central West's declining woodland ecosystems.

Weddin Mountains National Park supports Central West woodland and rocky terrain wildlife. Eastern grey kangaroos and wallaroos are common. The park provides habitat for the endangered swift parrot in winter. Gang-gang cockatoos and glossy black-cockatoos are present. The yellow-footed rock wallaby, though historically present, is locally extinct, but the rocky granite terrain provides suitable habitat for its potential reintroduction. Diverse woodland birds occupy the mallee and woodland.

Mallee eucalyptus scrub with diverse native species covers the drier rocky terrain. White box and grey box grassy woodland occupies the more fertile soils around the range margins. Dry sclerophyll woodland with scribbly gum and stringybark covers the slopes. Native grasses and wildflowers form the understorey. The rocky granite outcrops support specialist lithophytic plant communities.

The Weddin Mountains are formed from Silurian and Devonian granite of the Lachlan Fold Belt, which has resisted erosion more effectively than the surrounding sedimentary rocks, creating the prominent range rising from the Central West plains. The granite boulders and tors create the characteristic rocky landscape.

Warm temperate to semi-arid continental climate. Annual rainfall approximately 450 to 550 millimetres. Hot summers, cool winters with frosts. Drought-adapted vegetation communities.

The Wiradjuri people are the traditional custodians of the Central West. The range was used for seasonal movement and ceremony. Ben Hall and his bushranger gang used the range as a hideout in the 1860s, making it one of the most significant bushranger heritage sites in Australia.

Weddin Mountains National Park was established in 1986, protecting the granite range from continued clearing and pastoral pressure.

The bushranger heritage trail through the range follows routes associated with Ben Hall. The granite outcrops and mallee provide distinctive Central West scenery. Birdwatching for mallee and woodland species. Camping at the park's campground.

Camping area with basic facilities. Access from Grenfell via Back Creek Road. Grenfell provides visitor services. Approximately 380 kilometres west of Sydney. A national parks pass applies.

Invasive weed control in the mallee and woodland communities. Managing feral goats that can damage the rocky terrain vegetation. The park's heritage values are maintained through interpretation of the bushranger history.