Turners Walking Track

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Safer Bushwalks Tips on staying safe on track
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.

Getting There Transport options and directions

Start	On Bakers Road (80 m North of Turners Road), Olney. (-32.9756812,151.4118894)
Mode	Car
Directions	From Leggetts Drive, Freemans Waterhole, head south-east along Freemans Drive; After 1.9km, (take the 2nd exit at the roundabout) to continue straight along Freemans Drive Freemans Waterhole. After another 8km, turn right on to Mount Faulk Road Cooranbong. After another 8.9km, continue straight along Heaton Road Freemans Waterhole. After another 1.7km, turn slight right on to Watagan Forest Road Martinsville. After another 3.1km, come to the trackhead on Watagan Forest Road Olney.

Track Notes Turn by turn instructions & maps

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start (from Watagan Headquarters Camping Area, Olney) by heading south-east. After another 50m, pass the Watagan Headquarters, a campsite (on your right). There is a picnic table here. Watagan Headquarters Watagan Headsquarters campsite (aka Forestry HQ) is located in the Heaton State Forest, beside Bakers Rd, near Heaton Rd. This campsite has wood fired barbecues, picnic tables and a garbage bin. The large, flat, cleared area allows plenty of room to pitch a tent. In 2010, a series of vandalism attacks occurred on the water tank, so there is no longer water available. After another 15m, pass a picnic table (5m on your right).
	After another 40m, (at the 4-way intersection, with & Turners Road) bear right (taking the second option to the right, basically straight ahead), to follow Turners Road. Then almost immediately, head around the gate.
	After another 850m, (at the 3-way intersection) continue straight, to stay on Turners Road.
	After another 1.1km, (at the 3-way intersection, with Turners Road & Turners Walking Track) continue straight, to follow the Turners Walking Track. After another 950m, cross the creek.
	Then almost immediately (at the 3-way intersection) continue straight, to stay on the Turners Walking Track. After another 15m, pass the Boarding House Dam Picnic Area, a clearing (15m on the left). Boarding House Dam Picnic Area The boarding house dam picnic area in the Watagans National Park offers a relaxed spot to have a picnic amongst large gum trees, combined with a walk to the dam and moss wall. The picnic area is surrounded by a wide, sleepy creek that has been widened by the dam. There are a number of sheltered picnic tables, barbeques, a toilet, and water (treat water before use - water maybe unavailable). The dam was built in 1952 for fire fighting and recreational use. The area was established in the 1850s as a logging camp, as part of the Barnier Timber Lease. Now it is a great picnic area, Then almost immediately, head around the gate.
	Then almost immediately you will be at the turn-around point (to return to the start) at Boarding house dam picnic area, Olney.

Terrain Know the Hills, grading & facilities

Grading

	Class 4/6 Hard track
Length	6.2km
Time	2 hrs 15 mins to 3 hrs 30 mins

Quality of track	Rough track, where fallen trees and other obstacles are likely (4/6)
Gradient	Short steep hills (3/6)
Signage	Minimal directional signs (4/6)
Infrastructure	Limited facilities (such as cliffs not fenced, significant creeks not bridged) (4/6)
Experience Required	Moderate level of bushwalking experience recommended (4/6)
Weather	Foretasted & unexpected storms and severe weather may impact on navigation and safety (4/6)

Some facilities on route

Campsite: There is one 50m from the start.

Order of key facilities on route

Item	From Start	Name & link to notes
Campsite	50m	Watagan Headquarters

Weather & Alerts Check forecasts & closures
Weather Forecast
- Toronto Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
  
  Saturday 19 July
  
  19°C
  Mostly sunny.
  10% chance of rain
  
  Mostly sunny. Areas of frost and the chance of fog this morning. Slight chance of a shower along the coastal fringe, becoming less likely this afternoon. Near zero chance of rain elsewhere. Light winds. Daytime maximum temperatures between 15 and 19.
  
  UV Alert: Sun protection 11:30am to 12:30pm, UV Index predicted to reach 3 [Moderate]
  
  Sunday 20 July
  
  2°C → 18°C
  Sunny.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Mostly sunny. Areas of morning frost. The chance of morning fog about the Upper Hunter. Slight chance of a shower along the coastal fringe in the evening. Near zero chance of rain elsewhere. Light winds becoming south to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h in the early afternoon then becoming light in the late afternoon. Overnight temperatures falling to between minus 1 and 4 above zero with daytime temperatures reaching between 14 and 18.
  
  Monday 21 July
  
  5°C → 19°C
  Shower or two.
  50% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Areas of morning frost about the Upper Hunter. The chance of morning fog. Medium chance of showers along the coastal fringe, slight chance elsewhere. Light winds becoming east to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon then becoming light during the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between zero and 6 with daytime temperatures reaching between 15 and 19.
  
  Tuesday 22 July
  
  6°C → 20°C
  Partly cloudy.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower, most likely in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming north to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the day then becoming light during the afternoon. Overnight temperatures falling to between 3 and 7 with daytime temperatures reaching between 17 and 20.
  
  Wednesday 23 July
  
  7°C → 21°C
  Shower or two.
  60% chance of rain
  0 → 4mm
  
  Shower or two.
  
  Thursday 24 July
  
  6°C → 19°C
  Mostly sunny.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Mostly sunny.
  
  Friday 25 July
  
  6°C → 19°C
  Shower or two.
  70% chance of rain
  0 → 6mm
  
  Shower or two.
  
  Forecast data thanks to © Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Alerts
- Watagans National Park alerts
  Other planned events: Bangalow Road planned repairs and maintenance
  Planned road repairs and maintenance is scheduled for Bangalow Road from 1 August 2025 to 1 October 2025 (subject to weather). Heavy plant and machinery will be operating along Bangalow Road.
  Areas that will also be closed due to these works include:
  
  Bangalow Campground and Day use area
  
  Gap Creek Campground and Day use area
  
  Gap Creek Falls walking track
  
  Climbers walking track
  
  During this time, Bangalow Road will be closed and pedestrian and vehicle access is not permitted. Penalties apply for non-compliance.
  For more information, contact NPWS Central Coast Area office on (02) 4972 9000.
  
  Closed areas: Rope Road and Click Creek Fire Trail closed due to road conditions
  Rope Road and Click Creek Fire Trails are temporarily closed as it is not suitable for 2WD or 4WD vehicles. The areas will reopen as soon as they are considered safe. To prevent further damage to the road and to protect visitor safety, please avoid these areas and other trails within the reserve that are potentially hazardous.
  Penalties apply for non-compliance.
  
  Closed areas: Heaton Road Access from Watagans Road Closed Due to Landslip and Rockfall
  Heaton Road Access from Watagans Road is closed as it is no longer suitable for 2WD or 4WD vehicles due to risk of landslip and rockfall. This affects access from Watagans National Park to Quorrobolong.
  
  Penalties apply for non-compliance.
  
  For further information, please contact NPWS Munmorah office on (02) 4972 9000.
  
  Closed areas: Monkey Face Road closed due to road conditions
  Monkey Face Road is temporarily closed as it is no longer suitable for 2WD or 4WD vehicles. This closure will affect vehicle access to following areas until further notice due unsafe road conditions:
  
  Monkey Face Road
  
  Monkey Face Lookout
  
  Gap Creek Lookout
  
  The areas will re-open as soon as they are considered safe. To prevent further damage to the road and to protect visitor safety, please avoid this area and other trails in the reserve that are potentially hazardous.
  Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, contact the local park office.
  
  Closed areas: Gap Creek Forest Walk Part Closed Due to Landslip and Rockfall Risk
  Gap Creek Forest Walk is part closed due to the risk of landslip and rockfall.
  Penalties apply for non-compliance.
  For more information, contact NPWS Central Coast office on 02 4972 9000
  
  Alert kindly provided by © NSW Nataional Parks and Wildlife Service

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