burning mountain nature reserve

A great experiance and walk, learning something along the way is always good and the views from the way up and down are lovley over the valley below.Good trip for the winter for greatest effect.

A bit of a climb - but a very pleasant one to reach the top of the hill for a lovely view, and the fascinating (if somewhat smelly) permanently burning coal seam, which is close enough to the surface for visitors to feel the heat. This spot also offers a pleasant picnic area.

A must do along the New England Highway. A really interesting (where else can you see a burning mountain) walk, we saw kangaroos and lots of bird life, the walk is a little up hill but very easy. You can free camp in the car park, there are tables, fire places and toilets (which were pretty clean when we were there). Look for the signs as it could be easy to drive past. It is 23Km north of Scone.

The Newcastle-Hunter Valley region is super rich in coal so this little known attraction outside NSW known as Burning Mountain at Wingen holds claim to be the world’s longest burning coal fire with scientific estimate’s believing it has been alight for approximately 6000 years, basically when the ancient Egyptians started becoming smart.The peak of Mt Wingen at the viewing platform is visibly scarred in a white coloured layer of charred dirt from the heat underground. There are splashes of red from the rich iron content & some yellow sulfur. There was a strong burning coal smell in the air. Poking around I could feel the heat rising from the soft ground but couldn’t locate any deep chasm’s, fissures or gaping holes in the earth. It might be better visiting in winter when it’s cold or the early morning at sunrise or sunset to appreciate the whole place more than in the steaming midday heat of summer. The place was well-known to the local Aboriginal Wanaruah people who called it ‘Win-gen’ translated as ‘fire’, the information board states that local Aboriginals considered the place taboo & generally stayed away from it for some long forgotten reason. If something strange happens or your dreams become haunted that night, you’ve probably re-stumbled upon why.The clearly defined walking path is just under 2kms to the Burning Mountain viewing platform & has some great views of the surrounding hills on the way up. The path cuts through some nice bushland & viewpoints with plenty of bird calls going off all around. There are some ascending steps but I think its do-able for most old people who aren’t bound to a wheelchair or who can hack a bit of a sore back. I saw a couple pushing a baby pram along the dirt path so why not? Parts of the trail cross over private land but the whole place is under the management of the NSW Parks & Wildlife Service. The whole trail is well laid out with several rest stops with signage & benches giving the impression these rangers don’t sleep all day after all. There is no entrance or parking fee.The Burning Mountain National Park is located 5kms north of Wingen’s pub off the New England highway 18 kms north of Scone. The area surrounding the national park is well signposted with a car park, resting/camping area & toilets located at the beginning of the 1.6km walking trail to the Burning Mountain summit. The park signage states the hike will take between 1.5 & 2 hours return however it can be done in half the time if you walk at a steady pace. Bring water in summer, a hat, insect repellent & a beautiful woman to enjoy the views with.