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Colo Meroo camping ground
Wollemi National Park 10 Campsites


General info


Getting there
Closest point to drive and park is on all weather unsealed roads, from there it is on foot to the campsite
73.9 km NW of Sydney
GPS: Latitude 33° 23′ 1.068"S Longitude 150° 41′ 31.74"E (-33.38363, 150.69215)
There are two main walking access routes. Plus two more bonus ways in, for the more adventurous.
Options 2,3 & 4 require a topographic map and navigation skills.

1 - shortest and easiest) From the far western end of Upper Colo Rd, walk about 2.5km along a marked track/trail that runs roughly parallel to the Colo River. Most of this walk is on private property, please stay on the marked track and show your respect to the land owners.

2 - longer and hard)You can walk from Sams Way at Mountain Lagoon, following the Gospers Ridge Trail and then Mailes Ridge for approximately 12km.
3) Another option from Mountain Lagoon is to take the T3 Track and then a walk down the Colo River, then walk or lilo down stream to the campsite.
4) Another option from the Putty Road side, is to follow the Bob Turners Track (4km to River) and then walk or lilo to the campsite (another 11km).

General Information
There is a long walk into this campsite
There are a total of 10 campsites
The river can flood so check levels. There is a nice sandy beach section and some open flat areas to camp and play.

Bookings and contact information
You are not able to book these campsites - first come basis
For more information contact the NPWS Richmond office on:
Phone:02 4588 5247 (more contact details)

Fees
Free Camping - no camp fees apply
Adult=$0 Per Night
Children=$0 Per Night
No car entry fees apply
Vehicle=$0 Per Day

Facilities
Toilets
Pit or composting toilets are available
Showers
No showers are provided on site
Water
There is water onsite (or from a nearby creek) that can be treated for drinking
Picnic Tables
Picnic tables are provided on site
Pit fire BBQs
Wood fired Pit BBQ's are provided - bring your own wood
Electric of Gas BBQs
Gas or electric BBQ's are not provided
Rubbish Bins
No rubbish bins provided - take your own rubbish with you
Campfires
Fires are generally permitted at this campsite, be aware of local fire bans.


Activities
Swimming
There are places to swim


Nearest known Camping Stores
Store Address Phone Distance (straight line)
Richmond Camping Supplies 340 Windsor St , Richmond (02) 4578 3004 24.2 km
Getaway Disposals 549 High St , Penrith (02) 4732 2285 41.1 km
Mitchell Adventure 24 Henry St , Penrith (02) 4731 8482 41.3 km
Kangaroo Tent City Cnr Mulgoa & Blaikie Rds, Penrith (02) 4733 4111 42.9 km
Boots Great Outdoors Shop 25 Home Centre Wolseley St , Penrith (02) 4733 5744 43.1 km

Maps of campsite


Locality Map




Local area Topographical Map
Map Scale 1 km
Location of Colo Meroo camping ground
Map of Colo Meroo camping ground
Base map is used under licence and is © Department of lands   Panorama Avenue Bathurst 2795   www.lands.nsw.gov.au

User Comments

Comments
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Geoff - crap IP:60.241.190.xxx | 2008-10-27 13:55:14
The description of access to Colo Meroo is misleading, uninformative and a piece of crap.
:(
admin - re: crap Super Administrator | 2008-10-27 15:43:25
Geoff wrote:
The description of access to Colo Meroo is misleading, uninformative and a piece of crap.
:(

Hi Geoff
Thanks for the feedback. I would appreciate and further info that can help make this better for other people.

here is the quote from the National Parks site on how to access the campsite.
"You can drive to Mountain Lagoon and walk roughly 12km each way. There is no access to the campground across private properties along the riverbank. If you're walking, drive along the Bells Line of Road, take the Mountain Lagoon turn-off at Bilpin, then turn left into Sams Way."

re-reading the directions are vague, you are right. Any other info???
Geoff - yes it really is crap IP:60.241.190.xxx | 2008-10-27 19:07:34
No, more than vague. Your description chops two sentences into one and doesn't make sense. But more on that in a minute. For a start, there is indeed a ~12km walk in via Mailes Ridge Trail. Why then do you bother saying "accesable by all weather unsealed roads suitable for 2wd vehicles"? Sounds a bit stupid if you ask me. Next is the reference to Bob Turners Track. This track is indeed well known, though it provides access to the Colo River approximately 11km upstream of Colo Meroo. It would thus take a long time to "walk in" from there as Colo River walking is slow. You could lilo/paddle from BT track if you knew what you were doing. Next problem is that the BT track provides access to the Colo from the other side of the river, from Putty Road. It is absolutely nowhere near Sams Way at Mountain Lagoon, and it would indeed take (a lot) more than an hour to drive between the two. Sams Way is the access for the Mailes Ridge Trail, and also the T3 Trail. The whole thing needs to be rewritten.

>The campsite is accesable by all weather unsealed roads suitable for 2wd vehicles
Walk in along Bob turners track from Sams Way, driver along the Bells Line of Road, turn onto the Mountain Lagoon at Bilpin, then turn into Sams Way. Or you can canoe or float down the river on a li-lo
admin - re: yes it really is crap Super Administrator | 2008-10-27 20:56:40
Thanks again for your feedback Geoff

I do want to make this site helpful for people, and I must admit most of my work has been spent on the bushwalking side and little on the campsite stuff.

I will be working through much of the campsite info over the next few months.

I understand the issue with "accesable by all weather unsealed roads suitable for 2wd vehicles". This was intened to mean to the start of the walk is, (and another part says that it is a long walk in). So I take your point that it confussing and will consider that in the redesign of the camping info.

Since you are so farmiliar with the area, are you willing to provide some directions to the campsite?? if so I am sure other people would benefit from it.

Thanks again for your feedback
cassidy :D - pictures IP:58.173.35.xxx | 2008-11-02 16:50:45
:D there should be some pictures of the campsite.
admin - re: pictures Super Administrator | 2008-11-02 17:02:18
Yep I aggree Cassidy. This campsite has become popular by the sounds of it, I will try to get down there and get some photos, If you have some you would like to share please feel free,
Bron IP:203.206.220.xxx | 2008-11-03 14:45:34
I've liloed to this campsite from Bob Turner's track. River flowed slowed in the deep sections for the 1st half of the day, except for the couple of small rapids we went over. Towards the end of the day the river widened and got shallower and we channel hopped to find deep bits.

Campsite was 200m up a track from the river. Not to hard to find.

The sheltered cooking/ eating areas were well recieved.
Geoff - suggestion IP:60.241.190.xxx | 2008-11-07 08:58:06
The description from NPWS is more or less accurate. If you want it rewritten and expanded, how about...

"There is currently no access to Colo Meroo from Upper Colo due to issues with landholders. The most straightforward approach is thus from Sams Way at Mountain Lagoon. The Gospers Ridge Trail and Mailes Ridge is walked for approximately 12km. Other options for access include the T3 Track (also from Mountain Lagoon) and then a walk down the Colo River. Or, from the Putty Road side, access is possible from the Bob Turners Track (4km to River) and then a walk or lilo to the campsite (another 11km). Another possibility for experienced walkers in this vacinity is via the ridge which goes over Mt Townsend."
admin - re: suggestion Super Administrator | 2008-11-07 09:43:25
Hi Geoff
Thanks for you detailed descriptions for access. I have made some changes and checked it against the map. They are some great options and much better then what was there.
Thanks for your help. your feedback is greatly welcomed.

Thanks again

BTW we I will be doing a bit of a redesign of the camping info pages soon. I am aware that is fairly cluttered and a bit tricky to read. Hope to have it up in a few weeks
Andrew - Miserable people IP:115.129.5.xxx | 2008-12-27 16:46:45
Nice one Geoff....you sound like a real miserable person! What a terrible way to speak to someone who is only trying to help.

Admin, I'd like to thank you for at least making the effort to advise people.


Cheers,
Andrew.
Daniel - Thanks guys IP:165.228.178.xxx | 2009-05-06 14:18:53
I agree with Andrew. Geoff sounds like a dickhead. how rude.

Thanks everyone else for helpful suggestions. I'll be heading down to this campsite on Saturday 9/5/2009.
Fiona - Mountain Lagoon to Colo Meroo IP:203.108.177.xxx | 2010-11-09 03:22:07
Can you tell me if you have any detailed trip notes for the walk down to the Colo Meroo campsite via the Gospers Ridge Track (not the Tootie Creek track)? I only have some information from a few years ago that said half way there it becomes overgrown and tricky to find the track along the ridge.

Thank you for your help, I find your website very helpful and glad of the effort you put in.

Fiona
admin - re: Mountain Lagoon to Colo Me Super Administrator | 2010-11-09 04:52:03
Fiona wrote:
Can you tell me if you have any detailed trip notes for the walk down to the Colo Meroo campsite via the Gospers Ridge Track

Hi Fiona
Sorry we have not document the walks in that area yet, one day :).
In the mean time you might find this link helpful
http://ozultimate.com/bushwalking/walk.php?nid=790
Happy walking
Matt :)
Geoff IP:60.241.190.xxx | 2010-12-02 06:33:09
How disappointing it is to return to this page after a couple of years to find that I have been called "miserable" and a "dickhead". Obviously no editorial control on these comments either. For the sake of anyone stumbling onto this web page and is wondering how I earned these comments, well I guess you can see that I referred to the original description as a piece of crap. And that it was to anyone who has been to the area. Neither of the people who chose to make negative comments about me saw the original description, because it had already begun to be improved following my comments. The original description was, as I said in my first message, misleading and uninformative. So much so that it could have potentially been dangerous by someone not doing further research before trying to access the campsite with the information supplied. This was especially true of the original reference to the Bob Turner Track. The current description relies a lot on my input, and you can see that in my post on 7/11/08, and the fact that I was thanked by admin. Are Andrew and Daniel friends of admin and blindly trying to support him against someone who, in fact, has contributed more to this page than them?
Anney IP:121.216.133.xxx | 2010-12-02 12:36:05
Geoff, I just think you could have made your comments in a much nicer way. There really is no need to be rude and obnoxious when Matt tries very hard to be helpful and informative.
admin Super Administrator | 2010-12-03 00:16:30
Hi Geoff,
Thanks for your response and your help in making this page better. You have made a great contribution to this, and helped other people find the campsite. I do not know anyone of the people who has left comments on this page, they have reacted how they have. Perhaps I should take some editorial control over these forums. I try not to delete comments as I want to show a history and avoid a bias. If I start deleting comments then I run the risk of people feeling like I am editing comments to make me look good. In this case I thought by leaving these comments, if anything show that wildwalks is not perfectm, and had benifited from your input. I find Anneys comment interesting, I think she has a point, but I also think that it would have been helpful of Daniel and Andrew to have expressed their thoughts in a more positive way.
Can I ask for calm here, that we use this space to be more positive to each other, after all, the chances are we will end up in a tent next to each other soon enough anyway, and I hope we do.
Geoff if you are still concerned about these comments left and feel like I should take more or different action, then I am very happy to work that out please e-mail, matt@wildwalks.com or we can get together for a coffee or something.
Thanks
Matt :)
Jarrett IP:59.154.54.xxx | 2011-05-27 04:09:18
Matt you have the patience of a saint. Thanks for this amazing and informative site. You've been my guide since moving to australia a few yrs ago and I've enjoyed many a bushwalk suggested on your site.
Keep up the great work!

J
admin - re: Super Administrator | 2011-05-30 00:58:13
Jarrett wrote:
Keep up the great work!
J

Hi Jarrett
Thanks for your encouraging words. Glad you find the website helpful.
Matt :)
liza IP:211.27.15.xxx | 2011-08-06 10:01:48
Hi Matt,
You are such a nice guy.Geoff,do something worthwhile.Don't spend so much time complaining.
Mike - Mr IP:202.92.68.xxx | 2013-03-04 03:56:07
Hi Guys,

We recently li-lod down from Bob Turners and it was one of the best things Ive done..

However we couldnt find the Colo Meroo campsite? Im going again next weekend.. Are there any landmarks or ways you can identify the campsite? ( I will probably take a GPS and plug in Latitude 33° 23′ 1.068"S Longitude 150° 41′ 31.74"E ) but hoping someone has some less technical advice incase we need to find it the old fashioned way.

Matt - compliments on a great forum.

cheers,

Mike
Jenny - track difficult to follow IP:49.176.70.xxx | 2013-08-03 04:40:23
Hi.
We did the walk from mountain lagoon to colo meroo campsite but the track was overgrown and difficult to follow and we kept getting lost. Lucky we had a gps and topo map. We walked for 12 km and walked until after dark and still didn't make it to colo river. We camped somewhere on top of the Mountain about 2km from colo. We finished the rest the next morning and the track lead us climbing down a cliff face. We had to rope our backpacks down because it was so steep. There was a sign at colo saying the walk was 4hrs to mountain lagoon!! There's no way you can make it in 4 hrs! Anyways my suggestion is to start super early and be experienced at using a gps and topo map or don't bother. We took the shorter track via private property on the way back taking 40 mins and got picked up.
Andrew Norman - (Normie) IP:120.146.147.xxx | 2013-10-03 07:32:28
Have looked through this forum and have come up with an idea. Everyone on here appears to have some, if only a little, ability. Not to mention a love for the area. It has long impressed me and wish to explore further with lilo and camping trips. I know some walks are difficult having failed (ran out of time) to find Colo Meroo from Sams Way. Grassy Hill I was totally unprepared and did not have a good look but there is others that should be doable from, North, Coloul Range and South, Drip rock. In any event the IDEA.
When you do a walk, and find your path accessable, take accurate trip notes and pass them on, but beware.
The reason this is such a perfect place is NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO GET THERE!
Jesus - We could not rea IP:60.240.29.xxx | 2014-03-07 10:16:57
Hello people...We want to share our failed attemp to reach this campground, we went trought upper colo Rd, once we arrived to the last part of the road appear the first private gate, we just passed was close but unlock, unfortunately later on the next gate was close & lock and no way to jump it or bypass it, at that point we decided to give up and come back due there are a Sing saying PRIVATE PROPERTY STAY AWAY, Some local say it should't be lock. So that was our experiencie 15 Feb 2014
Boaz - Successful visit IP:60.242.18.xxx | 2015-09-29 10:31:17
On Wednesday 24th September 2015 we managed to get to the camping ground. From Upper Colo Rd we parked the car at the first gate which was closed but not locked. We walked through and the locals at the first house were welcoming and told us to keep by foot. We passed one more gate closed and locked with an open pedestrian side accsses. Other than that the signage pretty good. The walk from the ground to the river is clear and only 150 meters and not 500. Nice place, can't wait to go back to camp there. I uploaded some photos to drop box: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wdnuksdrnj1a4fh/DSC_4612.jpg?dl=0
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