Cattai National Park, NSW: Mitchell Park walks & Cattai Farm
Great things to do in Cattai National Park, NSW, include the 6km loop walk at Mitchell Park, visiting the historic buildings of Cattai Farm and paddling in the Hawkesbury River.
Cattai National Park is an underrated national park in the Hawkesbury region of New South Wales, just north of Sydney. There are two sections, both on Cattai Creek. The western Cattai Farm section also borders the Hawkesbury River.
Things to do in Cattai National Park, NSW: Mitchell Park walk
Let’s start with the quieter Mitchell Park area, further east along Cattai Creek. This is a popular fishing spot – there are plenty of carp and bass in the creek. But Mitchell Park in Cattai National Park is also blessed with a 6km loop walk through scribbly gums and bloodwood trees. You can shorten this main walk into a 4km loop by skipping the steepest section – the Old Man Banksia Track.
Families, however, might prefer a 2km loop along Cattai Creek then back through the forest. Maps are available on the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service website.
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Cattai Farm in Cattai National Park
The Cattai Farm section of Cattai National Park tends to be busier. That’s partly because the Cattai campground is here, and families head there at the weekends for barbecues. It’s also a good spot for canoeing and paddling in the river.
But the Cattai Farm section of Cattai National Park is also of historic interest. The national park includes the parcel of land granted to Thomas Arndell, the surgeon on the First Fleet of settlers to arrive in Australia. You can still see Arndell’s 1821 homestead, convict-built walls and a ruined windmill. This windmill is believed to be the oldest industrial building in Australia.
Cattai National Park is just north of Scheyville National Park, and north-east of Windsor. Coming from Sydney, you’re best off branching from the Windsor Road just after Rouse Hill and following Boundary Road towards the park. The drive takes about an hour from central Sydney.
More NSW National Parks
Booti Booti National Park | Cocoparra National Park | Macquarie Pass National Park | Morton National Park | Murray Valley National Park | Mutawintji National Park | Tomaree National Park | Woomargama National Park | Yanga National Park