Griffith to Cobar road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops

The distance from Griffith to Cobar is 391km. Expect a driving time of around 4h12m. The best road trips stops along the way are Lake Cargelligo and the Round Hill Nature Reserve.

The Griffith to Cobar drive is one that takes you from the Riverina wineries to the outback mines. It brings big changes in the New South Wales landscape.

The drive to Cobar from Griffith is not one that many travellers will undertake. But if you’re doing a road trip from Melbourne to Cairns – or Melbourne to Townsville – along the quickest route, you’ll pass through both Griffith and Cobar.

To track down the best rates on Griffith accommodation, investigate here.

To secure the best Cobar accommodation deals, head here.

Griffith to Cobar distance and driving time

The distance from Griffith to Cobar is 391km. This makes for a driving time of around four hours and 12 minutes.

The best places to stay in Griffith, NSW

The top Griffith accommodation options are:

For a cheap, but good quality, motel: Coro Club Motel.
For a four star with flair (and free private parking): The Gem.
For a business-friendly aparthotel: Quest Griffith.

The first leg of the journey heads up the Rankins Springs Road, alongside the Cocopara Nature Reserve. Alas, this is a conservation area and public activity is discouraged.

The Rankins Springs Road joins the Mid Western Highway a short distance outside Rankins Springs, and runs concurrently into the small town. There’s a caravan park and the Conopaira Hotel here, but you may as well keep going.

Griffith to Cobar road trip: Jimberoo National Park and Naradhan

Jimberoo National Park lies to the west of the Rankins Springs Road, but again, it’s not really set up for visitors. Birdwatchers may find it worth a look, however.

The next town on the Griffith to Cobar road trip route is Naradhan, which offers big grain silos and little else.

Griffith to Cobar drive: Lake Cargelligo

The best stop, however, comes up next along the Lachlan Valley Highway. Lake Cargelligo is both a lake and a town. The lake is popular for waterskiing, but you can also go kayak, swimming and sailing.

It’s a good fishing spot, while’s there’s a walking and cycling track around the lake foreshore.

In the town, there are a couple of classic country pubs – the Royal Mail Hotel and the Commercial Hotel. You can also admire the giant mural painted on the town’s water tower.

At Euabalong, a fairly anodyne town on the Lachlan River, you need to head north-west along Tipping Way.

Griffith to Cobar road trip: Round Hill Nature Reserve

You’ll soon skirt the northern end of the Round Hill Nature Reserve, where members of the public are permitted to walk along the fire trails, but not drive along them.

Eventually, Tipping Way joins Kidman the Kidman Way, which heads north to Cobar. On the way, it goes through the curious ghost town of Gilgunnia. This former gold mining town now has an official population of zero.

But otherwise, there’s nothing until you reach Cobar. Here, you’ll pass the Fort Bourke Hill mine lookout on the way into town.

The best things to do in Cobar, NSW, include the Great Cobar Museum, the Cobar Sound Chapel art installation and Mount Grenfell National Park.

Cobar accommodation recommendations

The best places to stay in Cobar are:

For a decent-sized pool and kitchenettes: Crossroads Motel.
For – usually – the cheapest prices: Copper City Motel.
For family rooms and a restaurant: Cobar Town and Country Motor Inn.

Cobar's welcome sign greets visitors to this Outback NSW town — Cobar’s welcome sign greets visitors to this Outback NSW town. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

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