Belougery Split Rock walking track

How to get there

1. Western John Renshaw Parkway access. Approaches from Gilgandra / Tooraweenah or Coonamble (some unsealed) as well as from Coonabarabran along the sealed spine.
2. Vehicle day entry applies — [VERIFY] $8. 2WD on sealed main roads; caution on unsealed feeders after rain.
3. Trailhead is on the western / Camp Wambelong side — not Pincham. Confirm the signed start on the official page.
4. Call at the Visitor Centre first if you are already on the main spine (maps, alerts, creek/road notes).
5. Screenshot local alerts. Official heading Open (snapshot 25 Sep 2026). The 21–23 Sep northern Uringery/FFPA close is off the official page.

How to do it (step by step)

1. Grade 4 kit even at 4.6 km: water, hat, sturdy shoes, topo/GPS as NPWS suggests.
2. Expect a rough path around obstacles and a scramble on carved steps to the summit knoll.
3. Sit for the 360° view — Warrumbungle mountains and western plains — then complete the signed loop.
4. Limited/no mobile reception. Do not rely on the phone.
5. If the scramble looks beyond the least-able person, reverse. There is no prize for forcing the knoll.

Who this walk is for

Choose Split Rock when the group wants a western Grade 4 with a real scramble and 360° plains views, without a 14 km High Tops day. Official: 4.6 km loop, 2.5–3.5 hours (re-checked 2026-08-15). Short distance, real effort.

NPWS language: experienced bushwalkers, self-reliant, comfortable on technical terrain. Mixed first-timers belong on Fans Horizon or Whitegum. Older kids only if they already scramble happily — not a toddler circuit.

What to expect

You climb around an ancient lava dome on a rough path that threads obstacles. The last pitch is a scramble on steps cut into a rocky knoll. The 360° view — Warrumbungle mountains and western plains — is the reward.

Wedge-tailed eagles use this air. Spring wildflowers and quiet wallaroos are possible. None of that makes the knoll optional if someone is already cooked.

Logistics

Western trailhead near Camp Wambelong — not Pincham. Vehicle day entry applies. Carry water; there is no knoll tap. Topo/GPS as NPWS suggests. Limited or no mobile reception is official.

Camp Wambelong is the nearby vehicle camp when booked via NPWS. Park entry is still extra. Do not invent a roadside camp because the walk was “only 4.6 km.”

Reverse

If the carved steps look beyond the least-able person, turn around. Completing the lower loop without the knoll is still a western walk. Forcing the scramble is how ankles fail far from a bar of reception.

Do not treat Split Rock as a warm-up for Mount Exmouth the same afternoon. One Grade 4 product per day.

Pairing

Calm western day: Split Rock plus a booked Camp Wambelong night, or Burbie Canyon if the group is still fresh and the creek is sensible. Heat days: skip the knoll and picnic instead.

If you wanted the Pincham volcanic close-ups, that is Fans Horizon or the Breadknife — a different precinct and a different carpark.

Map (orientation)

Pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads, parking and track status on NSW National Parks before you drive.