Clover Hill trail is a 6km, grade 5 hike located in the Macquarie Pass National Park, New South Wales. The hike should take around 3.5 hrs to complete.
Hike summary
For a varied and interesting walk, take the Clover Hill trail. This old logging route leads to Rainbow Falls and three smaller falls upstream on the Macquarie Rivulet. After walking in the dense shade of the forest, suddenly the landscape opens up at Clover Hill - these are the paddocks cleared by farmers over a century ago. High above, the massive cliffs of the escarpment glow yellow and orange in the sunlight.
Bushwalkers, birdwatchers and adventurers will love this walk, with its sharp contrast between rainforest and open fields. The huge rainforest trees, eucalypts, beefwood, Illawarra flame trees, cabbage tree palms and tree ferns, home to lyrebirds and goannas, give way to sunny plains where you will often see kangaroos hopping about.
Highlights include a spectacular view of the escarpment, and adventurers may wish to scramble upstream at the end of the track to access Rainbow Falls.
Route and GPX file
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Tips
Protect against leeches and ticks with insect repellent
Please leave wildflowers and other plants as they are
Tall forest is best avoided when there are strong winds
Remember to take your binoculars if you want to birdwatch
Visit NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service for more information on this trail.
The longitude and latitude of the start and end points are approximately only and should not be used for navigation purposes. Please contact me if you know the correct coordinates.
Gear you might need
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Location
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Getting there
To Clover Hill carpark. The trackhead is at the northern edge of Cascades picnic area. From Sydney and Wollongong:Take the Princes Highway and Southern Freeway to the Illawarra Highway turnoff at Haywards BayTravel about 14km along the Illawarra Highway, which veers right in Albion Park, to Macquarie Pass National Park.After passing the Macquarie Pass National Park sign at the bottom of Macquarie Pass, travel 2.2km further along the highway.Clover Hill Road is signposted on the left and the carpark is at the start of the trailFromRobertson:Take the Illawarra Highway east to reach Macquarie Pass National Park and Cascades picnic areaClover Hill Road is signposted on the right, 5km after the Macquarie Pass National Park sign on the first hairpin bend, and the carpark is at the start of the trail.Please be careful turning off and entering the Illawarra Highway at Clover Hill Road, as visibility is limited by the windy road. Park entry points Clover Hill carpark See on map Parking Parking is available in the designated carpark. It can be a busy place on the weekend, so parking might be limited.
About the region
Macquarie Pass National Park in the South Coast and Country NSW regions
Macquarie Pass National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Gallery
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Acknowledgement of Country
Trail Hiking Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we hike and pay respects to their Elders, past and present, and we acknowledge the First Nations people of other communities who may be here today.