4WD Camping Guide to Yerranderie Ghost Town
If you’re looking for an off-road camping trip with a bit of Aussie history and a few ghost stories thrown in, then Yerranderie Ghost Town in Kanangra-Boyd National Park should definitely be on your radar.
Fred, Norweld’s Socials guru and a Queenslander through and through, admitted he wasn’t familiar on best tracks down this way, so he called in our Sydney Branch Manager, Jon to lead the way. Once the word got out, more jumped on board and together with our Agency mates, Mitch and Adam from All 4 Mechanical and Josh from the Out of Town 4WD group, they loaded up their rigs and headed out to explore one of NSW’s best-kept secrets – Yerranderie Ghost Town.
Nestled in the Blue Mountains, NSW, the iconic Caves to Caves track via Yerranderie, takes you through a historic silver mining town turned ghost town with cracking campsites, river and creek crossings, fire trails and loads of adventure the whole family can enjoy – here’s how it all went.
How to get to Yerranderie – The trip in
Marking the start of their Caves to Caves adventure, the crew spent their first night under the stars at Oberon Dam Camp Grounds. From there, it was an early morning run to Jenolan Caves at the top of Kanangra Walls Road (about 6 hours’ drive from Sydney), where they aired down their tyres before tackling the Kowmong River Fire Trail. This track took them to Dingo Dell, a cracking little camping spot, perfect for a quick break or even an overnight stay. The site has long-drop toilets, fire rings and a peaceful creek to camp beside – definitely one to remember if you’re heading in that way.
After Dingo Dell, they travelled through some fun little creek and river crossing on the Banshea Fire Trail, which connects to the Colong Stock Route – the main access into Yerranderie.
A little bit of history for you – this historic 1900s trail in fact used to carry silver ore from Yerranderie to Sydney, that was until the valleys were flooded to build Warragamba Dam. This essentially cut off the town’s original supply line, and in time, Yerranderie eventually became an abandoned town. Today, the Colong Stock Route is the primary 4WD access to Yerranderie Private town.
Camping at Yerranderie Ghost Town
Rolling into camp just before dark, the crew set up camp and got the fire going. Jon, who is an ex-chef by trade, was on breakfast duty the next morning with scrambled eggs and snags in a wrap, cooked over hot coals which sure hit the spot after a chilly night in NSW’s high country. Jon also put on an absolute spread one night that had everyone licking their plates clean – but that’s a yarn (and a recipe) for another post.
Read Camp Oven Recipes from the Norweld Yerranderie Trip here
The plan for the weekend was simple: cruise around the old mines, check out a secret waterhole and chill out and soak up a bit of early 20th century mining life.
Things to do while in Yerranderie
- A yarn with the local caretaker
Jon enjoyed his yarn with Mark, the local caretaker, who’s been working at Yerranderie since 2015. Known as the “Sheriff of a one-man town”, Mark says Yerranderie holds a special piece of Australian history and loves that it’s packed with loads of native wildlife and good stories.
Side note: By the time you’re reading this, Mark will have hung up his Sheriff keys and retired. Here’s to a cracking retirement, mate – you’ve done an unreal job preserving Yerranderie’s legacy.
- Explore the Old Silver Mining Ghost Town
The remains of Yerranderie’s mining past have been carefully maintained to preserve its historic charm. Enjoy exploring historic old buildings like the post office, tailor shop, bank, general store and cottages which have all been restored as close to their original as possible. Oh, and be sure to keep an eye out for the two-storey green building… word is, it’s famously haunted.
“There’s the little old lady upstairs in the top right-hand room who’s been known to scare the crap out of the odd visitor, and a cranky old bloke who lurks down in the back kitchen making it pretty clear when you’ve overstayed your welcome,” shared Mark, Sheriff of a one-man town.
- Secret Waterhole
Not far from camp is a natural waterhole that locals say is a lot like a natural bush spa and perfect for a dip after a day of exploring.
- 4WD Tracks
The drive in and out of Yerranderie by all accounts is half the fun, with a mix of open fire trails, steep descents and a few water crossings to keep things fun and interesting. NSW National Parks lists the track as suitable for well-equipped low-range 4WD vehicles.
Heading out of Yerranderie
After a cracking couple of nights, it was time for everyone to pack up camp and hit the track again. The crew headed back out via the Oberon Colong Road and turned down the Range Fire Trial which brought them down to Wombeyan Caves Road. From there they travelled through Wombeyan Caves and out to Mittagong and from there back to Sydney.
Jon wraps it up best saying it was the perfect end to a weekend that had a bit of everything – good tracks, better friends, a haunted ghost town and one of the best 4WD loops you’ll find Sydney side of the range.
Now let’s talk Norweld rigs!
There was a mixed fleet on this trip – everything from F-350s and 79 Series LandCruisers to D-Max’s and Rangers – all fitted out with Norweld Deluxe Plus and Elite Trays and Canopies.
Built tough with precision laser-cut, fully welded aluminium and backed by a lifetime warranty on workmanship, these setups handled all the bull dust, water crossings and rugged tracks without breaking a sweat.
The canopies kept dry and dust-free thanks to Norweld’s exclusive gutter system doors and rubber seals. Internal tie-down points kept everyone’s loose items safe and secure, while the heavy-duty drawers and slide-out tables helped make camp set up and cooking around the campfire so much easier.
The Elite Trays’ one-piece floor, dust-resistant toolboxes and on-board water tanks were a stand-out too, perfect for a quick rinse and staying organised out on the Yerranderie trail.
Another Norweld adventure proving why we build them the way we do.
- Fred (Norweld) drove his Ford Ranger GR Sport with Deluxe Plus Tray and 1500mm Compact Deluxe Canopy on the back. See more pics of his build here.
- Jon (Norweld) drove his D-Max with Elite Tray and Half Deluxe Lite Canopy and Back Rack. See more pics of his build here.
- Mitch (All 4 Mechanical) drove his JMACX 4495kg 300mm Extended LandCruiser with Deluxe Plus Tray and Half Deluxe Canopy.
- Adam (All 4 Mechanical) drove his F-350 with a Deluxe Plus Tray and Deluxe 1900mm Canopy.
- Josh (Out of Town 4WD) drove his 79 Series LandCruiser with the new Elite Tray.
Special thanks to Adam and Mitch from All 4 Mechanical and Josh from the Out of Town 4WD Drive Group for coming along and sharing in the adventure – wouldn’t have been the same without you!
Yerranderie really is one of those places that not enough people visit, but it’s a gem if you’re chasing a camping weekend with an Aussie difference.
👉 Keen to see what went on the camp fire? We’ve put together a separate post with Jon’s best camp oven recipe from the Yerranderie trip. Check it out here.