Wingello State Forest Guide
Southern Highlands working forest — Wingello HQ Camp, free and first-come, and the rebuilt Forest Trails.
Unofficial operator’s manual
Independent, unofficial, not Forestry Corporation, not NPWS · Content reviewed 24 Sep 2026
Can you camp, can the dog come, where the trailhead moved, where to sleep when HQ Camp is full. Forestry Corporation publishes live closures. Confirm on the official Wingello page, Highland Trails and closures.
- HQ Camp
- Free first-come
- Dogs under control
- Working forest
- Forest Trails
- Not Morton NP
Plan, camp, maps, town bed
Not the national park
This is a State forest, not the national park
Wingello State Forest is a Forestry Corporation of NSW working forest in the Southern Highlands, a short drive south-east of Wingello village on the Hume corridor between Sydney and Goulburn. It is radiata pine with native edges. It is not Morton National Park. Most people come for Wingello HQ Camp — free, first-come, no booking — or for Wingello Forest Trails, rebuilt after the 2020 fires and looked after by the Highland Trails club. This site is an unofficial operator’s manual in the State Forest Guide Australia network. Check Forestry Corporation notices and the club page before you drive.
What kind of forest day?
Camp at HQ
Free · first-come · no booking
Wingello HQ Camp. The camping list says Caroua Road. The NSW place page lists toilets and a playground. It does not list showers.
Ride the trails
Trailhead moved · club status
Highland Trails looks after the rebuilt network. Do not use a pre-fire kilometre count. This page is not a live open board.
Picnic and playground
Same clearing as the camp
Children’s nature playground and picnic facilities, free, in the pine clearing with the camp.
I typed Morton
Different manager
Morton National Park is next door and booked. Dogs are a different rule. This page is the forest.
Best for
A free first-come camp with a dog under control; a picnic and playground in the same clearing; a cross-country ride on the rebuilt network; a Friday Plan B in a Highlands town.
Skip if
You need a reserved pad tonight; you wanted Morton National Park camping; you need showers or a published drinking tap; you want a pre-2020 trail kilometre or a live “open now” board.
Named camp
Wingello HQ Camp
One published camp name. Forestry Corporation’s list: Caroua Road, Wingello, GPS −34.715833°, 150.189104°. The NSW place page prints Caoura Road and adds toilets, picnic and a children’s nature playground. Free. First-come.
- No booking widget. We do not sell a site.
- Dogs under your control. Not in Morton National Park.
- Bring water. No tap is published.
- The bike trailhead is no longer this clearing.
How long
Times below are ours. Forestry Corp doesn’t publish visit hours.
Half day
Picnic and playground at the camp, or a look at the new trailhead. A note on the club site is not a promise the trails are open.
Full day
A ride on the rebuilt network if notices allow, then food in Moss Vale or Bundanoon. Morton lookouts are a different day.
Overnight
HQ Camp, first-come. If it is full, a town bed. Generally four weeks maximum under statewide forest rules.
Wingello State Forest Guide
Wingello State Forest Guide downloads
Printable planner and itineraries with the site name on them. Packing, Friday Plan B, half day / full day / overnight. Official Forestry Corp / RFS links on every file.
- Planner — packing, last towns, dogs, fires, Friday Plan B
- Itineraries — half day at the camp, trail day if notices allow, overnight first-come
- Pine-camp mark + www.wingellostateforest.com.au on every sheet
Free direct download — no email required. Maps · Itineraries · Privacy.
Part of the State Forest Guide Australia network
This unofficial Wingello State Forest guide is in that network. Not government. Not a national-park directory.
Browse state forests → stateforestguide.com.au
Sister state forests
Only live guides are links.
FAQ
Is Wingello State Forest a national park?
No. It is a Forestry Corporation of NSW working forest south-east of Wingello village. Morton National Park is the neighbour, with a different manager, booked camping, and dogs generally prohibited.
Can I book Wingello HQ Camp?
No. The camp is free and first-come. This site does not sell a site. If the clearing is full, use a town bed.
Can I bring a dog?
Yes in this State forest, under your control. That is the statewide rule. It does not apply in Morton National Park.
Are the mountain bike trails open today?
This page cannot tell you. The network was rebuilt after the 2020 fires and the trailhead moved off the forest camp. Check Highland Trails and Forestry Corporation notices the morning you leave.
Is this site official?
No. Independent unofficial operator’s manual in the State Forest Guide Australia network. Not Forestry Corporation. Not NPWS. Not Highland Trails.
The camp name, the Caroua Road spelling and the GPS are from Forestry Corporation’s camping lists. The NSW place page (13 Jun 2025) says Caoura Road, and lists toilets, a picnic, a children’s playground and free entry. Highland Trails (24 Sep 2026) says the trailhead has moved, and names the rebuilt trails. Forestry Corp’s bike page says about 8 km of cross-country, in from Gap Road. For today’s closure, use Forestry Corp’s notices. For fire, use the RFS and Forestry Corp’s solid-fuel notices. Trailforks is someone else’s map.
Not independently walked or ridden. Conditions, roads, trail status and fire rules change. Verify with Forestry Corporation of NSW and Highland Trails before you leave.