Bald Rock National Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bald Rock National Park New South Wales
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Vista from the top of Bald Rock
Bald Rock National Park Location in New South Wales
Nearest town or city	Tenterfield
Established	1971
Area	88.83 km2 (34.3 sq mi)
Managing authorities	NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Website	Bald Rock National Park
See also	Protected areas of New South Wales

Bald Rock National Park is a special place in northern New South Wales, Australia. It's located right near the border with Queensland, close to the town of Tenterfield. This park is famous for its huge granite rock, which is called Bald Rock. It's so big that part of the Queensland border actually crosses over it! Right next door, in Queensland, is another park called Girraween National Park, which shares similar amazing landscapes.

About Bald Rock

The park gets its name from Bald Rock, which is its most amazing feature. Imagine a giant, smooth rock sticking up about 200 meters from the ground! That's like a 60-story building! This rock is about 750 meters long and 500 meters wide. This makes it the largest granite rock of its kind in Australia.

You can get to Bald Rock by driving on a sealed road inside the park. Then, there are walking tracks to reach the very top. There are two main paths. One is a steep climb right up the open rock face. The other is an easier path that winds through the bushland around the back.

Walking Tracks

The Bungoona Walking Track was built in 1980. It's a gentler way up the eastern side of Bald Rock. This path goes through lovely forests and passes by cool granite rock formations. You might see an arch covered in moss, ferns, and orchids.

Amazing Views

When you reach the top of Bald Rock, you get incredible views! You can see the bushland all around you. The views are so wide that you can spot mountains far away. These include Mount Barney, Mount Lindesay, and Flinders Peak in Queensland. You can also see Mount MacKenzie to the south of Tenterfield.

How Bald Rock Formed

Bald Rock is part of the New England granite belt. About 220 million years ago, hot, melted rock called magma pushed up from deep inside the Earth. This magma cooled down and became a very hard rock called granite. Over millions of years, the land was lifted up, and softer rocks around the granite wore away. Because granite is very strong, Bald Rock remained standing tall.

This process created a landscape with many exposed granite rocks. Some of these rocks balance on top of each other. Others form natural arches, creating interesting shapes in the park.

Other Cool Spots

Just off the main road that leads to the park, you'll find Thunderbolt's Hideout. This spot has caves and large overhanging granite rocks. People believe it was once used by a famous Australian bushranger named Captain Thunderbolt. A little further along the same road, you can also see some historic tank traps from World War II.

See also

In Spanish: Parque nacional Roca Bald para niños