Dorrigo National Park lies on the escarpment of northern New South Wales, about an hour from Coffs Harbour, where subtropical rainforest covers steep valleys and high country. The park forms part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, protecting plant communities that preserve links to ancient forests. Its elevated position creates broad views toward the Bellinger Valley and the coast, while dense forest keeps many walking tracks cool and shaded. The combination of rainforest, waterfalls, cliffs, and diverse wildlife makes Dorrigo one of the North Coast’s most distinctive protected areas.

Dorrigo National Park is managed with recognition of the Aboriginal heritage of the area, including sites associated with natural features and the continuing connection of local Aboriginal custodians to Country. The rainforest itself provides an important setting for understanding how plants, animals, waterways, and landscape features are connected within Aboriginal knowledge systems. At the Dorrigo Rainforest Centre, visitors can learn about the park’s natural and cultural heritage before entering the forest. The centre also provides information about walking tracks and displays that explain the rainforest environment and its conservation.

The Skywalk is one of the park’s best-known attractions, extending above the rainforest canopy with views across the Great Escarpment, Bellinger Valley, and toward the coast. On the forest floor, the Wonga Walk forms a 6.6-kilometre loop through subtropical rainforest and passes Crystal Shower Falls and Tristania Falls. A suspension bridge crosses the valley in front of Crystal Shower Falls, while the Walk with the Birds boardwalk offers a shorter accessible route. Birdwatchers may encounter wompoo fruit-doves, satin bowerbirds, eastern yellow robins, and other rainforest species.

Dorrigo’s rainforest supports a wide range of wildlife, with NSW National Parks recording more than 128 bird species and numerous mammals, amphibians, and reptiles within the park. Red-necked pademelons are sometimes seen around the Rainforest Centre, while southern angle-headed dragons can be found among tree trunks and forest vegetation. The forest also contains large trees, strangler figs, vines, ferns, and epiphytes, creating several distinct layers of habitat. Visitors should bring drinking water and food, as facilities within the park are limited mainly to picnic areas, barbecues, toilets, and the Rainforest Centre.