26-631: The Wollemi National Park ( / ˈ w ɒ l ə m aɪ / ) is a protected national park and wilderness area that is located in the Central West and Hunter region of New South Wales , in eastern Australia . The 501,703-hectare (1,239,740-acre) park, the second largest national park in New South Wales, contains the 361,113-hectare (892,330-acre) Wollemi Wilderness – the largest such wilderness area in Australia ;– and
52-516: A land lease from the U.S. government , while Mackinac National Park was handed down to become the first of the Michigan state parks . As with national parks, facilities at state parks are often leased to concessionaires to operate. Breaks Interstate Park is operated under an interstate compact by Virginia state parks , although it is also one of the Kentucky state parks , straddling both sides of
78-572: A few exceptions such as Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California, and Wood-Tikchik State Park in Alaska, the largest state park in the United States . In addition to preserving natural landscapes and providing recreational opportunities, many state parks also serve as important educational resources . They often offer guided tours, interpretive programs, and exhibits that help visitors learn about
104-400: A peak in the first few months of the year. State park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational potential. There are state parks under
130-683: A restaurant) for lodging at some parks. These typically use "Resort" in the name, such as "_____ Resort State Park" in West Virginia state parks and "_____ State Resort Park" in neighboring Kentucky state parks , which has 17 such resort parks, the most of any state. Other states use the Resort name inconsistently (like DeGray Lake Resort State Park , the only one out of three resorts in Arkansas state parks ), or have only one such park ( South Carolina state parks ' Hickory Knob State Resort Park ), or do not use
156-495: Is a campsite located on the Cudgegong River in the park. The local Wiradjuri Aboriginal people know the area as Ganguddy, the alternative name is Dunns Swamp. National Parks and Wildlife Service, New South Wales manages the location. The Wollemi area features an oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ) with mild to warm summers, cool to cold winters and generally steady precipitation year-round, though with
182-530: Is a newly discovered species of Eucalyptus tree. There are many aboriginal sites within the park including cave paintings , axe grinding grooves and rock carvings. In 2003 the discovery of Eagle's Reach cave was publicly announced. This site was found by bushwalkers in 1995 but remained unknown to the wider community until a team from the Australian Museum reached the cave in May 2003. The art within this small cave
208-427: Is estimated to be up to 4,000 years old and it consists of up to a dozen layers of imagery depicting a wide variety of motifs rendered in ochre and charcoal. The team who recorded this site counted over 200 separate images, mainly of animals and birds but also stencils of hands, axes and a boomerang . It is a very significant site and the remote location is being kept secret for its own protection. Ganguddy Campground
234-524: Is situated approximately 130 kilometres (81 mi) northwest of Sydney . The Wollemi National Park is one of the eight protected areas that, in 2000, was inscribed to form part of the UNESCO World Heritage –listed Greater Blue Mountains Area . The Wollemi National Park is the most north–westerly of the eight protected areas within the World Heritage Site. The national park forms part of
260-720: The Capertee Valley . The Wollemi National Park is located on the western edge of the Sydney Basin . It sits on four strata of sedimentary rock ; the Narrabeen and Hawkesbury sandstone and shale , the Illawarra and Singleton Permian coal measures and the Wianamatta shales . The strata at this area of the Sydney Basin have an upwards tilt to the north-west. Throughout most of
286-658: The Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration . Wolgan River The Wolgan River , a watercourse of the Hawkesbury - Nepean catchment, is located in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales , Australia . Formed by the confluence of Carne Creek (also called Wolgan River (Eastern Branch)) and Wolgan River (Western Branch), the headwaters of the Wolgan River rise on
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#1732845175837312-952: The Goulburn River National Park and the Bylong Valley Way ; to the east by the Yengo National Park , the Parr State Conservation Area, and the Putty Road ; to the south by the Blue Mountains National Park and the Bells Line of Road ; to the south–west by the Wolgan Valley and the Gardens of Stone National Park ; and to the west by open farmland that surround the towns of Rylstone and Kandos and
338-520: The Great Dividing Range . Due to the park's ruggedness, much of it is undiscovered by humans and the many canyons have yet to be explored. The only known living wild specimens of the Wollemi pine ( Wollemia nobilis ) were discovered in 1994. Special efforts were made to protect the trees when the 2019-20 Australian bushfires burned through the park. The national park is bounded to the north by
364-459: The Wianamatta shale usually have deeper and more nutrient rich soils allowing for a greater diversity of plant life. The coal measures are visible beneath cliff lines along river valleys. This layer is generally rich in nutrients and weathers to form deep clay loams . Tertiary basalt is common in the north west of the park. Basaltic peaks include Mount Coriaday, Mount Monundilla and Mount Coricudgy,
390-878: The administration of the government of each U.S. state , some of the Mexican states , and in Brazil . The term is also used in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales . The equivalent term used in Canada, Argentina, South Africa, and Belgium, is provincial park . Similar systems of local government maintained parks exist in other countries, but the terminology varies. State parks are thus similar to national parks , but under state rather than federal administration. Similarly, local government entities below state level may maintain parks, e.g., regional parks or county parks . In general, state parks are smaller than national parks, with
416-731: The country's state parks. The NASPD further counts over 43,000 miles (69,000 km) of trail, 217,367 campsites, and 8,277 cabins and lodges across U.S. state parks. The largest state park system in the United States is Alaska State Parks , with over 100 sites encompassing 3.3 million acres. Many states include designations beyond "state park" in their state parks systems. Other designations might be state recreation areas , state beaches, and state nature reserves . Some state park systems include long-distance trails and historic sites . To encourage tourism in rural areas, several states have simple lodges, inns, hotels, or motels (usually with
442-474: The designation at all (such as the lodges of Georgia state parks ). The term "lodge" may also refer to a hiking lodge , essentially a large cabin for hikers rather than a large facility with private rooms and a restaurant. Other lodging may include yurts and tipis . Not all parks owned by a state are necessarily part of its state-park system, such as Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta. Some Texas state parks are
468-469: The eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range , northeast of Wallerawang , near Lithgow , and flows generally north by west, north, northeast, east northeast, southeast by east, and northeast by east before reaching its confluence with the Capertee River , below Mount Morgan, east of Glen Davis . The river descends 897 metres (2,943 ft) over its 63-kilometre (39 mi) course . The majority of
494-554: The highest peak in the northern Blue Mountains. In some locations the basalt in the core of extinct volcanoes has eroded faster than the surrounding sandstone. The Wollemi National Park is key in maintaining the quality of many tributary rivers to the Hawkesbury River and Goulburn - Hunter River catchments. The national park incorporates rivers such as the Wolgan River , Colo River and Capertee River which arise from outside
520-484: The local flora , fauna , geology , and cultural history of the area. These programs are designed not only to enhance the visitor experience but also to promote conservation awareness and encourage responsible enjoyment of natural resources. There are 6,792 state park units in the United States, according to the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD). There are some 813 million annual visits to
546-539: The park the Hawkesbury and Wianamatta series have been eroded away exposing the Narrabeen group. The landscape of the park is dominated by deep valleys, canyons, cliffs and waterfalls, formed by the weathering of the sandstone and claystone the Narrabeen group consists of. The parts of the park that lie on the Narrabeen and Hawkesbury sandstones generally have shallow soil with low nutrient levels while areas that lie on
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#1732845175837572-545: The park. The only known living wild specimens of the Wollemi pine ( Wollemia nobilis ), a species thought to have become extinct approximately thirty million years ago, were discovered in three small stands within deep canyons in 1994. The location is kept secret to protect the groves from diseases and trampling. Besides the Wollemi Mint Bush , the park contains populations of the rare Banksia conferta subsp. penicillata , only described in 1981. The Wollemi Stringybark
598-679: The park. The Colo River is regarded as the last unpolluted river in New South Wales because the majority of it flows through the Wollemi National Park. Eucalypt dominated open forests comprise 90% of Wollemi National Park, with over 70 species of Eucalypt recorded. The remaining 10% of the National Park comprises rainforest , heath and grassland . The variety of habitats within Wollemi National Park allow for large diversity in animals . 58 reptile species, 38 frog species, 235 bird species and 46 mammal species have been recorded in
624-469: The state line. Other multi-state parks are legally two separate parks with the same name and more informal cooperation between them. The title of oldest state park in the United States is claimed by Niagara Falls State Park in New York , established in 1885. Several public parks previously or currently maintained at the state level pre-date it. Indian Springs State Park has been operated continuously by
650-454: The state of Georgia as a public park since 1825, although it did not gain the title "State Park" until 1931. In 1864 Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove were ceded by the federal government to California until Yosemite National Park was proclaimed in 1890. In 1878 Wisconsin set aside a vast swath of its northern forests as "The State Park" but, needing money, sold most of it to lumber companies within 20 years. Mackinac National Park
676-468: Was established in 1875 as the second U.S. national park before being converted to a state park in 1895. The first state park with the designation of "state park" was Itasca State Park in Minnesota , established in 1891. Many state park systems date to the 1930s, when around 800 state parks (and several national ones) across the country were developed with assistance from federal job-creation programs like
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