Canobolas State Forest
Canobolas State Forest wraps the slopes of Mount Canobolas south-west of Orange, near the rich Cadia and Lewis Ponds mineral belt. It is an extinct volcano with cool, high forest, and the creeks draining it run through documented gold country.
Region
Central West & Tablelands
Nearest access
South-west of Orange
Elevation
1,018 m
Forest permit
$27.50 / 12 mo
The forest boundary
The gold outline is the legal edge of Canobolas State Forest, drawn from the NSW state forest estate. It is the forest boundary, not the fossicking area. Some compartments inside it are closed for logging, safety or the environment, so check the Forestry Corporation map before you go.
Boundary: NSW Dedicated State Forests estate, Forestry Corporation of NSW and Spatial Services. Satellite: © Mapbox, © Maxar.
What to look for here
The creeks draining Mount Canobolas run through gold country near the Cadia belt. Pan the gravels and check the rich volcanic soils on the lower slopes.
Getting there
South-west of Orange via the Pinnacle and Canobolas roads. Orange is minutes away for fuel and food.
Open on the Dig Here mapThe permit, in short
Fossicking in any NSW State forest needs one Forestry Corporation permit: $27.50 for 12 months, valid state-wide, through Service NSW. Hand tools only, one cubic metre of ground in any 48 hours, fill your holes, and carry the permit. Without one, fossicking in a forestry area can draw a court penalty of up to $2,200.
Out in the forest
It sits high on the tablelands, cold in winter with frost and fog, and cool even through summer. It is a working forest, and the country is rough, so a few things to keep in mind.
It is a working forest
Logging, harvesting and hazard-reduction burns all happen here, and compartments close at short notice. Give machinery room, obey the signs, and do not drive around a closed gate.
Old workings
The goldfields left unmarked shafts, adits and collapsed ground. Do not walk up to a hole or climb in. The ground around an old working can give way under a boot.
Cold and snow
At about 1,018 m this is alpine-edge country. Frost, fog and even snow come through in winter, and nights are cold in any season. Carry warm layers and a plan that does not depend on a creek flat.
Reception drops out
Mobile coverage fails in gullies and under canopy. Download the map before you leave town, and do not rely on a phone for the way back.
Fossicking districts nearby
The closest gazetted fossicking districts to Canobolas State Forest. Inside a district you do not need an exploration licence holder's consent, which the forest permit does not cover.
More New South Wales fossicking
See every state forest and all seventy gazetted districts, with the rules in plain words.
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