Stewarts Brook State Forest
Stewarts Brook State Forest is in the Upper Hunter, in the ranges above Moonan Flat and the old Stewarts Brook goldfield. It is high, timbered country on the edge of the Barrington plateau, with alluvial gold recorded through its creeks.
Region
Northern Tablelands & Upper Hunter
Nearest access
Near Moonan Flat, Upper Hunter
Elevation
1,383 m
Forest permit
$27.50 / 12 mo
The forest boundary
The gold outline is the legal edge of Stewarts Brook 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
Upper Hunter gold country above Moonan Flat, with alluvial gold in the creeks off the Barrington plateau. Work the accessible reaches.
Getting there
North of Scone via Moonan Flat and the Stewarts Brook road. Scone is the nearest large town, with fuel at Moonan Flat.
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
This is high, cold tableland. Expect frost and fog, snow is possible in winter, and the nights are cold even in 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 1,383 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 Stewarts Brook 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.
Back to the NSW guide