Sunny Corner State Forest
Sunny Corner sits on an old silver, lead and gold field in the ranges east of Bathurst. The 1880s brought a silver rush and a town of several thousand, and the creeks running off the field carried alluvial gold that detectorists still work today. It is one of the most visited fossicking forests in the Central West, though much of it is also under exploration licence, so the state forest permit and a current title check both matter here.
Region
Central West & Tablelands
Nearest access
Between Lithgow and Bathurst
Elevation
1,185 m
Forest permit
$27.50 / 12 mo
The forest boundary
The gold outline is the legal edge of Sunny Corner 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
Work the creeks that drain the old field, Sunny Corner Creek and the gullies below the 1880s silver mines, where fine alluvial gold and the odd small nugget still turn up. Detectorists favour the exposed schist and the tailings of the old workings.
Getting there
From the Great Western Highway at Yetholme, east of Bathurst, turn onto Sunny Corner Road and follow it into the forest. Bathurst and Lithgow both have fuel and supplies.
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 1,185 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 Sunny Corner 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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