mount eccles national park

Loved the natural geography and easy walks . Plenty of birdlife and koalas were around the day we were there. Picnic area were littered with branches and twigs as there had been a few days of wind beforehand which made having a picnic on the ground difficult but that is nature...no reflection on staff or area

There's amazing volcanic history in this area which is evident in the landscape today. There are picturesque walks, native flora and fauna, a big unlit cave and a stream running through massive valleys. Information boards give explanations of the volcanic history and settlement in the area.It's a fair drive from anywhere so there's weren't many people there which made it more enjoyable and peaceful. Just wish I had more time there.

We recently camped at Mount Eccles with our 4 young children. They were fascinated with walking around volcanoes, standing in lava canals and picking up rocks that had been fired up into the sky. They ran around imagining they were in the time of the dinosaurs. We had kangaroos hopping around our tents, koalas to spot in trees and plenty of birdsong.The campsites are well spaced though I would recommend thicker tent pegs than what you generally get with average tents. The volcanic rock provides a challenge for set up. It's buried everywhere and regular pegs were bent or could not penetrate the ground far enough to be of use.

We really enjoyed Mt Eccles National Park. We walked the Crater Lake walk and the Rim walk which both were beautiful and the walking tracks were cleared of vegetation. We saw a lot of wildlife, kangaroos, wallabies, tiger snakes, lots of different lizards, white cokatoos and koalas in the trees. Also there is a fantastic picnic area with Bbq facilities next to the campsites.The only disappointment was the lava canal walk, which started out ok, but then it was really difficult to find the path. After half the way we were lost, there were nearly no signs, lots and lots of thistles, high grass and ferns which overgrew the track and many stones which couldn't be seen because of the high vegetation which made it very difficult to walk and many times we were not sure if we were following a path or a wallaby track. Thanks to my husbands good navigation skills we made it back safely to the car park. But I would advise to check with the ranger if the path has been cleared before doing this walk.

Mt Eccles National Park is an easy drive from Hamilton. It is just lovely with good facilities for a picnic. There is a short walk to Lake Surprise Lookout and then there is a more strenuous walk to a higher point for another lookout. There are several other walks that would no doubt be lovely too. We drove to the Natural Bridge rather than walked and it was an easy drive and then short walk.

Getting there is half the fun but once you do you can do a number of short or long walks around the rim of this mountain with its crater lake. There is a secret cave that is worth exploring and the rim walk is great for the fit or not so fit. Just take it in easy stages and enjoy the views.

A short climb up Mt Eccles gives you a view of the beautiful Lake Surprise in the volcanic crater below. A similarly short walk down into the crater lets you picnic beside the lake. A very cool lava tunnel cave near the car-park gives you an opportunity to scare yourself by turning off your torch and sitting still in complete darkness, and the 6 km hike along the collapsed lava tunnel is interesting and gives you a chance to see wallabies, echidnas and beautiful Australian birds.

Visited Mt Eccles National Park and camped in the campground. Bathroom very clean and accessible. Wheelchair access for camp site and bathroom. Well maintained campground and walks. Helpful and friendly staff who are very knowledgable of the area. Enjoyed the Lake Surprise walk, the cave, Lava channel and the Natural Bridge. Plenty to see. Plenty to hear through the night with many active koalas and wallabies. Well worth the visit.

An natural environment that requires a bit of walking/hikingKeep to the paths and wild life is abundantAllow a full day to enjoy the full landscape

Enjoyed the lake and crater rim walks, but had to turn back on the lava tubes track, which became indistinguishable from wallaby tracks due to thistles. However, some workers were indicating they would whipper snip the path soon.Camp ground abounded in koala night time noises- awesome!

Mount Eccles is a volcano that was at its most active around 20 000 years ago; although there was a big lava flow around 10 000 years back. Good walks. A lake in the bottom of the crater, a lava cave, and good views over the surrounding area.

We were there early and the the crater rim walk, not to hard and excellent views. Had we had the time we would have done the lake walk as well.