📍14 Best Things To Do In Tumut, New South Wales. (Attractions.) (2024.)
LOOKING FOR THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN TUMUT?
Tumut is a picturesque small town located in the spectacular Snowy Valleys region of New South Wales. While it has a few attractions to discover, the people primarily come this way because it’s the northern gateway to explore the breathtaking landscapes of Kosciuszko National Park, Australia’s most expansive national park and home to one of the country’s few alpine regions.
I’ve visited the town and national park during a 3-month throught NSW and the ACT and compiled this list of the best things to do in Tumut and surrounds.
👉 My top 3 picks for what to do in Tumut:
- Visit Kosciuszko National Park.
- Explore the incredible Adelong Falls Gold Mill Ruins.
- Hike the Hovell and Hume Track.
Planning Your Trip? Use My Favourite Resources!
Tours/Experiences: I recommend Viator.
Accommodation: I recommend Booking.com.
Renting Vehicles: I recommend RentalCars.com.
Best Things To Do In Tumut.
1. Go Bird Watching.
Tumut Wetlands.
One of the best attractions in Tumut to discover is the wetlands. This 20-hectare nature reserve has several lagoons surrounded by long native reeds in serene forests of towering River Red Gum trees with the Tumut River flowing steadily alongside it.
Waking through these wetlands, which are home to over 70 different species of waterbirds, is a peaceful experience and a fantastic place for birdwatchers to discover some of the region’s most beautiful species, such as the petite Curlew Sandpiper, the vibrantly duo-coloured red and green King Parrot and the unusually-beaked Royal Spoonbill.
Beware after heavy rains, though, as the gentle paths leading around the wetlands can become quite flooded as they did when I went there.
2. Let The Kids Unwind.
Rotary Pioneer Park & Labrinyth For Peace.
For those travelling with young kids, a great place in town to take them is the Rotary Pioneer Park. The small play area has a playground for them to run around in after longer stretches in the car, asking, “Are we there yet?”
Tucked further around the park is the Community Labrinyth For Peace, a small but fun maze for the kids to navigate and burn off some of their energy.
3. Have A Picnic Or BBQ At The Local Park.
Bull Paddock Park.
For looking for somewhere to enjoy a picnic or BBQ, Bull Paddock Park is an excellent place to do just that, as there is plenty of space, sheltered picnic tables and public outdoor cooking facilities.
It also overlooks a sports field and is next to a skate park, so if you bring along some sporting equipment or skateboards, bikes, or rollerblades, there is no shortage of fun bonding activities families can do together.
4. See How Sweepers Are Made.
Tumut Broom Factory.
If you are looking for a unique souvenir to remember your trip from Tumut, the Tumut Broom Factory has just the thing. This family business has been making practical brooms since 1854 and are regarded as one of the finest hand-made millet sweepers in Australia.
While they are sold at shops nationwide, there’s always something special about getting it from the factory it was crafted. For those interested in the process it takes to make them, the factory gives visitors the opportunity to see it happen firsthand.
5. Hone Your Mountain Biking Skills.
Tumut Mountain Bike Park.
As for those who prefer to get their thrills off-road, the Tumut Mountain Bike Park on the southeastern side of the town offers four epic trails ranging from intermediate to advanced, perfect for anyone who loves hours outdoors navigating new and challenging terrain to advance their skills.
Things To Do Around Tumut.
6. Spend Some Quality Time With The Family In A Serene Setting.
Brandy Mary Park/ Blowering Dam.
One of the best places to visit near Tumut for those looking to spend quality time with the family outdoors is the Blowering Dam Wall and adjacent Brandy Mary Park.
Located just 13 km south of the quaint country town, Blowering Dam is one of New South Wales’s largest dams. Constructed as part of the mammoth Snowy Mountains Scheme, which took over 25 years to complete in the mid-20th century, it is 114m tall and has an impressive holding capacity of 1,628,000 megalitres used to sustain the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.
Visitors can walk the dam wall and get picturesque views overlooking the expansive lake on one side and Brandy Mary Park on the other. This large outdoor area has plenty of space to enjoy a picnic, BBQs, and many different outdoor games activities such as kicking around a ball, playing catch cricket, kite flying and more, making it another great place to enjoy a peaceful day bonding with the family or catching up with friends.
7. Explore An Old Gold Mining Facility.
Adelong Falls Gold Mill Ruins.
Another incredibly fascinating attraction near Tumut lies in the neighbouring town of Adelong. The Adelong Falls Gold Mill Ruins is a state-listed heritage industrial site that showcases the remarkable stone ruins of the ingenious Reefer ore crushing machine. This impressive piece of pioneer engineering was used to extract gold from the local quartz stones and has become an iconic landmark of the area.
The historical site has a wheelchair-accessible viewpoint overlooking the scenic river landscape and the adapted bank while a walking trail that allows visitors to roam the ruins and learn about the intricate process involved in their gold excavation exploits and get an insight into what life must have been like for the early miners.
For those who’d like to immerse themselves even more in the beautiful landscape, the river is a great place to swim in during the warmer months, or visitors can try their hand at gold panning or walk the trail that runs along the creek into town.
Day Trips From Tumut.
8. Go Trekking.
Hume & Hovell Track.
For those who love hitting the trails, one of the best things to do near Tumut is, undoubtedly, trek the historic Hume and Hovell track. This monumental scenic trail was first conquered by Australia’s first native-born explorer, Hamilton Hume, and his partner, Britsh-born William Hovell, who successfully established a viable route between Sydney and Melbourne.
Despite parts of their route being turned into the Hume Highway, a significant stretch of the original track remains intact, offering an authentic explorer journey into Australia’s breathtaking backcountry.
While highly experienced trekkers can tackle the huge, 426km trail, which starts from the Cooma Cottage in the picturesque country town of Yass, where Hume lived out the last 30 years of his life and concludes at the Hovell Tree in Albury, over 18-26 days, casual hikers can enjoy a scenic day trip from access points at the Tumut Suspension Bridge near the Blowering Dam or the Thomas Boyhead Track. Meanwhile, more adventurous souls can do overnight trips tackling section by section, which range in difficulty, terrain and length ranging from 72.1km to 97.5km.
Kosciuszko National Park.
For those who want to experience the beauty of Australia’s spectacular alpine region, spending several days in Kosciuszko National Park exploring its gorgeous hiking trails, glistening lakes, and breathtaking landscapes is an absolute must. The national park is expansive, so there’s no shortage of beautiful places to discover, but these are the best things to do near Tumut.
👉 IMPORTANT: Bring toilet paper. No toilet in the northern half of Kosciuszko National Park had any…at least that was the case when I went.
9. Hike To The Only Waterfall Near Tumut.
Blowering Cliffs.
Just inside the Kosciuszko boundary lies the national park’s northernmost walking trail: the Blowering Cliffs. The track starts at the Log Creek Bridge Picnic Area on the western side of the overpass and is a moderately challenging 5km return hike.
The rugged path heads along management pathways through picturesque open montane forest with scenic areas overlooking the Blowering Reservoir. At the end, there is an open area with lovely views overlooking a whispy waterfall plunging over the towering sheer escarpment of the Blowering Cliffs.
A gang of kangaroos also bounded near me like a miniature dinosaur stampede while I was hiking this trail, so keep your eyes peeled for wild animals, as this is the top end of a massive protected wilderness area where native creatures live in abundance.
10. Enjoy Time Out On A World-Record Holding Lake.
Blowering Lake.
Blowering Dam isn’t just one of New South Wales’s largest lakes capable of holding more than three times the capacity of Sydney Harbour, but it’s also where the world water speed record of 511.1km/h was set in 1978 by Ken Warby in a jet-powered wooden boat built in his own backyard.
Today, the lake is one of the most popular places to visit in northern Kosciuszko, particularly for water-based activities. Boating, sailing and kayaking are excellent ways to enjoy the tranquil waterway and appreciate its vast expanse, while jet skiing, windsurfing, and various motorboat-towed activities such as water-skiing, knee boarding and parasailing are a fantastic way to incorporate thrills into your waterside adventure, while swimming and stand up paddleboarding are also great things to do.
11. Spend A Night Under The Stars By The Lake.
Numerous Campgrounds.
It’s not just swimming and water activities that you can enjoy at Blowering Dam. Numerous campsites dot the western shoreline, providing no shortage of quiet and scenic spots to pitch your tent or park your caravan by the lake.
I stayed at the Pines Campground, which has areas that lie on a slope and is one of the closer campsites to the road. However, there was little traffic, so it wasn’t bothersome. But with plenty of space to set up right by the lake, it was an excellent place to enjoy a night sitting around a campfire and looking up at the stars whilst listening to the water gently lapping at the shore before turning in for the night. Then when morning comes, get uninterrupted views of the sunrise coming up over the mountains and the lake whilst staying snuggled up inside your sleeping bag.
👉 Book the campsites online through the NPWS website.
12. See A Power Station Of The Snowy Mountains Scheme.
Talbingo & Tumut Power Station 3.
One of the most fascinating places to visit near Tumut is Tumut Power Station 3. It is one of the nine power stations that connect the 16 dams that form the Snowy Mountains Scheme, a monumental hydroelectricity and irrigation project that took over 100,000 people from all across the world 25 years to complete and is considered one the most incredible engineering feats in the world.
Take a beautiful scenic through northern Kosciuszko through the picturesque town of Talbingo, the national park’s only operating public township, to Tumut Power Station 3 to see the enormous pipes and generators that transport water between Jounama Pondage and the Talbingo Reservoir to generate electricity during peak periods.
👉 If heading further into Kosciuszko National Park, fill up the petrol tank at Talbingo as there are no other places to do so until Adambinby and Cooma.
13. Discover A Subterrain World.
Carey Cave, Wee Jasper.
Another excellent place to add to your itinerary is one of the region’s best hidden gems. Wee Jasper is a gorgeous tiny village located in the picturesque rolling hills between Tumut and the scenic country town of Yass, but what makes it a fantastic place to visit is Carey Cave.
This spectacular 400 million-year-old limestone cave is accessible through a guided tour with a quirky guide and descend into the earth and marvel at the stunning stalagmites and stalactites, formed over eons by the campaction of ancient corals. It’s also a natural amphitheatre, so for people who have pipes, it’s a great place to sing or hear someone sing if you don’t.
For those looking for somewhere to hold a special event, Careys Cave is a one-of-a-kind hireable venue. From intimate concerts to magical weddings, the cave offers a unique and unforgettable setting for those kind of occasions.
14. Visit The Dog On The Tuckerbox.
Gundagai.
For most people travelling to Tumut by road, they’ll likely pass through the sleepy highway side town of Gundagai. That is because it is the gateway to Tumut and the main northern gateway to Kosciuszko National Park. But don’t just pass through as it has a few great things to see that’s worth a day trip for.
Firstly, there’s the Dog On The Tuckerbox, a statue dedicated to a heroic local dog, the historic gaol and a couple of beautiful scenic lookouts located right in town.
Tumut Map.
Accommodation: Where To Stay In Tumut.
- Best Budget: Elms Motor Inn.
- Best Mid Range: Ashton Motel.
- Best Luxury: Nimbo Fork Lodge.
Conclusion: Best Tumut Attractions.
Although it’s only a small town, there are many things to do in Tumut and the surrounding areas that offer visitors, tourists and road-trippers a wide range of attractions to explore.
From the breathtaking natural landscapes of Kosciuszko National Park to the rich historical sites of Tumut Power Station 3 and the Adelong Falls Gold Mills Ruins, there is something for everyone in this charming region.
If you plan to visit Tumut, consider looking at these other posts.
