Gardens of Stone National Park

Gardens of Stone National Park New South Wales
IUCN category II (national park)
A view of the natural stone pagodas in the national park
Gardens of Stone National Park
Nearest town or city	Lithgow
Coordinates	33°9′16.6″S 150°2′27.5″E / 33.154611°S 150.040972°E / -33.154611; 150.040972Coordinates: 33°9′16.6″S 150°2′27.5″E / 33.154611°S 150.040972°E / -33.154611; 150.040972
Established	30 November 1994 (1994-11-30)
Area	150.8 km2 (58.2 sq mi)
Managing authorities	NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service
Website	Gardens of Stone National Park
See also	Protected areas of New South Wales

The Gardens of Stone National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales in eastern Australia. The 15,080-hectare (37,300-acre) national park is situated 125 kilometres (78 mi) northwest of Sydney, and 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Lithgow. The national park draws its name from the natural stone pagodas within its boundaries.

The Gardens of Stone National Park is one of the eight protected areas that, in 2000, was inscribed to form part of the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Greater Blue Mountains Area. The national park forms part of the Great Dividing Range.

The most prominent features of the park are the sandstone pagoda landscapes and cliffs and canyons. Limestone outcrops, karsts and elevated swamps are other unusual features.

The park is bounded on the west by the Castlereagh Highway; to the north by the Glen Davis Road; to the east by the Wollemi National Park; and to the south by the Newnes State Forest, the Wolgan Valley, and the Wolgan State Forest. The rural localities of Capertee, Ben Bullen, and Glen Davis are located on the edge of the national park.

The Newnes Plateau region was proposed for conservation in 1932 as part of a Greater Blue Mountains National Park by the National Parks and Primitive Areas Council. Lobbying for protecting the area increased after the establishment of Wollemi National Park in 1979. The National Parks Association proposed its extension westwards in 1984, which developed into a detailed proposal of an 18,030-hectare (44,600-acre) park in 1993, which was ultimately successful. The Gardens of Stone National Park was established in 1994; however, the initial park only covered 11,780 hectares (29,100 acres), omitting areas which contain coal deposits. It was later enlarged to 15,080 hectares (37,300 acres). Environmentalist groups seek to protect more of the surrounding area, which includes pagodas, canyons, heathland and elevated swamps.