Chichester State Forest Guide
Lower Barrington foothills — two rivers, free first-come camping, a dog on a lead.
Unofficial operator’s manual
Independent, unofficial, not Forestry Corporation, not NPWS · Content reviewed 22 Sep 2026
Before you leave: which river, whether the dog can come, which camp, and what to check. Forestry Corporation has the live closures and the gate. Open the Allyn page or the Telegherry page and closures. Don’t assume the gate is open.
- Allyn River
- Telegherry River
- Free first-come camping
- Dogs on a lead
- Working forest
- Not Barrington Tops NP
Plan, camp, maps, town bed
Not the national park
This is a State forest, not Barrington Tops
Chichester State Forest is a Forestry Corporation of NSW working forest in the lower Barrington foothills. One forest, two sides: the Allyn River from Gresford, and the Telegherry River from Dungog. It is not Barrington Tops National Park. The park is NPWS, on the plateau above, and part of a World Heritage area. Camping here is free and first-come. Dogs are on a lead in the forest, and that stops at the national park. The Telegherry gate can lock after rain. A December 2025 Forestry note said Peach Tree and Mount Allyn were closed then — check their page before you drive for either. About two hours from Newcastle and about 3.5 hours from Sydney, on Forestry’s Allyn page. This site is an unofficial operator’s manual in the State Forest Guide Australia network.
What kind of forest day?
Telegherry from Dungog
Frying Pan · Coachwood · Currawong
The eastern river. Gate can lock after rain. Problem Creek Falls starts at Frying Pan.
Camp tonight
Free · first-come · no booking
Ladies Well and Old Camp on the Allyn. Frying Pan on the Telegherry. Pick one side.
Walk to the falls
Two official distances
Forestry says about 2 km return from Frying Pan. NSW Government says 3.2 km return.
I typed Barrington Tops
Different manager
The national park is the plateau. This forest is the foothills. Dogs and bookings change.
Best for
A free first-come river camp, a dog on a lead, and one side of the forest for the day — Frying Pan and the falls, or Ladies Well and Old Camp.
Skip if
You need a reserved pad tonight, you wanted Gloucester Tops or a booked NPWS camp, or you will not turn around if the Telegherry gate is locked.
Two rivers
Allyn and Telegherry
One State forest. The west is the Allyn River from Gresford. The east is the Telegherry River from Dungog. Do not try to do both in one afternoon.
- Telegherry: Frying Pan, Coachwood, Currawong, the rest area. Gate can lock after rain.
- Allyn: Ladies Well, Old Camp, White Rock, Pademelon. White Rock is walk-in with toilets.
- Peach Tree and Mount Allyn were noted closed on 8 December 2025. That is not today’s status.
- Dogs on a lead here. Not in Barrington Tops National Park.
How long
One side of the forest is a day
Half day
Allyn rest area and Ladies Well, or Frying Pan if the gate is open. Not both rivers.
Full day
One side plus one walk: Problem Creek Falls, or the Peach Tree loop if that picnic is open.
Overnight
One named first-come camp. Read the Friday article before a holiday weekend.
Named walks
Official walks only
Problem Creek Falls
Named trackThe falls walk from Frying Pan on the Telegherry side. Forestry says about two kilometres return. NSW Government says 3.2 km return. Neither page gives a grade or a time we can copy.
- Starts
- Frying Pan Creek
- Distance / grade
- Forestry: about 2 km return. NSW Government: 3.2 km return. No grade or hours published.
View guide →
Allyn River rainforest
Named trackA short rainforest loop from Peach Tree on the Allyn side. NSW Government describes it as about 20 minutes. Peach Tree was on a December 2025 closure note — check before you go.
- Starts
- Peach Tree
- Distance / grade
- NSW Government: short loop, about 20 minutes. No grade. Confirm Peach Tree is open.
View guide →
Chichester State Forest Guide
Chichester State Forest Guide downloads
Printable planner and itineraries with the site name on them. Packing, Friday Plan B, half/full/overnight shapes. Official Forestry Corp / RFS links on every file.
- Planner — packing, last towns, dogs, fires, Friday Plan B
- Itineraries — one river side per day, overnight first-come
- www.chichesterstateforest.com.au on every sheet
Free direct download — no email required. Maps · Itineraries · Privacy.
Part of the State Forest Guide Australia network
This unofficial Chichester State Forest guide is in that network. Not government. Not a national-park directory.
Browse state forests → stateforestguide.com.au
Sister state forests
FAQ
Is Chichester State Forest a national park?
No. It is a Forestry Corporation of NSW working forest in the lower Barrington foothills. Barrington Tops National Park is NPWS, on the plateau above. Dogs, camping and bookings follow different rules.
Is camping free? Can I reserve Frying Pan or Ladies Well?
Camping is free and first-come. You can’t reserve Frying Pan, Ladies Well, Old Camp, White Rock, Pademelon, Coachwood or Currawong.
Can I bring a dog?
Yes, on a lead, in the State forest. NSW Government says dogs on leads are permitted. Not in Barrington Tops National Park.
Is the Telegherry gate open today?
This page does not know. Forestry says that after wet weather Telegherry may be closed and the gate locked. Check the Telegherry page and the closures map the morning you leave.
Is this site official?
No. Independent unofficial operator’s manual in the State Forest Guide Australia network. Not Forestry Corporation. Not NPWS.
Names and rules come from Forestry Corporation’s Allyn River and Telegherry River pages, the NSW Government Chichester listing, and the statewide camping, dogs and fires pages. Closures and the Telegherry gate are on Forestry’s notices, not here. A December 2025 camping list said Peach Tree and Mount Allyn were closed. Check before you go.
Not independently walked. Conditions, roads and the Telegherry gate change. Verify with Forestry Corporation of NSW.