New South Wales · Mountain

Jindabyne

The gateway town to the Snowy Mountains and Kosciuszko

On the lands of the Ngarigo people.

sunny Best in Year round

schedule 2 to 5 days

location_on Snowy Mountains

Best for Snow Families Fishing

The bustling base camp for the Snowy Mountains, sitting on the shore of Lake Jindabyne at 918 metres above sea level. Jindabyne is where skiers, snowboarders, hikers and anglers converge before heading up the mountain roads to Thredbo, Perisher and Charlotte Pass.

Jindabyne sits on Ngarigo country on the shore of a large reservoir created in the 1960s as part of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme. The original town was flooded when the Jindabyne Dam was built and the current town was constructed on higher ground above the lake. On clear days with low water levels, remnants of the old town can sometimes be seen beneath the surface.

The town is the primary service hub for the Snowy Mountains ski season. In winter it fills with visitors heading to Thredbo (35 minutes), Perisher (40 minutes via Kosciuszko Road) and Charlotte Pass (the highest and most snow-sure resort). Ski hire, equipment shops, restaurants and accommodation line the main strip, and the nightlife during peak season rivals any small mountain town.

In summer the focus shifts to the lake and the high country. Lake Jindabyne is stocked with trout and is one of the most popular fly-fishing destinations in south-eastern Australia. The Thredbo Valley Trail is a sealed cycling and walking path that follows the river between Jindabyne and Thredbo village. The high country wildflower season in January and February draws hikers to the Main Range walk above Charlotte Pass.

Jindabyne is undergoing a significant upgrade, with a new town centre, aquatic centre and mountain bike trail network under construction. The town is also the closest base for the historic Kiandra goldfield ruins, the site of Australia's earliest recorded skiing in the 1860s.