Kosciuszko National Park
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Roof of the continent
On the lands of the Monaro Ngarigo, Wolgalu, Ngunnawal and Wiradjuri peoples people.
schedule 2 min read / Updated Jun 2026
Stretching across 6,900 square kilometres of southeastern New South Wales, Kosciuszko National Park is the largest national park in the state and the centrepiece of the Australian Alps. From glacial lakes and alpine wildflowers to ski resorts and limestone caves, the park offers a breadth of landscapes and experiences rivalled by few places in Australia, and draws more than two million visitors each year.
Kosciuszko National Park was proclaimed in 1944 as Kosciusko State Park and became a national park in 1967 under the National Parks and Wildlife Act. At 690,000 hectares, it encompasses the full sweep of the Snowy Mountains, from broad subalpine valleys near Tumut in the north to the craggy Main Range in the south. The park shares borders with the Alpine National Park in Victoria and Namadgi National Park in the ACT, forming one of the largest protected mountain landscapes in south-eastern Australia.
The high country has sustained Aboriginal people for at least 9,000 years. The park sits on the Country of the Wiradjuri, Wolgalu, Ngunnawal and Monaro Ngarigo peoples, who gathered seasonally on the alpine plains to feast on bogong moths, trade, hold ceremony and conduct diplomatic meetings. Over 1,000 recorded archaeological sites bear witness to this long occupation, and today joint management programs between Aboriginal community groups and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service give traditional custodians a formal role in the park's care.
The landscape was shaped by repeated glaciation during the Pleistocene, leaving a legacy of cirques, moraines, and tarn lakes that is unique on mainland Australia. Lake Cootapatamba, at 2,036 metres, is the highest lake on the continent, while Blue Lake and Club Lake fill glacially carved basins on the Main Range. The headwaters of the Snowy, Murray, and Murrumbidgee Rivers all rise within the park, making Kosciuszko a critical catchment for the entire inland river system of south-eastern Australia.
The park's seasons are dramatically different from one another. In winter, deep snow blankets the high country from June through to October, and resorts at Thredbo and Perisher bring skiing and snowboarding to the mass market. In summer and autumn the slopes burst with wildflowers, including mountain gentians, billy buttons, and snow daisies, and the 19-kilometre return walk to Mount Kosciuszko's summit attracts walkers of every level. The 56-kilometre Snowies Alpine Walk, the park's flagship long-distance trail, traverses the full Main Range over four to five days.
Beyond the snowfields, the park holds remarkable variety. Yarrangobilly Caves, in the park's north, contain limestone formations more than 400 million years old, and a natural thermal pool sits at a constant 27 degrees Celsius. The Blowering, Eucumbene, and Tantangara reservoirs offer flatwater fishing, paddling, and camping, while Cabramurra, Australia's highest town at 1,488 metres, and the historic hydroelectric infrastructure of the Snowy Mountains Scheme add an industrial heritage layer to the alpine story. The park's forests and subalpine grasslands support mountain pygmy possums, corroboree frogs, and broad-toothed rats, all of which are species under particular pressure from climate change.
Common questions
Things visitors ask about Kosciuszko National Park.
Quick answers to help you plan.
Do I need to pay to enter Kosciuszko National Park?
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Yes. Vehicle entry fees apply year-round. Outside the winter peak period the fee is $17 per vehicle per day. During the winter peak period (from the Friday of the June long weekend to the Monday of the October long weekend) the fee rises to $29 per vehicle per day. Annual and multi-day passes are available for frequent visitors.
Can I drive to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko?
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No. The road ends at Charlotte Pass or, for most visitors, at the Thredbo resort. From Thredbo, a chairlift rises to 1,937 metres and a graded, mostly sealed walking track continues 9.5 kilometres return to the summit. From Charlotte Pass the summit walk is 18.6 kilometres return along a well-marked trail.
When is the best time to visit for wildflowers?
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The alpine wildflower season runs from late December through February, peaking in January. Snow daisies, mountain gentians, and billy buttons carpet the Main Range in summer. The same window offers the most reliable weather for summit walks and the Snowies Alpine Walk.
Is the park open in winter and do I need snow chains?
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The park is open year-round. During winter, 2WD vehicles entering the Thredbo-Perisher alpine area may be required to carry snow chains; rangers enforce chain requirements on the Kosciuszko Road and Alpine Way when conditions demand. Ski areas at Thredbo and Perisher operate from around June to October.
What wildlife might I see in the park?
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Kosciuszko supports mountain pygmy possums, eastern grey kangaroos, wombats, and the critically endangered southern corroboree frog. Birdlife includes flame robins, gang-gang cockatoos, and the iconic superb lyrebird in the lower forests. Wildlife is most active during the warmer months when the snowfields have melted.
What is Yarrangobilly Caves and how do I visit?
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Yarrangobilly Caves is a limestone cave system in the northern section of the park, roughly 100 kilometres from Jindabyne. Guided cave tours run daily, exploring formations including stalactites and flowstones. The site also features a natural thermal pool maintained at a constant 27 degrees Celsius that is open to swimmers. A vehicle entry fee applies.
Are dogs allowed in the park?
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Pets including dogs are not permitted in most areas of Kosciuszko National Park to protect native wildlife. They are generally only allowed in designated day-use areas near park boundaries and must be kept on a lead. Contact the Snowy Region Visitor Centre to confirm the rules for specific areas before your visit.
Gallery
Kosciuszko National Park in pictures.
12 images licensed from Wikimedia Commons
All images are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licences. Individual photographers are credited on the source pages.
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Attribution
Sources & credits
Content (4)
- Wikipedia: Kosciuszko National Park · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kosciuszko National Park · NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service · CC BY 4.0
- Kosciuszko National Park 80th Anniversary · NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service · CC BY 4.0
- Kosciuszko National Park - Wikipedia · Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
Images (12)
- Charlottes Pass - Kosciuszko National Park, NSW Snowy Mounta... · Jack Heywood from Sydney, Australia · Public domain
- Driving in Kosciuszko National Park, Australia.jpg · Tatiana Gerus from Brisbane, Australia · CC BY 2.0
- Kosciuszko National Park 1914 SLNSW FL1207580.jpg · Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain
- Main Range Track, Kosciuszko National Park 04.jpg · Dhx1 · CC0
- Main Range Track, Kosciuszko National Park 35.jpg · Dhx1 · CC0
- Mount Kosciuszko Summit walk, Kosciuszko National Park 02.jp... · Dhx1 · CC0
- Snowy Mountains as seen from Kosciuszko Lookout.jpg · Cimexus from Canberra, Australia · CC BY 2.0
- Snowy Mountains from Mount Kosciuszko Summit.jpg · Pimlico27 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Snowy Mountains from Mount Kosciuszko Track.jpg · Pimlico27 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Snowy Mountains from Mt. Kosciuszko Summit.jpg · Pimlico27 · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Snowy River Crossing, Kosciuszko National Park.jpg · Artefotograf · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Staying Still 118 - Snowy Mountains Highway.jpg · Ben Cordia · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under licenses that permit commercial use. If you are the rights holder and believe an attribution is incorrect, please contact us.