Bago State Forest Guide
A free first-come camp at Paddys River Dam, alpine ash on the plateau, and a dog under control. Not Kosciuszko National Park.
Unofficial operator’s manual
Independent, unofficial, not Forestry Corporation, not NPWS · Content reviewed 22 Sep 2026
Check before you leave: can you camp, can the dog come, is the dam the place you wanted, and what to confirm on the way out of town. Forestry Corporation of NSW owns live conditions. Always confirm on the official Bago page and closures. Roads close for hazard trees, harvest and fire recovery. This page is not today’s road report.
- Paddys River Dam
- Free first-come
- Passive water only
- Dogs under control
- Alpine ash plateau
- Not Kosciuszko NP
Plan, camp, maps, town bed
Plan your visit
How long · dogs · fires · last towns
Open →
Camping
Free · first-come · Paddys River Dam
Open →
Paddys River Dam
Camp, swim, fish · no powerboats
Open →
Maps
Tourism map PDF and notices
Open →
Itineraries
Half · full · overnight — times are ours
Open →
Where to stay
Town bed if the dam is full
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Not the national park
This is a State forest, not the national park
Bago State Forest is a Forestry Corporation of NSW working forest on the Bago Plateau, between Tumbarumba, Batlow, Tumut and Talbingo. Forestry Corp describes native alpine ash, historic arboretum plantings, radiata pine, and the Blowering Dam foreshore. It is not Kosciuszko National Park. That park is next door and has a different manager. Dogs are welcome in this State forest under effective control, and they are not welcome in the national park. Entry is free. Paddys River Dam camping is first-come. Nothing here is a booking. The dam is small: passive water only. Roads close for hazard trees, harvest and fire recovery. This site is an unofficial operator’s manual in the State Forest Guide Australia network. Check Forestry Corporation before you drive.
Kosciuszko National Park (official NPWS)Kosciuszko National Park Guide
What kind of forest day?
Camp at the dam
Free · first-come · no booking
Paddys River Dam is the camp: a small dam in the alpine ash. Fish and splash about in summer. Passive water only. You cannot reserve it.
Picnic at Pilot Hill
Arboretum · two short walks
Pilot Hill Arboretum is a day picnic near Laurel Hill, with plantings from the 1920s and 1930s. The Alpine Ash Walk and the Wellness Walk start here.
Walk the alpine ash
1 km one way · grade not published
Forestry Corp publishes the Alpine Ash Walk as 1 km, one way, with sculptures. No grade or time. Not independently walked.
I typed Kosciuszko
Different manager
Bago is a Forestry Corporation working forest. Kosciuszko National Park is next door. Dogs, fees and camping do not match.
Best for
A dam camp or a swim, a Pilot Hill picnic, a dog under effective control, and a first-come night if you can leave when the grass is full.
Skip if
You need a reserved pad tonight, a powerboat, or a summit day in Kosciuszko National Park. You need a cabin inside the forest. You are not willing to drive unsealed roads after rain.
Named sites
Dam, arboretum, sculptures, foreshore
The places Forestry Corp names for a visit. Place pictures are AI illustrative — not a field photograph.
- Paddys River Dam
Small dam in the alpine ash of the Bago Plateau. Camp, picnic, fish, and splash about. Free and first-come. Passive water only — no powerboats, jet skis or waterskiing.
- Pilot Hill Arboretum
Picnic area near Laurel Hill, less than half an hour from Batlow and from Tumbarumba. Plantings of more than fifty tree species, mostly from the 1920s and 1930s. Two short walks and three sculptures.
- Bago Sculpture Forest
Thirteen sculptures, with more to be added, spread across Pilot Hill Arboretum, the Alpine Ash Walk and the Sugar Pines visitor area. A partnership after the 2019–20 fires.
- Sugar Pines visitor area
Replacement visitor area after the 2019–20 fires destroyed the old Sugar Pines walk. Picnic area, children’s nature playground, a wedding arbour in the new grove, and sculptures including Grid Study IV.
- Paling Yards
Grassy spot on the edge of Paddys River, with montane peatland, horse yards, armoured creek crossings and Haenigs Horse Trail.
- Blowering Dam foreshore
Forest camping areas on the Bago foreshore of Blowering Dam. The waterbody is not this forest’s lake to book. Minor fire trails and some plantation sections can stay closed.
How long
Times below are ours. Forestry Corp doesn’t publish walk hours.
Half day
Picnic at Pilot Hill or Sugar Pines. No walk required. Less than half an hour from Batlow and from Tumbarumba is Forestry Corp’s line for Pilot Hill, not a promise about forest roads.
Full day
Add the Alpine Ash Walk: 1 km one way, no published grade or time. The Wellness Walk has no published length. The 426 km figure is the whole Hume and Hovell Track, not this forest.
Overnight
Paddys River Dam, free and first-come. If you are aiming at a Friday, read the Plan B before you leave town.
Named walks
Two short walks at Pilot Hill
Not independently walked. The Alpine Ash Walk is the one with a published length.
Alpine Ash Walk
A forest walk from Pilot Hill Arboretum through adjoining alpine ash, with sculptures along the way. Forestry Corp publishes 1 km, one way. No grade or time.
Starts: Pilot Hill Arboretum
1 km one way is published. Grade and time are not.
View guide →
Wellness Walk
An accessible track at Pilot Hill Arboretum through tall pines, with the Sound Pod and the Sky Seat. No published distance, grade or time.
Starts: Pilot Hill Arboretum
No published distance, grade or time.
View guide →
Bago State Forest Guide
Bago 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 — half day at Pilot Hill, full day with the Alpine Ash Walk, overnight at Paddys River Dam
- Plateau-dam mark + www.bagostateforest.com.au on every sheet
Free direct download — no email required. Maps · Itineraries · Privacy.
Part of the State Forest Guide Australia network
This unofficial Bago State Forest guide is in that network. Not government. Not a national-park directory.
FAQ
Is Bago State Forest a national park?
No. It is a Forestry Corporation of NSW working forest between Tumbarumba, Batlow, Tumut and Talbingo. Kosciuszko National Park is a different manager next door. Kosciuszko National Park (official NPWS)
Is camping free? Can I reserve Paddys River Dam?
Entry is free. The dam camp is free and first-come. You cannot reserve it. Pilot Hill and Sugar Pines are for a picnic, not a tent. Camping
Can I bring a boat?
Passive water only, because the dam is small: kayak, fish, small electric motor. No powerboats, jet skis or waterskiing. The Blowering waterbody is not this dam. Paddys River Dam
Can I bring a dog?
Yes, under effective control in this State forest. The Bago map says on a lead. Not in Kosciuszko National Park. NSW Government lists the dam as pet friendly and says to enquire. Dogs on Plan your visit
How long do I need?
Times below are ours. Forestry Corp publishes 1 km one way for the Alpine Ash Walk and no walk hours. Half day is Pilot Hill. Full day adds that walk. Overnight is Paddys River Dam, first-come, with a Friday Plan B. How long
Is this site official?
No. Independent unofficial operator’s manual in the State Forest Guide Australia network. Not Forestry Corporation. Not NPWS.
Rules and site names come from Forestry Corporation of NSW’s Bago page, the NSW Government listing for Paddys River Dam, and the statewide camping, dogs and fires pages. Closures: official notices map. Fires: RFS plus Forestry Corp solid-fuel notices. The Bago page was opened 22 Sep 2026. It is not today’s road status.
Not independently walked. Conditions, roads and fire rules change. Roads close for hazard trees, harvest and fire recovery. Verify with Forestry Corporation of NSW.