The 1500-sq-km Litchfield is famous for its beautiful waterfalls, sandstone pillars of the Lost City and the gigantic mounds of magnetic termites, but the park also contains excellent examples of most of the vegetation types of the Top End of the Northern Territory. Here is some information about the park, and in the end of this page is an interactive map.
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Courtesy of Tourism Northern Territory
Vegetation: Grevilleas, Banksia Flowers and Gum Trees Litchfield National Park lies on a sandstone plateau covered by tropical woodlands with banksias, grevilleas, Darwyn Stringybark (Eucalyptus tetrodonata) and Darwin Wollybutt (Eucalyptus miniata). Floodplains support many plant species and in the gorges created by waterfalls grow monsoon rainforests.
Courtesy of Tourism Northern Territory
Animals and Birds in Litchfield National Park Animals that you can see in the park include agile wallabies, northern brushtail possums, sugar gliders, dingos and black flying foxes. Litchfield also has a rich birdlife with many species of parrots, cockatoos and honeyeaters, dollarbirds, rainbow bee-eaters, jabirus and magpie geese.
Magnetic termite mounds. Courtesy of Tourism Northern Territory
Cathedral and Magnetic Termite Mounds Magnetic termites build their nests thin and facing roughly east-west, to avoid exposure to the hot midday sun, and cathedral termites build them huge, up to 6m high. There is a field of magnetic termite mounds about 17km drive from the park entrance.
Courtesy of Tourism Northern Territory
Florence Falls and Buley Rockhole Further southeast along the main drive is the turnoff to Florence Falls and Buley Rockhole, both nice swimming spots. There is a short 3-km walk (Florence Creek Walk) between them, if you want to walk it, it is recommended that you park at Florence Falls as parking is restricted at Buley. Another, even shorter walk – the 1km Shady Creek Walk that starts at Florence Falls picnic area takes you to the tropical woodland and cool monsoon forests. You can camp both at Florence Falls and Buley Rockhole.
Florence Falls. Courtesy of Tourism Northern Territory
Tolmer Falls and Greenant Creek Further south-east is Tolmer Falls, where there is the 1.6km Tolmer Falls Walk which goes along the Tolmer Creek to the sandstone country typical to the Top End. Because of a rare species of bats living here, swimming is not permitted. South-east from Tolmer Falls is Greenant Creek, where there is a 2.7km walk that climbs up to Tjaetaba Falls Lookout where there is a small pool but Aboriginal people ask you to not to swim here because the site is sacred. There is no camping at Tolmer Falls or Greenant Creek.
Buley Rockholes. Courtesy of Tourism Northern Territory
Wangi Falls and Walker Creek North-east from here are Wangi Falls, where there is a 1.6km walking track which takes you through monsoon forests to a viewing platform at the base of the falls and then to the top of escarpment above the falls. North of Wangi Falls, along the same drive, is a 3.5km walk up Walker Creek, perfect for a cool swim. There are camping sites both at Wangi Falls and Walker Creek.
Florence Falls. Courtesy of Tourism Northern Territory
Lost City, Sandy Creek and Surprise Creek The rest of the places in Litchfield National Park are only reachable by a 4WD. In southern parts of the park, unsealed roads take you to the Lost City, Sandy Creek and Surprise Creek (camping free!). At the Sandy Creek there is a 3.4hrs walking track that passes a hillside with cycads before it takes you to a pool nice for a swim. The Lost City is a concentration of eroded sandstone pillars that every geologist would love to visit.
The Lost City. Courtesy of Tourism Northern Territory
Where to Stay - Camping in Litchfield National Park North of Wangi Falls there is the Latitude 1308 Safari Tents and Cabins. You can also camp in the bush but all bushcamping has to be booked with Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory. Fees are cheap and camping at the Surprise Creek (4WD access only) is free. If you want to walk the 39-km Circuit Tabletop Track, you may want to get the map and more information from the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory.
Here's a map of Litchfield National Park, where I have tagged the places that I mentioned on this web page. You can click on the tags to see what places they are, and double-click anywhere on the map to zoom it in and see the places closer. Drag the map to move around, and if you want to see the satellite image with Google Earth, click on "Sat" in the top right hand corner.
NOTE: This website is written in British English, which is the English we use in Australia. You will find words like "traveller", "harbour" and "realise", and they are all correct in the language used in Australia.
