Burning Mountain
The Burning Mountain track is just to the north of Scone near Wingen on the New England Highway The car park for the walk is also a rest stop for traffic so is quite large and has toilet facilities . The track is easy to follow as the walk is well sign posted . It is well laid out with steps well constructed and maintained by Parks and Wildlife NSW.
Walking Track
The track steadily climbs to the top of the hill, through bush-land and some cleared areas. The climb is not difficult and there are many places to stop and take in the views over the surrounding countryside.
There are sign boards along the track detailing the local wildlife and plants. If you read all of this information the walk will take much longed but you will have a better understanding of the local fauna and flora. The boards also detail Aboriginal and European settlement of the area.
Burning Mountain
The end of the track is the Burning Mountain itself. An underground coal seam that has been burning for thousands of years gives its name to the area. The air has a distinct sulfur smell and the ground has been turned red by the high temperatures. There are warning signs to keep off the heat affected areas as they can be unstable and very hot. You can see all you need to from the viewing platform and staying behind the fencing.
The walk back to the car park is quite easy being mostly downhill, just be careful of slippery area.
Overall an enjoyable day out. The best part is the walk there and back along the track, as the heat affected area, although of interesting colors and smell is not that fascinating to look at.
To see what else there is to do in the Hunter Valley, please see some of our other stories.