Pilliga Scrub Yowie: Sightings in NSW's Biggest Inland Forest

The Pilliga is a vast inland forest of cypress pine and eucalypt covering around half a million hectares between Coonabarabran and Narrabri. It's also one of the best-known places for Yowie stories in New South Wales. For decades, truck drivers, police and travellers on the Newell Highway have reported tall, hairy, upright figures crossing the road at night.

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Baradine, on the forest's western edge, is the best base for a visit, with daytime walks, sculpture trails and lookouts to explore. Whatever you make of the stories, the Pilliga's size and stillness are worth the trip on their own. We cover the forest and its legends in Supernatural Sydney.

The History of the Pilliga

The Pilliga is the traditional Country of the Gamilaroi people, whose connection to this land continues today. Hairy-man figures appear in some Aboriginal stories across NSW. Those stories belong to their communities, so we don't retell them here, and we ask visitors to treat them with the same respect.

The modern Yowie reports are a much more recent layer. The forest is enormous and dense, sound carries strangely, and at night visibility on the back tracks can drop to a few metres. Even experienced bushwalkers say it can feel like being watched.

The Yowie Sightings

One of the best-known accounts dates to 1972, when a Coonabarabran police officer is said to have reported a tall, hairy figure seen by several witnesses near the Baradine turn-off on the highway, about seven feet tall and "moving like a man but faster". In 1995, a truck driver reportedly stopped for what he thought was a kangaroo, only for a large upright shape to stand and stride into the bush. Police made a short search. No tracks were officially recorded, though locals claimed to find large footprints the next morning.

Reports across the forest describe:

• A figure between six and eight feet tall, covered in dark brown or black hair.
• A strong, musky smell and red or amber eyeshine in headlights.
• Heavy footsteps, howls and tree-shaking, often near creeks or road crossings.

Reported hotspots include the Newell Highway between Coonabarabran and Narrabri, the Dandry Gorge area, the Salt Caves area and the Pilliga Bore Baths. Sceptics put most of it down to wildlife and a spooky setting. For locals, the number of reports from police, rangers and long-haul drivers is what keeps the legend going.

How to Get to the Pilliga Scrub

The Newell Highway runs through the forest between Coonabarabran and Narrabri. Baradine sits on its western side, and the Pilliga Forest Discovery Centre there is the place to start for maps, local knowledge and current conditions. Sculptures in the Scrub, a 3 km return walk at Dandry Gorge in Timmallallie National Park, is about 33.5 km from Baradine on unsealed roads that are dry-weather only. The Salt Caves picnic area and lookout tower are also popular day stops. Explore by day and stick to the main roads and marked tracks after dark.

Know Before You Go

• Check NSW National Parks alerts, track closures and fire danger before you go. The area is very prone to bushfire, and roads can flood or become impassable after rain.
• Many forest roads are unsealed. NSW National Parks recommends a 4WD or a 2WD with good clearance.
• Mobile reception is very limited. Download offline maps, tell someone your plans and carry plenty of water.
• Stay on marked tracks and don't wander off-trail at night. Wildlife and remoteness are the real dangers here.
• Respect Aboriginal cultural sites and stories. Don't touch or disturb sites, and leave no trace.
• Only pull over at proper rest areas on the Newell Highway, well off the road, and watch for wildlife at night.

Pilliga Scrub Yowie FAQs

Where is the Pilliga Scrub?

In north-western NSW, between Coonabarabran and Narrabri, with Baradine on its western edge.

Have Yowies been reported in the Pilliga?

Yes. Truck drivers, police and travellers have reported tall, hairy upright figures for decades, including widely retold accounts from 1972 and 1995. None has been verified.

Do you need a 4WD for the Pilliga?

For many forest roads, yes, or at least a 2WD with good clearance, and only in dry weather. Check conditions at the Pilliga Forest Discovery Centre first.

Can you camp in the Pilliga?

Yes. Sculptures in the Scrub has a picnic area and campground run by NSW National Parks. Check current bookings and alerts before you go.

More North-West NSW Mysteries

• Yowie Sightings in NSW: Where the Legends Come From
• Australia Telescope Compact Array, Narrabri
• Dubbo district
• Haunted Places in Regional NSW