Belanglo State Forest, State forest in New South Wales, Australia
Belanglo State Forest is a managed state forest in New South Wales, located about three kilometers west of the Hume Highway. The forest covers roughly 3,800 hectares (9,400 acres) of planted pine with native woodland along the edges.
Plantation with radiata pine began here in 1919 and shaped the region's commercial timber use. The plantations developed over decades into a large forest area with multiple sections and pathways.
The forest's name is remembered in Australian folklore for the murders uncovered there: seven skeletons found in 1992 and 1993 led to Ivan Milat's 1996 conviction. A sign at the entrance once read "please be careful" and was repeatedly stolen before being replaced with a standard Forestry Corporation sign. The forest is also used for picnics and camping.
The forest lies south of Berrima in the Southern Highlands, about three kilometres west of the Hume Highway between Sydney and Canberra. In the eastern part, facing the highway, unpaved vehicle tracks run through the pine rows, as on the straight dirt track in the photograph. The forest is open to the public and has barbecue and camping areas.
The forest's reputation is such that detectives who worked on the Milat murders described "pure evil" there. A sign at the entrance once read "please be careful"; it was stolen so often that the Forestry Corporation replaced it with a standard sign. The forest is also a working pine plantation supplying a nearby paper mill.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,366 contributors worldwide.