Mungo National Park, Archaeological national park in New South Wales, Australia
Mungo National Park is a 110,967-hectare national park in south-western New South Wales, part of the Willandra Lakes Region and centred on Lake Mungo, the second largest of seventeen dry lakes. Along the south-eastern lake edge rises the Walls of China, a lunette of pale tan and ochre sand and clay eroded into jagged, fluted pinnacles with deep gullies below; a single tree stands at its far left.
Archaeological excavations beginning in 1969 uncovered skeletal remains of Mungo Lady and Mungo Man, preserved in lake sediments dating back more than 42,000 years. These discoveries established the site as one of Australia's oldest known burial places and evidence of continuous human occupation in the region.
The park lies where the lands of the Mutthi Mutthi, Ngiyampaa and Barkindji meet, and the name Mungo comes from the sheep station the Cameron brothers named after St Mungo's Church in Scotland. The creek that once fed Lake Mungo is kept as a sacred site, and the dunes are reached only with an accredited guide.
The Visit Centre offers interpretative displays and can arrange guided tours, particularly to view the Walls of China formation and accessible walking routes around the park. Visitors should prepare for open landscapes with limited shade and bring sufficient water for any exploration during the day.
Preserved footprints from 20,000 years ago reveal activities of children and adults hunting together on the muddy shores of the ancient lake bed. These rare impressions offer insight into daily routines and family group behavior from the distant past.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,502 contributors worldwide.
