Discover Muswellbrook: Trails and Art

Muswellbrook offers a range of ways to shape your stay: trails along Muscle Creek, collections at the Regional Arts Centre, and public art. When planning, you can make nature and art your own areas of focus.

Trails along Muscle Creek and other walking paths

The Muscle Creek AR Tour starts in Simpson Park and follows the Muscle Creek Loop. At points marked by footprints, QR codes reveal stories about the history and environment of Muscle Creek. The tour therefore covers both the trail route and the creek’s natural and historical themes.

A separate walking path runs 1.2 km along Muscle Creek, from Simpson Park to Bell Street. The Platypus Track is much shorter, at 190 m. It starts at the Olympic Park car park on Wilkinson Avenue and runs for 190 m behind the Muswellbrook Aquatic Centre. These distances give you a concrete basis for comparison when choosing walking paths for your stay.

Muscle Creek also contributes to the protection of the Hunter Floodplain Red Gum Woodland, a threatened ecological community. So, as well as serving as a landmark for the trails, the creek is important to the local environment.

Art collections and works in public spaces

The Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre houses the Muswellbrook Shire Art Collection and the Max Watters Collection. The Centre holds two art prizes each year: the national Muswellbrook Art Prize and the Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize. As the annual program may change, it’s best to check the current event dates if you’re travelling for a particular prize.

The Muswellbrook Railway Underpass also combines a practical walking route with art: the work depicts the Hunter River and Muscle Creek and serves as an artistic introduction to the natural features of the Muswellbrook region. Here, a usable walking route and a representation of regional nature themes come together in one place.

Simpson Park is home to the Muswellbrook Reconciliation Mural and the Simpson Park Mosaic. The mural depicts the history of the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities of the Upper Hunter. The mosaic is on the side of the park’s community barbecue. The two works offer different points of connection: one portrays history and community, while the other is a work at a specific location in the park.

Big Blue in Blue Heeler Country is a two-metre-high, half-tonne bronze sculpture by Brett Garling. It celebrates the Blue Heeler’s working spirit and its role in the pastoral life of the Hunter Valley.

Recreation at Highbrook Playground

Another specific place for recreation is Highbrook Playground. It is home to Larry The Lizard, a giant slide 10 m high and 70 m long. The playground also has a bicycle skills track. These features offer a different focus from the creek trails and art sites: here, named play and recreational facilities take centre stage.

Discover more destinations: Table Top, Summer Island, Booroorban, Herons Creek, Gemalla, West Wyalong, Mulgoa, Clarence Town.

For the broader travel overview: New South Wales.