Best walked in the warmer months, Patons Hut walking track gives you an opportunity to see the historic side of Kosciuszko National Park.
Bushwalking this well-defined track, you can gaze at an impressive colour palette created by tall mountain gums and eucalypt forest looming overhead, as well as pretty frost hollows. A spring visit is perfect for stunning glimpses of blooming shrubs and wildflowers such as buttercups and waxy bluebells. It’s remarkable to see how well the area has regenerated after bushfires in 2003.
Quiet hikers might manage to spot some of the park’s native wildlife, including eastern grey kangaroos, red-necked wallabies and lizards. You may even see a wombat if you’re there at dawn or dusk.
It should take about an hour to reach Patons Hut. First built in 1934, and rebuilt after bushfire, it remains an excellent example of an iron grazier’s hut. Pause a while to experience the Snowy Mountains region’s cultural heritage. You might even savour a picnic lunch or go fishing in Tooma Dam before returning the way you came.
