Picton: Gardens, railway history and walking tours

Explore Picton through garden paths, historic railway structures and self-guided walking tours. If you’re looking for a hotel in Picton, these different themes can help you match your choice of destination to your interests. Each place has a different focus: exercise in the Picton Botanic Gardens, walks through town and insights into railway history.

Garden paths and play areas

The Picton Botanic Gardens have a six-kilometre, flat circuit path for walking and cycling. Path conditions can change seasonally, so check them before your visit. Its length, flat profile and intended use give you specific points to consider when planning a walk or bike ride.

The gardens also have a separate play area for children and toddlers, with an adjacent pedestrian bridge. This gives the gardens two distinct features: a route for walks or bike rides, and a dedicated play area. You can take both into account when planning, without treating the circuit path and the play area as the same activity.

Railway history in Picton

The Stonequarry Creek Railway Viaduct is a heritage-listed railway bridge over Stonequarry Creek in Picton. The Stonequarry Viaduct is thought to be the oldest railway viaduct still in daily railway use. This structure is notable both for its historical significance and for the fact that trains still run over it daily.

The Mushroom Tunnel, officially called the Redbank Range Railway tunnel, is also part of the town’s railway history. It is historically significant as the first railway tunnel used by the NSW Railways. During the Second World War, it was used to store defence supplies. This former use adds another specific chapter to the structure’s history.

There is an important restriction to note when visiting: for safety reasons, the Mushroom Tunnel can only be viewed from the outside; access to the interior is currently unavailable until further notice. Check local conditions before travelling. This will help ensure your plans reflect the fact that only an external visit is possible.

Walking tours through the town and its history

The free, self-guided Picton Walking Tour takes you through the town to historic buildings and places of interest or significance. The Historic Picton Walking Tour includes 30 different stops, which visitors can explore at their own pace. Together, these details offer guidance for anyone wishing to explore Picton on foot and focus on its historic buildings.

St Mark’s Pioneer Cemetery offers a different format: a free, self-guided audio tour, with QR codes at selected gravesites. The visit combines a cemetery walk with audio content available at certain graves. Unlike a tour through the town, this one focuses on selected stops in the cemetery.

Church architecture and golf

St Mark’s Anglican Church in Picton is of state significance as a typical, well-preserved example of a small country church designed by the architect Edmund Blacket. For visitors interested in architecture, its significance lies in this classification: the church represents a particular building type and is also associated with a named architect.

Antill Park Country Golf Club in Picton has an 18-hole, par-70 course. Advance booking may be required. The golf course is a clearly defined option for a different kind of leisure activity from walks and historic tours.

Discover more destinations: Tumut, Mittagong, Rankins Springs, Sefton, Coorabell, Lord Howe Island, Lake George, Somersby

For the broader travel overview: New South Wales.