Scammell Spur Lookout is a big view of the Main Range just off the Alpine Way, between Khancoban and Geehi. We pulled in at sunset in early January, after the long drive over from Victoria and on our way down to camp at Geehi Flats, and the whole range was glowing orange beyond the forested valley.
What we like
- Main Range across the Western Fall
- Board names every peak
- Step-free deck and railing
- Toilet and picnic shelter
- Lovely at sunset
What we don’t
- No mobile reception
- No drinking water
- Park entry fee on the Alpine Way
About Scammell Spur LookoutAbout
The lookout sits 1000 m above sea level on a spur above the Alpine Way, in the Khancoban area of Kosciuszko National Park. The road sign calls it Scammell Spur Lookout, while NSW National Parks lists it as Scammells Ridge lookout; it’s the same place. From the deck you look across the Western Fall, the steep, forested western side of the Main Range, to the peaks along the top: Carruthers Peak, Mt Townsend and Abbott Peak, which hides Mt Kosciuszko behind it. In winter and spring the summits are capped with snow.
Quick facts
- AddressScammell Spur Lookout, Alpine Way, Kosciuszko National Park NSW, AustraliaSee on the trip map →
- Phone receptionNo reception
- FacilitiesParkingToiletsPicnic TablesPicnic ShelterViewing PlatformLookoutsInterpretive SignsNo Drinking Water
- Good to knowStep-free to the deckNo mobile receptionKhancoban 20 km
- Fees$17 park entry a day ($29 in winter)
- 8.9/10Overall rated
Getting There
The lookout is on the Alpine Way about 20 km south of Khancoban, and about 90 km from Jindabyne the other way. A brown sign on a bend says “Scammell Spur Lookout 200m”, and a short sealed road leads up to a bitumen car park with no marked spaces. The Alpine Way is sealed all the way, but it’s steep, narrow and winding through here, and 2WD vehicles must carry snow chains between the June and October long weekends. Park entry fees apply on the Alpine Way: $17 per vehicle per day for most of the year and $29 in winter.
Out on the Viewing DeckThe deck
From the car park a paved path leads across a wide concrete pad to a curved deck with a dark steel railing, built out over the treetops. It’s flat and step-free all the way. The view opens straight across the forested valley of the Western Fall to the long line of the Main Range, with ridge after ridge fading into the haze. At sunset the sky went orange behind the range and the valleys below turned a deep blue.
Picking Out the PeaksThe peaks
On the railing is an NSW National Parks panorama board titled “Western Fall of the Main Range”. It lines up with the real view and names the peaks from left to right: Watsons Crags, Mt Sentinel, Carruthers Peak, Mt Townsend and Abbott Peak, with a note that Mt Kosciuszko is hidden behind Abbott Peak. It also marks Hannels Ridge and, far below, Geehi Flats, where we were headed for the night. Someone has scratched the sky part of the board, but the labels are easy to read.
Facilities
For a roadside lookout, Scammell Spur is well set up. On the concrete pad there’s a picnic shelter with a skillion roof over a table and benches, and a separate bench facing the view. A non-flush toilet block stands at one end of the car park among the trees. There’s no drinking water and no mobile reception, so bring your own water and don’t count on your phone. NSW National Parks suggests binoculars too: gang-gang cockatoos, crimson rosellas, king parrots and lyrebirds live in the mountain gums around the lookout.
Things to Do NearbyThings to do
Geehi Flats, the big flat you see on the panorama board, is a short drive further down the Alpine Way towards Thredbo. Down there are clear swimming holes in the Swampy Plain River, kangaroos on the flat and the stone Geehi Hut, the start of the Geehi Huts walking track to Keebles Hut and Old Geehi Hut. Back towards Khancoban, Olsens Lookout and Geehi Reservoir also look across the Western Fall, though that road is closed in winter.
Summary
Scammell Spur Lookout is an easy, step-free stop just off the Alpine Way with one of the best views of the Main Range in the park, and a toilet and picnic shelter to make it a proper break. Time it for late afternoon or sunset if you can, bring water, and remember there’s no phone reception.
A big view that’s worth the stop.
From the curved deck at Scammell Spur Lookout you look straight across the forested Western Fall to the Main Range, and the board names every peak. With a toilet, a picnic shelter and a sealed car park, it’s an easy break on the winding Alpine Way.
- Travellers
- 4WD tourers
- Picnics
Yes. It’s 200 m off the Alpine Way, step-free to the railing and covered by your park pass, and the Main Range at sunset is something special.
Recommended Gear for Scammell Spur Lookout
A pair of binoculars helps you pick out the peaks on the board and the birds in the gums. There’s no water at the lookout, so carry your own water storage, and some coffee gear turns the picnic shelter into a proper stop. If you stay for the sunset, a headlamp like the Black Diamond Astro 300 helps back at the car.
