Nightcap National Park is situated in far north-eastern New South Wales between Murwillumbah to the north-east and Lismore to the south. It encompasses 8,145 hectares of the Nightcap Range and adjoins Whian Whian State Forest.
The park is located on the southern rim of the caldera of the Mount Warning shield volcano. Basalt and rhyolite lava flows from the volcano have influenced the vegetation communities in the area.
Warm temperate rainforest is found throughout the park on soils with a rhyolitic base while sub-tropical rainforest is supported by nutrient rich basalt soils. Nightcap National Park has the highest annual rainfall in New South Wales.
The dominant massifs, sheer cliff walls, lush green gullies and spectacular waterfalls which make up Nightcap National Park are relics of its volcanic past.
The park provides habitat for a number of significant species including the little bent-winged bat, wompoo fruit-dove, masked owl, Stephen's banded snake and red-legged pademelon.
Fleay's barred frog and Coxen's fig-parrot have been recorded in the park but not sighted in the wild for some time.