Rushworth State Forest is a 24 300-hectare reserve to the immediate south of town via Whroo Rd. It consists of red ironbark, yellow gum and grey box eucalypts with a profusion of wildflowers and orchids after autumn and spring rains. Fauna includes 100 bird species, echidnae, possums, kangaroos, wallabies, wallaroos and the rat-sized marsupial known as the tuan. It is a fine area for bushwalking, forest drives and nature studies and picnicking. The creeks of the forest were scoured for gold in the 19th century and some optimists still do some panning.