Blue Mountains

There’s a lot more to the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Australia than the tourist attractions at Jenolan Caves or Scenic World in Katoomba, though those are both quite popular and definitely worth visiting. These mountains have over 140 kilometers of hiking trails, generally referred to as tracks in Australia, and rock formations like the famous Three Sisters. Echo Point is a good viewpoint for the Three Sisters, as is Scenic World.

the Three Sisters in Australia’s Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains are home to quaint little mountain towns and canyons big and small with canyoning adventures available to beginners as well as experienced climbers. Some are even suitable for kids. The name Blue Mountains comes from the abundance of eucalyptus trees. Oil from these trees combined with dust and water vapor scatter predominantly blue short-wave light rays that can give off a misty blue hue.

internet photo of glow worms

Glow Worms can be found in tunnels and caves in the Blue Mountains. Some are easy to get to, like those in the caves at winery tours where people on cruise ship excursions are taken. Others take a bit more effort to find, like the one we hiked to in an old mine train tunnel between Lithgow and Newnes.

trail to a viewpoint at Govetts Leap Lookout

Other things to visit in the Blue Mountains include valleys, orchards, historic hotels, gardens, and scenic walkways. There’s also lots of scenic lookouts. People can just stop for quick photos overlooking the view. Many overlooks also have trails. Some are just short trails to more lookout points, others connect into more extensive trail systems.

living on the edge at Lincoln’s Rock

Lincoln’s Rock is a favorite place for tourists and locals alike for living on the edge – or at least taking photos perched on the edge of a rock hanging over a drop-off on a hillside. It’s so popular that you now have to pay to park in the nearby lot, or carpark as Australians call both parking lots and parking garages. It’s a short hike from the parking area to the semi-flat rocks where people enjoy posing on the edge. If there’s very many people there you might have to wait your turn for the best spot.

remains of an old building under Lincoln’s Rock

A short trail near the large flat rock where people pose leads the remains of an old building under an overhang. There’s a small cave nearby up in the side of the rock that people sometimes climb up to.

on top of Lincoln’s Rock

Lincoln’s Rock is named after Australian climber Lincoln Hall and is found on the Kings Tableland Plateau south of Wentworth falls.

Evans Lookout

Evans Lookout has a view of Grose Valley. This valley helped start the conservation movement in New South Wales and was instrumental in the early formation of Blue Mountains National Park when a group of bushwalkers pooled their money to buy out a logging lease and save the forest in 1932. Historically the area was home to Aboriginal people. Their cave drawings, carvings, and stone tools can still be found throughout the Blue Mountains.

stone hut

There was an empty stone hut at Evans Lookout. A short walk from the parking area led to the lookout, but at the time we were there the hiking trail leading down from the viewing area into the forest was closed.

Sheri on the rock

A smaller side trail led to some big rocks worth climbing on for a different view than the one in the paved area, but it did not lead into the trail system. This is in the Blackheath area of Blue Mountains National Park.

sign at Evans Lookout

There are detailed signs at the trailheads/lookout parking areas with lots of information.

Bridal Veil waterfall

Govetts Leap is not actually named for anyone who jumped off the cliff there. It’s just named after the first white guy to find the waterfall there, which is called Bridal Veil. There are accessible paths in the lookout area and a view across the Grose Wilderness. Several hiking trails can be accessed from there.

view overlooking the picnic tables near the Conservation Hut

We had lunch at a place called the Conservation Hut. It’s long been a rest stop for hikers as well as a place for the conservation society to meet. The building is pretty nice for a place called a hut and they serve great food. It’s a bit tough to get a parking spot though because  it’s also a trailhead so not all the cars parked there will just stay long enough for a meal or a view and the lot isn’t all that big. We were lucky in that someone pulled out as we were pulling in, otherwise we would not have found a parking spot. It has nice views just like the other lookouts. Just below the restaurant there were a couple picnic tables for people who brought their own food or who were hiking through. The restaurant had both inside and outside tables.

view at Govetts Leap

There are trails all through the Blue Mountains, and many trailheads. Not all are always open. Some close due to landslides, others to flooding, bushfires, or storm damage, or even a fallen tree. Construction or improvements to the trailhead or trailhead parking areas can also temporarily close an area so it’s a good idea to check if the area you want to hike is open before setting out on a journey.

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