The Blue Mountains have many of our favorite hiking tracks in all of NSW. Not only is the scenery breathtaking but there’s so much diversity in the trails. From walks to jaw-dropping viewpoints to waterfalls, you can swim under rainforest trails, slot canyons, and even tracks you can see your glow worms on; the mountains really do have it all!
The Grand Canyon – Blackheath
Distance: 6.5km circuitElevation: 310m
Difficulty: Moderate
Starting from: Evans Lookout (1 hour 45 from Sydney)
The Grand Canyon is no hidden gem, but that’s for good reason. This track is simply magical.
It’s not about the views – although it does start at one of the best – it’s all about walking in between the towering canyon walls, which are dripping with ferns and moss. You will feel like you’ve entered a different world, and it’s the perfect escape from the city.
Rock hopping over pristine streams and heading up and down picturesque rock staircases all add to the wow factor.
The whole trail is incredibly atmospheric, and despite having walked it more times than we could count, we never lose that sense of awe.
However, there’s one caveat: it is so popular that crowds can be an issue. If you can’t walk this one midweek, we’d recommend hiking very early in the morning or later in the afternoon on Sunday. We started the walk at 4 pm on a very busy sunny Sunday recently and saw no one!
Fortress Ridge with Dr. Dark’s Cave – Leura
Distance: 10.7km (total, including all side trails)
Elevation: 469m (capacity, including all side trails)
Difficulty: Moderate for Fortress Ridge, hard when combined with the cave
Starting from: Mount Hay Road (1 hour 30 from Sydney)
If you’re looking for a trail with spectacular views and a little bit of rarely-visited mountain history, this is the hike for you.
The views from both Fortress Rock and the end of the Fortress Ridge trail are absolutely mind-blowing, and some of our favorites are in the mountains. Add to that the opportunity to visit Dr. Dark’s cave, and you have a walk to remember.
Dr. Dark and his family used to live part-time in the cave in the 1930s and 40s, and many of their belongings are still there; it’s like they got up and left for the day but will be returning later! It’s a fascinating place to visit and a truly unique spot in the mountains.
While much of the track is in good condition, the side trail to the cave is not. The whole way has zero signposting at any point, so we’ve given a map and instructions for the walk, as well as the cave coordinates, in this post.
The Wentworth Pass – Wentworth Falls (partially closed)
Distance: 7.3km
Elevation: 419m
Difficulty: Hard
Starting point: Wentworth Falls Lookout (1 hour 15 from Sydney)
Covering some of the same trails as the National Pass (which we’ve removed from this post because it doesn’t look like it is going to re-open in the foreseeable future), the Wentworth Pass is both spectacular and a little bit adventurous.
You’ll walk on paths cut into the cliff edge and down past every stage of the majestic Wentworth Falls before arriving at the base, where you can have a paddle to cool off! The descent is steep, some of which is on what Parks NSW calls ladders, but we think they are more like very steep staircases.
From the base of Wentworth Falls, you’ll traverse some truly glorious forest before making your way back to the cliff tops again via a series of jaw-dropping waterfalls (go after rain for the best flow).
You’ll walk on paths cut into the cliff edge and down past every stage of the majestic Wentworth Falls before arriving at the base, where you can have a paddle to cool off! The descent is steep, some of which is on what Parks NSW calls ladders, but we think they are more like very steep staircases.
From the base of Wentworth Falls, you’ll traverse some truly glorious forest before making your way back to the cliff tops again via a series of jaw-dropping waterfalls (go after rain for the best flow).
Dry Canyon – Newnes Plateau
Distance: 3.4km return
Elevation: 60m
Difficulty: Easy
Starting point: Glow Worm Tunnel Road (3 hours from Sydney)
Dry Canyon is a real hidden gem. Walking through this incredible slot canyon took us right back to Utah! With tall, deep orange walls and stunning rock formations, it will leave you wondering how you can have the whole walk to yourself!
Don’t forget to look up when you get to the sections where the light can barely penetrate; it’s often where you’ll see the most intricate patterns in the rock.
As well as being an absolutely incredible adventure, it’s also very easy to access. There is one short scramble with a rope in place to help you, but that’s only a nice to have, not a need to have, as it’s by no means difficult.
The only hard part about Dry Canyon is finding your way when there is no signposting whatsoever and many social trails.
If you fall in love with Dry Canyon, then we’d highly recommend trying River Caves Canyon next. It’s a wet canyon this time, but it’s generally not very deep, and no swimming is involved. Again, it’s not signposted, but we have all the details, including coordinates, in this post.
Katoomba Round Walk
Distance: 3km (including all side trails)
Elevation: 137m
Difficulty: Easy but not flat
Starting point: Scenic World (1.5 hours from Sydney)
The Katoomba Round Walk is an easy trail that doesn’t compromise on big views. It’s by far the best walk in the whole park for pictures of the gorgeous Katoomba Falls. You’ll get to view this iconic waterfall from the top of the cliffs, as well as up close and personal if you take a very short diversion.
As well as Katoomba Falls, this walk also showcases Katoomba Cascades – which are great for a paddle on a warm day – as well as lots of absolutely glorious forests.
If you can time your visit to coincide with some recent heavy rain, the whole area comes to life. Not only will the waterfalls and cascades be at their best, but there’s nothing like walking along the moss-covered cliffs when they are dripping with water; it’s like the whole thing becomes one giant weeping rock.
You can also walk a section of this track after dark as part of the new Katoomba Night Walk. If you can, pick a clear night when you can enjoy the incredible night sky, too!
You’ll see Katoomba Falls and Cascades, as well as Witches Leap and Orphan Rock, all lit by floodlights until 10:30 p.m. each night (spotlights along the path remain on until 11 p.m.). It’s a unique way to experience some of Katoomba’s best-loved spots.