10 easy walks in the Blue Mountains National Park: guide

Katoomba region, Three Sisters walk with the best views are from Eagle Hawk Lookout. There are toilets at the Scenic World carpark. Length 0.8 km, easy flat walk with wide boardwalk and guardrails. Three Sisters walk is ideal for visitors who have time for only one walk. The views of the Jamison Valley, Mt Solitary and the Three Sisters are wheelchair accessible making this a favourite for people with mobility issues. The lookout is well fenced with seating areas.

Katoomba region, Lyrebird Dell walk finishes at a sandstone cave near the headwaters of Gordon Creek. The cave is part of an area of Aboriginal occupation reaching back thousands of years. There are picnic tables near the Cave. The walk is 0.5km in length, it is an easy track to a picnic area in a large sandstone cave. The area has large native fern trees making it a cool shaded walk in the heat of summer. The walk is picturesque with the waterfall, and surrounding vegetation making this walk a great family experience. The walk can be extended to the Pools of Siloam making a loop track of 1.7km. There are stairs making this a medium grade track. You will pass under an overhang and following a clearly marked track descend into a fern filled canyon where the lyrebird is known to frequent.

Katoomba region, Kings Tableland walk is a less well known walk with tremendous views of the iconic Wentworth Falls area. It is a great spring time walk with grevilleas, rush lilies orchids and the heady scent boronias surrounding you. The track length is 1.6km easy walking track through a heritage aboriginal gathering place and dry scrub demonstrating the survival adaptations of the Australian bush. The walk has plaques and signs indicating indigenous engravings, axe grinding rock grooves and modified bathing rock pools. A short detour from Rocket Points completes this walk to the majestic views of Wentworth Falls in the park.

Conservation Hut, at Wentworth Falls, winner of regional awards for visitor experience is an ideal place for much needed break. Since the 1960s, the “Hut” has been a meeting place for the Blue Mountains Conservation Society and a valued rest stop for hikers. Rebuilt in mud brick in 1989 to house two Reinis Zusters paintings, the Hut continues to inspire sustainable ecological values. Today, Conservation Hut functions as an easily identifiable place to rendezvous for a meal or break before setting out on a bushwalk. The Conservation Hut is an information resource as well as a restaurant. For families with young children who are flagging the Conservation Hut provides a welcome break with the promise of an ice-cream if you just keep on going.

Blackheath region, Govetts Leap (overlooking the Grose Valley) is a favourite place for photographs. According to legend Govett, a bushranger rode off the cliff rather than be captured. There is another version of the name, William Roamine Govertt, assistant to Surveyor General in 1831 might also have a spot named after himself. Govetts Leap lookout is an easy stroll. NOTE The following walks all begin at the lookout: Fairfax Heritage walking track, Govetts Leap descent, Pulpit walking track, Rodriguez Pass walking track and Cliff Top walking track. The sheer splendour of wave sprays from a massive 180m waterfall drop is memorizing. Mature blue mountain gums scent the air and the blue haze is evident on still days. The area is well known for its bird life, from king parrots and the weela, weela cry of the yellow tailed black cockatoo. If you feel energised by the views try one of the nearby signposted walks or take a connecting walk to the Blue Mountains Heritage Centre.

Blackheath region, Anvil Rock Lookout is a short 15 minute walk with views across the Grose Valley. There is a rustic wooden seat situated for perfect views and a chance to contemplate the quiet of the mountains. The area is not fenced and children would need to be supervised.

Glenbrook region, Jellybean track is a perfect kids day out in the forest with tea coloured water to paddle in. A short walking track to the jellybean pool. Jellybean track is 1 km return, 30 minutes. This is a great option for families with younger children whose little legs cannot yet manage the stairs, steps and rocky climbs of much of the Blue Mountains.

Blue Pool walking track is an all day experience. While the walk is 0.5 km it is challenging for younger members due to the moderately steep access via a series of steps. The destination is worth the effort. The quietl bush setting frames a pretty swimming and picnicking pool. Blue Pool walking track is a lovely spring walk with red bottlebrush and flowering tea trees making a counterpoint to the green ferns.

Glenbrook, Nepean Lookout is a short and easy track that leads to the unfenced lookout where you can gaze down the steep tree-lined gorge on your left and Nepean River on the right. Admire the majestic angophoras, with the striking salmon-coloured bark that grows nearby. Spring is a fabulous time to visit as the surrounding heath bursts with colour and fragrance. This is a birdwatcher’s hot spot, with silvereyes, thornbills and striated pardalotes often seen flitting among the trees. Nepean River walking track is 1.8 km, easy track. The walk is a good introduction to the various canopy vegetation layers of the mountain with mountain grass clearing, narrow canyons and the accompanying ferns and mosses where sheer walls trap moisture creating a temperate rainforest effect. The track descends into the Fairlight Gorge where light and shadow on the river are a great place for keen photographers. In spring wildflowers provide scent and colour.  Perhaps a picnic by the river before returning on the same track back to the carpark.

Wentworth Falls picnic area and walks. The walks (signposted) range from easy to to medium grade. This area is part of the Valley of Waters track. Flowing water makes for great photo moments. For flowing water fans the Conservation Hut is a must do stop. Valley of the Waters track has visitors traversing a deep gorge, past two striking waterfalls. The track is 1.8 km in length however there are a number of steep steps and can be damp and slippery underfoot. The length of time to complete the walk is estimated at 1.5 – 2 hours return. An alternative is Wentworth Falls Princess Rock lookout is a standout for the photo moments of the 187 metre drop falling into the pools below. The Princess Rock lookout walk is an easy 1.8km return walk. Wentworth Falls track is 1.4 km, medium grade short walk. There are a number of handrail steep steps.

The journey is worth it.

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