Off the beaten track with Scenic World Team
There are many amazing bushwalks to explore throughout the Blue Mountains region and a bit of local knowledge always goes a long way in knowing where the crackers are!
Scenic World team love to get out amongst it all on their days off, so with a bit of coaxing (and promises of their 15 minutes of fame for participating), they spilled the beans on their favourites…
Craigo’s pick: Empire Pass, Lawson
The walk can be accessed from a few different points in Lawson, starting from North Lawson Park at the end of St Bernards Drive, Lawson is a great place to kick it off due to the amount of parking available. The walk is very well sign posted – you can navigate the walk easily by taking a photo of the map signage in North Lawson Park.
The walk has a lot of varied scenery, following a creek through a temperate rainforest and visits multiple waterfalls along the way – Dantes Glen, St Michaels, Fairy and Frederica. There is a beautiful lookout at Echo Point which is well worth a 5 minute breather.
Allow 3.5 hours for the whole Empire Pass loop however it can be broken up into smaller sections for multiple visits and requires a good level of fitness as it has been graded as hard.
Jeanette’s pick: Govett’s Leap to Pulpit Rock, Blackheath
Govett’s Leap to Pulpit Rock Walk – you can get amazing views of the Grose Valley and views of Horseshoe and Govett’s Leap Falls (also called Bridal Falls). And standing on Pulpit Rock is a feature in itself, suspended on a small rock formation overlooking the Grose Wilderness.
Vince’s pick: Mt Hay Road to Lockley’s Pylon, Leura
A favourite short walk of mountains locals offering amazing views. Named after J.G. Lockley, a journalist who supported conservation efforts to save the Blue Gum Forest from logging in the 1930s, this short walk meanders through the heath to a small peak overlooking the huge depths of the Grose Gorge.
Lou’s pick: Old Cemetery to Cox’s River, Hartley
My favourite bush walk is the Old Cemetery to the Cox’s River via the Six Foot Track. It’s about 14km return but my mates and I often camp down there on the river.
Drive over the railway line at Blackheath and follow the road down past Megalong Valley Tearooms (you have to drop in to try to world famous scones, blackberry jam and cream!) and keep going ‘til you cross the Old Ford Reserve bridge and on your left is the car park about 500m past. Park and grab your pack – it’s all sign posted, and it’s a beautiful walk.
Not for the faint hearted though because you have to cross a suspension bridge, but once you’re over that you know you’re nearly there. You get a little intro to the wild dog mountains!
Justin’s pick: Grand Canyon, Blackheath
My wife, uncle, aunt, and young cousins and I all walked The Grand Canyon walk, about 6km (3.5hours) long. It was first established in 1907, taking walkers along the path of a canyon. In places, the track follows a path cut halfway up the cliff, keeping you out of the most dangerous section of the canyon. The creek does flood after heavy rain, so check with the National Parks office before heading into this walk.
The cool temperatures in the canyon make this walk particularly special on warmer days. There are heaps of awesome spots to have a picnic or cool off in the water. A photographer’s paradise.
Always remember to think before you trek – click here for bushwalk safety precautions.