Blue Mountains National Park
The Blue Mountains National Park is made up of lush waterfalls and historic walking tracks. Experience the Three Sisters in Katoomba or spend the night camping under the stars. The park is made up of six different areas; Katoomba, Blackheath, Glenbrook, Lower Grose Valley, Mt Wilson and Southern Blue Mountains. In Katoomba, you’ll find sweeping views and the famous Three Sisters. The Blackheath area is excellent for mountain biking and the incredible Govetts Leap, the Glenbrook area, is made up of beautiful swimming holes and Aboriginal rock art. While the Lower Grose Valley area is a much more remote and quiet experience with mountain bike trails and tranquil lookouts. The Mount Wilson area is perfect for hikes and to experience dramatic canyons and the Southern Blue Mountains area with 4WD routes and remote campgrounds.
The Blue Mountains National Park is home to a vast range of fauna flora and is an immersive experience amongst Australia’s ancient plants and reptiles. Aboriginal history is present throughout the park with Aboriginal rock art along many of the walks. Choose from a variety of ways to explore the area such as 4WD, horse riding, canyoning, mountain biking, rock climbing and more. The park has designated picnic and BBQ areas throughout, which act as a great rest stop or day trip alternative.
Plan your trip accordingly and opt to spend the night at one of the camping grounds in the national park. The closest campgrounds to the Three Sisters are the Ingar campground or Kedumba River Crossing campground. Take a hike before sunrise to watch the pastel sky come to life looking onto the rock formations. Echo Point is an excellent vantage point, just a 1km return walk taking around 30 minutes. Or to experience the Three Sisters up close, take the steps to Lady Game lookout, which connects on to the first sister. If you intend to spend some time in the Blue Mountains National Park, it is recommended to complete a trip intention form and carry a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) for safety.
For a unique adventure, starting on the ground in Katoomba town, the Scenic Railway takes you up a 52-degree incline; the world’s steepest passenger railway across the Jamison Valley. Each carriage brings flexibility with the option to adjust your seated position up to 20 degrees. For a wild ride, you can experience a 64-degree incline. The journey is 310 metres long past cliff side and ancient rainforest. The train departs every ten minutes, so you can jump on as you wish. After you disembark off the train, jump onto the Scenic Cableway and experience the 545-metre journey passing by the Three Sisters, Orphan Rock, Katoomba Falls and Mt Solitary. Carrying up to 84 passengers the train also departs every ten minutes and takes you up to the Scenic Walkway; 2.4 kilometres of lush rainforest.
The Blue Mountains is well connected to Sydney and can be easily reached by car. Between six different areas in the park to explore, first decide which area you’d like to visit and then plan your trip from there.