9 LESS CROWDED PLACES IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

“LIFE WAS MEANT FOR SPECTACULAR ADVENTURES. LET YOUR FEET WANDER, YOUR EYES MARVEL & YOUR SOUL IGNITE”

If you want to escape the tourist crowds in the stunning Blue Mountains National Park, these 9 places will be tranquil relief from the hustle and bustle. Whilst some spots are a little harder to access than others, there’s enough variety to suit everyone!

HANGING ROCK: BLACKHEATH

From the car-park, it’s a 5KM walk to Hanging Rock along an undulating fire trail. It’s well worth the journey as the views at the end are incredible. It’s another 5-10 minutes from the lookout at the end of the trail down to Hanging Rock, but you won’t have any problems finding it! Take extra care on cliff edges as there are no guard rails here.

MT PIDDINGTON LOOKOUT: MT VICTORIA

An easy one to get to by public transport if required, this lookout is located in Mt Victoria, just north of Katoomba. If driving, you can park at the foot of the stairs or keep circling up and around for those who would rather skip the few stairs. The lookout is simply breathtaking! There are also picnic tables for those who may want to enjoy a packed snack or lunch and a number of options for longer bush-walks from this point.

POOL OF SILOAM: LEURA

On the corner of Lone Pine Avenue and Olympian Parade is a carpark that will allow quick access to the Pool of Siloam. Head left along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk that will turn into the Pool of Siloam Track. You will a few sets of stairs and be welcomed to this tranquil oasis. The entire Cliff Walk is spectacular and there are many lookouts along the way with panoramic views to appreciate if you’d like to make a day of it.

GRAND CANYON WALK: BLACKHEATH

I can only think of one reason as to why the Grand Canyon Walk isn’t the most crowded trail in the Blue Mountains and that is the amount of stairs involved to get there. If you’ve got the time to spare (allow 3-4 hours) you will not be disappointed. Starting from Evan’s Lookout in Blackheath, the Grand Canyon Walk, in my opinion, is one of the Blue Mountain’s most spectacular tracks. Give those legs a workout and experience this natural wonderland for yourself.

MINEHAHA FALLS: KATOOMBA

I imagine this spot could get quite busy in the summertime, as the falls are quite an enticing place to jump in for a quick dip after a few hours of bush-walking, but in cooler weather, Minehaha is a quiet place to be. There are a number of stairs to descend and ascend to-and-from the falls, but not much different to what you may have already experienced in the Blue Mountains.

BUTTERBOX POINT: LEURA

Along what feels like a never ending gravel road is the car-park for Butterbox Point. One would take the same road to Lockley’s Pylon, but to get to Butterbox Point, you follow the fire trail to the end. In some parts of the walk, as you get closer to Butterbox Point, the track can get extremely narrow and close to cliff edges, so take extra caution as you make your way around the area.

SUNSET ROCK LOOKOUT: MT VICTORIA

Not only a gorgeous spot at sunset, Sunset Rock Lookout located in Mt Victoria is a spectacular spot any time of the day. It’s best to park on Grand View Road as there is very limited space on Beaufort Avenue to park and turn cars around. The walk is only a short one and you’ll have no problems locating this local favourite.

GOVETTS LEAP: BLACKHEATH

Offering some of the Blue Mountains most impressive views over the Grose Valley, Govetts Leap lookout is likely to be the more popular spot to visit out of the other 8 in this list, but being that bit further past Katoomba, it doesn’t draw crowds like Echo Point. There are many walking track options from this lookout for those who want to see more of the area.

PARADISE POOL: LINDEN

This local treasure located in the small Blue Mountains town of Linden is a tranquil haven in the middle of bush-land. It can be easy to take a wrong turn (as I did at least two times on my first visit), so I would definitely recommend allocating more time to complete this walk than the 45 minutes it should only take to get there. Another spot that can get busy in the summertime, I’d definitely recommend heading here in the cooler months to enjoy the serenity in peace.

If you would like more information or track notes on any of the places I’ve mentioned here in this post, please email me at cassie@adventuressontherun.com.

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