For a one night stay in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, we packed in as much as possible. A few early starts and a lot of walking in the heat but we saw some secluded spots away from the crowds. 

There are a lot of popular hikes and trails in New South Wales’ Blue Mountains which means there can be a lot of other hikers. Sometimes, you need to track the weather, think about what day of the week you’re going and a little bit of luck to get a secluded day.

Due to work, we knew we had to go on the weekend. But we made sure we went just before the Christmas holidays in the hope that it wouldn’t be too busy.

We went on a weekend where the forecast was warm on the Saturday but a lot cooler on the Sunday. The plan was to do some short walks and swimming holes on the Saturday, and a more difficult walk on the Sunday. We chose The Grand Canyon hike. 

Saturday

Parkrun – Blue Mountains, New South Wales

We love to do a new different Parkrun whenever we can so we decided it would be cool to do one in a national park. We decided on Lawson because we wouldn’t have to get up too early, there are public toilets nearby and it was a trail run (rather than a paved path). 

This was, by far, the hardest Parkrun I have ever done. It was a few different out-and-backs and the trail was a mix of gravel, sand, over a small creek, and very rocky parts that almost felt like running on rubble. It was A LOT of fun. My ankles were exhausted but it was definitely one of the coolest ones we’ve ever done. Don’t expect a PB here. 

If you don’t know what Parkrun is – it’s a 5km timed run/jog/walk every Saturday – FOR FREE. They have them all over the world so why not give it a go. Sign up is here.

Nepean River Walk

This is a relatively easy walk. We started at Euroka Campground in the Blue Mountains National Park. It cost us $12 to enter the park for the day and it meant we could come and go as we pleased – no need to pay twice. 

Driving down to the campsite, it was empty. There was hardly anyone around, but it was beginning to get very warm. 

Because we had done the Parkrun that morning, we took the walk very slowly. The first 5-10 minutes was a beautiful undulating grassy walk which turned into a trail and walking over boulders. It was then a steep descent down to the river. The whole walk down, only took around 20 minutes. 

Once you reach the bottom, it’s the tiniest (but cutest) beach by the river. You’re completely surrounded by the hills and bush and there were no other people around. Aside from a few boats, we didn’t see anyone for the first two hours we were there.

The river was safe to swim in but it got deep very quickly, so be mindful of that. 

The river is wide and there were speedboats jetting around midday so we didn’t feel safe enough to swim to the otherside, but we were happy to eat our lunch and sunbathe for a few hours.

Around lunchtime, it got a lot busier with people on jet skis shooting up and down the river. They seemed to having a great time but it definitely got a little noisier, so if you’re looking for a quiet, peaceful river swim, then maybe head down earlier in the morning. 

The way back is that hardcore ascent back up the hill – it is a tough one on the thighs but it doesn’t take too long until you’re back at the car.

Because of the heat and how steep this is, you’re going to need a lot of water. Make sure to take a few litres between you, if not more. 

Blue Pools

The Blue Pools were so fun, and quite popular. The walk from the car park is 15 minutes max as you descend down to the river bend. 

When we arrived mid-afternoon, it was busy, with a lot of families and groups lounging on the rocks or swimming around the bend. 

You can be on either side of the bend, so just pick a spot and relax. The rocks are quite slippy so be a little cautious getting in, but otherwise, enjoy this little suntrap.

Here are some photos of the pools – not particularly blue – but the sky does reflect of it at the right angle. 

On a different note, we didn’t see a lot of wildlife this day which is a bit unusual. Normally, we would see lizards / spiders etc and we mentally prepare ourselves for snakes. However, at the Blue Pools, I got stung by a bee – not something I had expected to be cautious about but there you go. They are around people!

Sunday

We had camped at the Katoomba Christian Convention campsite. It was cheap, close to town and about a 100m walk from an amazing viewpoint of the canyon.

The campsite was a good location but the ground was really tough to get our tent pegs in – something that we had seen on the reviews. 

To prepare for this, we brought some extra industrial tent pegs and a mallet and we’re really glad we did. 

The Grand Canyon Trail – Blue Mountains, New South Wales

This was one of the best walks we have ever done. A strong statement I know, but we bloody loved this walk.

We did this route anti-clockwise and it was a steep descent – AllTrails does not lie!

With the Blue Mountains, you have the typical greys and softs greens of the bush. But the Grand Canyon Trail practically glows in bright greens like a true rainforest. 

It’s only a 6.3km walk so it should only take around 3-4 hours. 

It took us 3.5hrs, but we played around for 30 mins with our tripod and setting up our camera, stopped for lunch and a swim at another location. So if you’re planning on power walking through, it’s not going to take you long. 

There are a lot of beautiful spots to stop here, including an incredible swimming hole that is partially under a cave. The water is COLD so be prepared to have your breath taken away. However, there is something incredibly magical about submerging in the forest water. 

After the swimming hole, you’ll walk a little further at the bottom of the canyon but then it is a steep ascent up towards Evans lookout. If you take the anti-clockwise route, the ascent is relatively quick. We found that it took a lot longer to come down than it did to go back up which we were relieved about. 

Evans Lookout

Evans Lookout was incredible. Stunning views of the valley and forests below. We could even see a section where there had been a landslide a few months before.

The lookout section has been created so it is fully wheelchair accessible, allowing all types of mobility levels to enjoy the views. There is also a car park right by the viewpoint.

Once you’ve reached Evan’s Lookout it’s a very short walk back to the car park. Then you should treat yourself to a cool drink.

Recommendations for this hike:

• Try and go on a cooler day. Although it’s relatively sheltered for some of the walk, the humidity is stifling. Visiting on a cooler day will help some of the pressure. 
• As always, bring more water than you think you’ll need.
• Food / snacks. This is a hard walk in places, make sure you have enough energy.
• Swimming stuff – bring your swimmers for a magical dip in the pools below. 

This marked the end of our trip to New South Wales’ Blue Mountains. We packed a lot in and we were fortunate that we visited the week before some torrential rain. A lot of trails had been washed away and landslides occurred too. 

We’d love to go back at some point to do a few different trails.

Let me know what your favourite Blue Mountains trail is and I’ll add it to my list!

Fancy more New South Wales Hikes? Check out my Royal National Park post and Heathcote National Park post.