Blue Mountains National Park

Fast facts

• This wonderland of sandstone outcrops, deep ravines and hazy blue eucalypt forests boasts luxury retreats and the world’s steepest railway.
• The Blue Mountains National Park is one of eight national parks that make up the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
• Under two hours from Sydney by road or rail.

Why go there

The Blue Mountains National Park, a scenically dramatic region of forested ravines and pristine bushland about 120 km west of Sydney by road, is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. It is listed for its extensive eucalypt forests and natural biodiversity.

The Wollemi Pine, world’s oldest species of tree found in Wollemi National Park, is unique to the Blue Mountains. The region is so densely forested the 40-metre-high trees escaped detection until 1994, flourishing undisturbed in a remote valley less than 200 km from Sydney.

Well-marked walking trails criss-cross Blue Mountains National Park, passing streams and waterfalls, descending into cool gorges and snaking around sheer cliffs where views are endless and dimensions enormous. The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service conducts walks, as do specialist eco-tour operators.

The region’s best-known rock formation is The Three Sisters, a trio of pinnacles best viewed from Katoomba, the largest of 26 mountain towns and villages. These include Wentworth Falls (near a beautiful waterfall of the same name), Faulconbridge and Katoomba. The town of Blackheath, full of colonial history, is famed for its Rhododendron Festival held each November each year.

Enjoy a wealth of adventure activities, art and craft galleries, fine dining, stylish shopping and romantic escapes. Grand Edwardian country hotels predominated in the early 20th-century. Now you can stay in a range of luxury guesthouses, spas and eco-retreats. Gardens in these parts are a delight. One of the most noteworthy is Everglades Gardens, laid out in the 1930s by Danish-born landscape designer Paul Sorensen. Don’t miss the tearooms!

Don’t miss

• Catching Katoomba Scenic Railway, world’s steepest railway. It descends from the cliff-top at Katoomba down into the Jamison Valley.
• Descending the series of steps by The Three Sisters rock formation to the cool and refreshing valley floor, with its Scenic Walkway boardwalk. 
• Watching kangaroos grazing in their natural environment at Euroka Clearing near Glenbrook in Blue Mountains National Park.
• Breathing the mountain air on an exhilarating bushwalk, perhaps into the Grose Valley near Blackheath with its magnificent blue gum forest.
• Daring to try rock-climbing or canyoning – perhaps horse-riding. Specialist operators offer careful guidance.
• Horse riding in the nearby Megalong Valley past cool streams and thick native forests.