Blue Mountains
Sandstone cliffs, eucalypt forest and some of the best bushwalking in NSW. There are too many good walks out here for one write-up, so I'm splitting them out one by one, starting with my favourite.
Best places to swim in the Blue MountainsGrand Canyon Track
Blackheath
6km loop
Moderate
~2.5 hours (give yourself longer)
Bring: Swimmers
Loop
Park: Neates Glen car park ↗, not the Grand Canyon car park. It's a loop, once you reach Evans Lookout at the end, keep following the path back to the car.
- My favourite hike out here, hands down, fairytale-like pathways, waterfalls and wildlife.
- A hidden swimming spot, including a plunge pool at the bottom of the canyon, that leads into a little cave, if you're brave enough to swim through it.
- Steep on the way down (just as steep back up) and it gets busy, get there early, trust me.
- Walk it anti-clockwise so you finish climbing out to Evans Lookout, the view over the Grose Valley at the end is honestly one of the best in the Blue Mountains.
Secret swim spot
Watch on TikTok
Wentworth Falls
Wentworth Falls
1.4km return
Hard, steps & ladders
~1 hour
Bring: Grippy shoes
Loop
Park: Wentworth Falls Picnic Area ↗ or the Conservation Hut.
- The one for jaw-dropping waterfall views.
- It includes roughly 200 steep steps down to Fletchers Lookout.
- Steep basically the entire way down, carved steps and steel ladders bolted straight into the cliff.
- Full view of the falls partway down (worth the pause for photos), then a pool at the bottom to cool off in.
- Same steep climb back up, so pace yourself, no shame in a breather or two.
Three Sisters & Giant Stairway
Echo Point, Katoomba
3.1km one-way
Hard, very steep
~3 hours
Bring: Sturdy shoes
Loop
Park: Birdwood Avenue near Echo Point ↗ (free). Cliff Drive and Echo Point Road are metered.
- Start where the classic Three Sisters walk does, at Echo Point.
- Cross Honeymoon Bridge for a totally different angle on the Three Sisters, then follow the track down to the top of the Giant Stairway.
- Nearly a thousand hand-hewn steps, very steep both ways, your legs will know about it tomorrow.
- Bottom turns into a real forest walk (Federal Pass), with a well-deserved plunge pool waiting near the end of the trail.
- Climbs back out via Furber Steps to Scenic World, not officially a "visitor centre," but close enough once you spot the café.
Getting back: pick up the 686 outside Scenic World, loops back to Echo Point.
Leura Cascades & the Infinity Pool
Leura
~2km return
Short but steep
~1.5 hours
Bring: Swimmers
Loop
Park: Leura Cascades Picnic Area ↗
- Head down via the Amphitheatre Track towards Bridal Veil Falls. Short but steep, don't let the 2km fool you.
- We went purely for the Infinity Pool, but the views on the way down are incredible. Bridal Veil Falls itself is a massive waterfall, worth stopping for.
- Past the falls, at the metal bridge, skip the stairs up. Go through the railing on the left instead and follow the creek downstream.
- Look for the Infinity Pool sign (a concrete cylinder), then a rope-assisted scramble down. It's a genuine Instagram spot now, so don't expect to have it to yourself.
- Right on an unfenced cliff edge with slippery rocks, so take it slow. Not the spot to be reckless.
Heads up: skip it after heavy rain or if rain's forecast, flash flooding and slippery rocks make it unsafe.