Introduction

Hello and we welcome your interest in the Blue Mountains in Australia.

Nature Trail is an independent family-run local tour operator centrally based in the township of Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.

We first travelled here in 1993 and decided to buy and settle in Katoomba in 2001.

 

 

Nature Trail was conceived as a tour operation venture in 2010 by its founder and tour director Steven Ridd whilst on holiday visiting his wife’s family in Northern Ireland and participating on a walking tour arranged by his wife atop Cave Hill reserve outside Belfast.

In 2025, Tour Director Steve decided to convert the Blue Mountains based tour business Nature Trail into a nonprofit organisation.  We were never about profit making from the outset anyway, but rather about sharing our insights of the Blue Mountains where we live and getting out and about and away from our otherwise webdesign work. We don’t employ staff and we don’t accept donations.

Our contact number is Tel: +61 2 4782 1300.  If we are unavailable then please leave a message with your contact details and we shall phone you back as soon as possible.

This website is best viewed from a desktop computer with a monitor larger the better, just as tour bookings are best made before you depart home, at the same time that you book your accommodation.  We can assist with local option for stays as well.

We focus on exploring Nature and the best places to see throughout the Blue Mountains region and adjoining regions beyond.  Visitors are on holiday after all and our detailed local knowledge can allow you to experience the best of our region and beyond to suit your particular interests.

We are a small family run business operating completely independently.   Our Tour Director, Steve, designs each tour, plans each trip to deliver a quality tour experience to match the preferences and capacities of each Tour Guest.  Nature Trail is accountable to no franchise, but only to our Tour Guests, and we’re committed to ensuring a quality touring experience in the great outdoors.

We’ve been hiking and road touring the Blue Mountains since 1995 and we are more than happy to share this vast region’s many magnificent natural features, experiences and insights with visitors.

We offer premium bespoke (made-to-order) tours specialising in mountains hiking as well as more leisurely country road touring (guests travel in the comfort and familiarity of their own vehicles).

Our tours generally start and finish in Katoomba in the heart of the Blue Mountains and keenly extend westward into the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales.

Being centrally based in Katoomba where we live, our tours start and finish where our Tour Guests are staying anywhere in the Upper Central Blue Mountains  from Wentworth Falls to Mount Victoria.

 

OUR SMALL GROUP SPECIALITY:

Nature Trail is a local, bespoke tour operator based in Katoomba where we live, surrounded by the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.  Each of our tours is made-to-order and private to a dedicated single group booking.

To ensure each Tour Guest can enjoy a personalised quality tour experience, we limit numbers.

Our pricing is per Tour, not per Tour Guest.