More Track Closures by Parks Service
Many popular and spectacular hiking tracks of the Blue Mountains continue to be closed to public access.
This is chronic. NPWS, aka Parks Service, blames heavy rainfall weather of recent years, rather than its lack of best practice hiking track design. The Blue Mountains National Park is world heritage listed after all and Parks Service is supposed to be its governmental custodian.
It’s simply not keeping up with track maintenance and safety. Like Blue Mountains Council, it does not employ any hydrologist nor geotechnical engineer on its payroll. Why not?
Parks management and its bureaucratic minions in the New South Wales Government seem more budget focused on building multi-million dollar sandstone stepped tracks.
So why would a commercial hiking tour operator be keen to pre-pay for an Eco-Pass for the Blue Mountains National Park, when many tracks remain closed and suddenly become closed?
Not national, not protecting wildlife – but burning, shooting and poisoning wildlife yes. Just a NSW Parks Service.
“Many walking tracks, roads and fire trails within Blue Mountains National Park remain closed following sustained wet weather causing subsidence hazards, major landslides or infrastructure upgrades.”
The following areas remain currently closed:
Katoomba and Leura
- Honeymoon Bridge is closed due to rockfall risk
- Giant Stairs, Federal Pass, Furber Steps to Scenic World will remain closed while landslide assessments are undertaken
- Fern Bower, Amphitheatre and Leura Forest Tracks are closed due to multiple landslides and damage
- Ruined Castle, Golden Stairs and Federal Pass west of Scenic World are closed due to multiple landslides
- Lone Lyrebird track is closed between Gordon Road and the War Memorial, due to subsidence.
- Sections of Prince Henry Cliff walk (part of Grand Cliff Top Walk) is closed between Prince Henry picnic area and Scenic World from Tuesday 9 April to end of June 2024 for track maintenance.
- Bridal Veil View lookout and track (Leura) are closed from Wednesday 10 April for maintenance
- Prince Henry Cliff walk (part of Grand Cliff Top Walk) is closed between Gordon Falls picnic area and Elysian Rock lookout, due to a landslide. Visit the Blue Mountains City Council website for information
- Prince Henry Cliff walk (part of Grand Cliff Top Walk) is closed between Fern Bower track and Echo Tree & Flat Rock lookout, due to a landslide.
- Mount Solitary Loop trail is closed until further notice, two large landslides have impacted Golden Stairs, Federal Pass and Fern Bower / Lila Falls
- Part of Lindeman Pass is closed due to a major landslide below Gladstone lookout. Roberts Pass is closed due to rockfall and landslide hazards
- The Six Foot Track will be closed from Katoomba (Explorer’s Tree) to Alum Creek, from 8 April to 12 April 2024 for Local Land Services to undertake aerial pest management.
Wentworth Falls and Woodford
- Part of Undercliff Track (part of Grand Cliff Top Walk) is closed between Princes Rock and Fletchers Lookout due to a landslide
- Valley of the Waters track is closed below Sylvia Falls. There is no access to Roberts Pass, Vera Falls, Hippocrene Falls or Wentworth Falls from Valley of the Waters
- Charles Darwin Walk (now part of the Grand Cliff Top Walk *) is closed between Fletcher Street and Weeping Rock.
- Part of National Pass (west of Wentworth Falls middle crossing) is closed due to major landslide
- Wentworth Pass and Slack Stairs are closed due to landslide
- Kedumba Valley Road will be closed until 8th May 2024 for road repairs – open to pedestrians over weekends. Kedumba campground is closed until the 8th May 2024, including weekends
- Ingar Road is closed where it traverses private property at the western end. (Why did NSW Parks Service let this happen?) You can walk into Ingar campground via Andersons or Bedford Roads.
NOTE: Grand Cliff Top Walk is NSW Parks Service’s re-branded traditional Prince Henry Clifftop Walk. Is some manager in NSW Parks Service foisting their personal republican ideology on this Blue Mountains naming tradition? It rather does confuse visitors with the nearby Grand Canyon Walk.
Blackheath, Mount Victoria and Bells Line of Road
- Williams Track (Govetts descent) and Rodriguez Pass are closed due to rockfalls and landslides. Entry is not permitted due to serious risk of injury or death
- Pulpit Rock Reserve, lookouts and walking track are closed. Visit the Blue Mountains City Council website for information. Pulpit Rock walking track from Popes Glen is open as far as the NPWS boundary.