The Blue Mountains are stunning in the winter. You get crystal blue clear skies and fresh mountain air. Fewer people visit the mountains in the winter which adds to the serenity of these majestic mountains.
There are 322 walking tracks in the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park. With such an abundance of choice, there’s always somewhere new to walk and discover. In this blog I’ll include some of my favourite walks and explain why each of them are in their own right incredible places to visit. The incredible beauty of the Blue Mountains National Park and proximity to Sydney contribute to it being the most visited National Park in New South Wales.
Todd Tours tailor bespoke day or overnight trips delivering the very best of the Blue Mountains. We’ll enable you to see more highlights in shorter time and custom design your trip to meet your ability and expectations.
Here are three of our favourite Blue Mountains walks:
Grand Cliff Top Walk
In March 2024 the Grand Cliff Top Walk was officially completed. With more than 4,000 helicopter lifts, 10 km of track were added to create a continuous 19 km track that connects Wentworth Falls to Scenic World in Katoomba.
Highlights include vistas over the Jamison Valley towards Mount Solitary, Wentworth Falls and Katoomba Cascades, sub-tropical rainforests and the iconic Three Sisters.
Along this stunning escarpment walk you can discover an array of wildlife including yellow tailed black cockatoos, lyrebirds and rosellas.
With the average walker taking 5 hours and 50 minutes to complete the entire track, it’s best to pick highlights of the track if you are planning a day trip from Sydney.
While the walk is considered to be challenging, the grandeur and popularity of this walk means that you are likely to encounter other people along the way, even in winter.
Butterbox Point
This walk is off the beaten track (a little). The walk starts at the end of a 15 km unsealed mountain road that will make you feel like you are really in the wilderness. Being a bit harder to reach than other walks in the Blue Mountains, you are less likely to meet other walkers — especially in the winter.
Butterbox Point walking track has beautiful views out over the Grose Valley that looks down on the virgin forest on the valley floor.
What makes this walk unique are the unusual rock formations located near Butterbox Point. These artistic formations were created by wind and rain erosion that have exposed iron rock amongst the sandstone. The iron rock is harder and therefore erodes slower thus creating rocks with dramatic effects. Some formations resemble bones or rib cages, others have dramatic sharp pointing shapes.
Overall, Butterbox Point is one of my favourite destinations in the Blue Mountains. Wonderful rock formations add to this remote location and a pristine experience.
Grand Canyon Track
The Grand Canyon Track is one of the most spectacular walks in the Blue Mountains. This is a challenging 6.3 kilometre walk that can take up to 4 hours to complete. If you are really fit it’s possible to do it in 2.5 hours. The walk descends down into the canyon over 300 metres and climbs back out again at the other end.
The walk is best taken in the reverse direction. Towards the valley floor you’ll enter a giant fern forest reminiscent of Jurassic Park. Later a natural tunnel takes you on further towards the waterfall.
Looking up at the canyon walls 300 metres above as you meander along the track is an awesome sight. As you descend more you come to the most beautiful part of the track.
The creek has cut into the canyon over aeons and as you follow the waters path downward you’ll be amazed at the jagged rock cliffs and boulders as you go. The sub-tropical rainforest is simply stunning. Tall trees, ferns, moss and reflective water pools pertain to a natural awe-inspiring environment.
Reaching the deepest part of the walk you begin the hard climb out. It’s great exercise that rewards you with an impressive view over the Grose Valley from Evan’s Lookout at the top.
This walk encompasses the very best of the Blue Mountains in a single track.
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