For other places with the same name, see Blue Mountains (disambiguation).
The Blue Mountains, immediately to the west of the sprawling metropolitan area of Sydney, constitute one of the most accessible areas of relatively unspoilt natural highland beauty in New South Wales. Although not particularly high as a mountain range, the Blue Mountains are nonetheless renowned for their majestic scenery of a unique kind, their cultural attractions and a relatively tranquil, alternative mode of life.
Part of Australia's Great Dividing Range, the Greater Blue Mountains region was inscribed as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO in 2000.
The Blue Mountains range is most famous for its national parks and other sites of natural beauty:
The Blue Mountains have been inhabited for several thousand years by the Gundungurra people.
The European settlers found that the Blue Mountains cliffs were sufficiently challenging to prevent explorers from penetrating the inland of New South Wales from Sydney for some time. Attempts to cross the mountains began in the very early 1800s and it was not until 1813 when Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson found a way across the mountains by following the ridges rather than the watercourses.
Once the route was found, roads, railway and development followed rapidly. The roads and railways today follow almost exactly the route taken by the original explorers. A visit to many of the scenic vistas, cliffs and waterfalls in the mountains will give you some appreciation of the challenges anyone would face trying to follow the rivers and creeks across the mountains.
The mountains are a major weekend destination for Sydneysiders, but also have a passionate local community. Making your way up involves passing through many villages and towns.
The lower villages are almost an extension of the Sydney urban area, but the higher you go the more a mountain way of life becomes evident.
Locals of the Blue Mountains tend to be retirees, folks looking for an alternative lifestyle, including a large and active gay and lesbian community, artists (including, in the past, the infamous Norman Lindsay) and people who want to get back to nature.
There are also the Gundungurra Aboriginal people, who are now represented by the Gundungurra Tribal Council Aboriginal Corporation, based in Katoomba. It is a not for profit organisation representing the Gundungurra traditional owners, promoting heritage and culture and providing a support for Gundungurra people connecting back to Country.
The Blue Mountains locals have resisted much development - you'll only find one fast food restaurant between Glenbrook and Lithgow.
If you stay long enough to get to know the place, you'll find an interesting mix of 1860, 1960 and last year.
The temperature is usually a few degrees cooler in the mountains, but it can be up to 10°C colder than on the coast during the day, and drop even further overnight. There is probably only one or two days of snow every one or two years, but there are many more winters days where it feels like it might snow!
If you're in Sydney for a week or so, and planning a day trip to the mountains, it pays to check the weather forecast for each region before deciding which day to travel. A hot day in Sydney can make the mountains a pleasant escape, and coastal showers in Sydney can also see the mountains still dry and sunny. However, cold winter rainy days can see mountain views completely obscured by fog for the entire day.
The main visitor district of the mountains centres around Katoomba, with Echo Point (Three Sisters), Scenic World, Wentworth Falls and Leura all within a few kilometres each direction. The towns of Blackheath and Mount Victoria are smaller tourist centres in their own right, only around 15 minutes drive from Katoomba. Jenolan Caves are a significant distance further, over an hour to drive from Katoomba.
Travellers visiting Sydney are often faced with the dilemma of how to best get to the mountains to spend a day or a couple of days. It is quite possible to visit for a day, and to see many of the main sights.
The closest airport is Sydney Airport.
Don't type "The Blue Mountains" into your GPS!
If you type in "Blue Mountains" into your GPS or favourite online map application, you might be taken off the visitor friendly paved roads and into the depths of the Blue Mountains National Park. It's because the algorithm takes you to the centre of the Blue Mountains National Park, and not the towns/suburbs of it.
Some off-road detours take over 2 hours to get back on the main roads. One route that most GPS journeys use is to turn off at the Leura exit on the Great Western Highway, and then turning right at the roundabout into the residential area of Leura along Mount Hay Road. Another route takes you to a dead end road in the town of Dargan. Some apps take you to the more sensible location of the Glennbrook Entry to the national park which might get you to the Red Hands Cave, but not elsewhere.
If you want to get close to the Blue Mountains most visited attractions, try "Echo Point, Katoomba" or "Katoomba NSW."
Take the M4 out of Sydney, then continue as the M4 becomes the Great Western Highway (A32) on Lapstone Hill. Sydney to Katoomba is 103 km and takes about one hour and fifty minutes in good traffic.
Renting a car from Sydney to spend a day or two in the mountains is a popular option for visitors to Sydney, however an issue often encountered by people staying in the CBD is that car rental companies along the city strip generally close before 6PM, and can have queues when they open at 9am. This can make for a very short day in the mountains. The alternative is paying for an extra days car hire, and for overnight parking in the city for two nights, which can add considerably to the cost.
Trains run every hour (or half hour during peak periods) to the Blue Mountains from Sydney Central, and can also connect at major stations along the way, like Parramatta. Standard trains are used with no seating reservations. Trains run every hour or so as far as Mount Victoria and usually every second one will proceed to Lithgow. While the train will get you to the mountains, you need to determine how to get around when you get there, as there are a number of locations that you won't be able to reach without a car. That said, most of the main towns in the Blue Mountains are linked together by the rail line, and the prime tourist spots are walkable or accessible by visitor friendly bus services. See how to Get Around below.
Many tour companies operate single- or multi-day tours up to the Blue Mountains from Sydney. A number of companies operate chartered tours that offer tour guides and coaches with modern facilities such as toilets and air conditioning. Expect a rushed trip, to take in all the sights and the usual wildlife park stop on the way.
Once you get up the mountains, it is easy to get around the mountains by car, and congestion or parking is generally not a problem. Popular car parks like Wentworth Falls can fill on summer weekends, but travel on the street until you find an available spot. The Great Western Highway (A32) crosses the Mountains east to west, and most places aren't far from it. Expect to pay for parking at Echo Point (The Three Sisters) at $8 per hour, but everywhere else is free of charge. There are large free multi-storey parking lots at Scenic World. if you are going to Scenic World and Echo Point, then park at Scenic World, and walk from the Skyway east station to echo point, to save the drive and parking costs.
Blue Mountains Transit operates public bus services in the mountains under a service contract to the state government. Their routes are extensive, but can be infrequent - especially on weekends. Check the timetables before deciding to get around the mountains by public bus.
The most useful bus is the 686, that runs between Katoomba station, Echo Point, and scenic world every 30 minutes. This route is actually the same bus as the express trolley, that forms part of the Trolley Tours Hop-on Hop-off service. It is a real bus, just painted on the outside to resemble a trolley. Other useful buses are the 685 Wentworth Falls Katoomba loop that will take you near to Wentworth Falls.
All the Blue Mountains public buses use the same tickets and ticketing structure as Sydney. You can pay cash fares or use an Opal Card.
If you are taking the train from Sydney for the day and using an Opal Card, you'll probably already have hit your day-cap, and using the public buses in the mountains comes at no incremental cost.
The Blue Mountains Explorer Bus consists of two routes: A Katoomba - Leura circuit, that is similar to route 686 bus above, and a second longer route, which includes some areas more remote from Leura station. Many of the stops in both routes are close to a number of the hotels in the Upper Blue Mountains region.
Opal cards are not valid on these services. You can buy tickets just for the bus for $55 that includes travel for one calendar day, or online.
If travelling between towns in the mountains (like from Katoomba to Leura, Blackheath, Medlow Bath, or Mount Victoria), train is also available. Trains generally run every hour or so east of Mount Victoria, more frequently during peak times.
If you are travelling by train and wish to have a mountains experience around Katoomba, you can walk in about 30 minutes to Echo Point, then descend the Giant Staircase at the Three Sisters, walk along the valley floor to Scenic World, come back up the Scenic Railway, then walk along the top of the cliff back towards Echo Point, and then back to Katoomba.
Wentworth Falls is about an hours walk along the Charles Darwin Walk from Wentworth Falls station, however if you can skip this part and allow more time to do the National Pass walk that is more worthwhile. (The National Pass is closed due to rockfall risk).
If you are without a car, taxi is a good option to see worthwhile destinations like Wentworth Falls and Leura Cascades that are away from the stations.
See also: Blue Mountains National Park
There are literally hundreds of walking opportunities in the mountains, from short 1 km trips to lookouts, to multi-day walks, and the famous Six Foot Track from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves. They will have all the details at the visitor information at Echo Point, and online.
Do check for track closures before setting out on the national parks website. Closures are becoming more common, in an increasingly risk-averse environment.
There are many accommodation options in the mountains, including resorts, bed and breakfasts (popular, but can be expensive, especially on weekends), guest houses, motels, pubs (many have been gentrified, but not all) and camping.
Listings can be found in city pages.
People have died when they have lost the trail while bushwalking in the Blue Mountains. There is a large variation in the signposting and difficulty of walks. Know your limits, and check with visitor information. Also note that getting lost is easy to do and can prove fatal.
There are a number of walks you can take in the mountains to experience them, where the tracks are well marked and well traversed. You can walk from Echo Point to the Scenic Railway, down the steps at the Three Sisters, and take the Scenic Railway back to the top. You can also walk the National Pass walk. These walks have some mobile reception, and you will have no problem following the tracks and signs if you are careful. However, even on the cliff walks near civilisation some places do not have any mobile phone coverage whatsoever. There are shorter walks at Echo Point too. Check at visitor information.
Personal locator beacons are available free of charge from Katoomba Police when undertaking more remote walks. Always let someone you trust know your route, and when you will be back. Take a mobile phone (not always in range) and a GPS.
Some cliff edges are unfenced. Cliff edges near creeks and water may be slippery, and losing your footing can prove fatal.
Although the Blue Mountains are a large nature reserve, the wildlife is not particularly dangerous. However, if you see snakes on the path, stay clear until they move away. Don't disturb rocks and branches with your bare hands for spiders and insects.
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