This was another new walk for me in the Upper Blue Mountains that exceeded expectations. It starts on the edge of town, and passes steeply through a narrow and deep canyon (actually a gap in the cliffs) called the Devils Hole. As you drop down you can take a short side trip to the left for views of the cliffs lining Narrow Neck Plateau. At the bottom of Devils Hole you turn left to view a scenic waterfall, and can then continue on along the bottom of cliffs used by rock climbers.
Track notes at the end. There’s a much longer loop that you can do, and I’ve included an online map reference in the track notes section.
Devils Hole Track: The Scenery
The photo below shows where you leave the Devils Hole for the above views…
A couple of crimson rosellas were hanging out at the end of the walk when we were stretching…
Track Notes
The track eventually peters out at a spot where I managed to get a clear photo of the Devils Hole and surrounding cliffs. Going this far is a moderate walk, and turning back at the waterfall makes it pretty easy, so long as you don’t mind steep and possibly slippery terrain. We used track notes in the guide book Blue Mountains Best Bushwalks.
It’s possible to continue further into Megalong Valley from the bottom of the cliffs to meet up with fire trails, returning through Six Foot Track Reserve to the tops near Bonnie Doon Reserve, and back to the start along streets (see this topo map) but we were happy enough to just see the ‘hole’.
You start opposite 261 Cliff Drive Katoomba…
Nearby Walks
There are heaps of really good walks in the Blue Mountains, and I’ve done a lot of them. You can read about my favourite Blue Mountains walks in a blog post I wrote, or browse through a list of all the walks I’ve done below.
This walk near Mt Victoria offers some of the best views of typical Upper Blue Mountains scenery, but is relatively unknown so you’ll be able to enjoy the serenity without the crowds. The tracks visit some excellent vantage points on the edge of rather precipitous cliffs with views over the spectacular Grose Valley, and there’s also a few patches of treeless grassy plains (the swamps I presume) that make for a nice change of scenery in this heavily forested area. Add to this a handful of rocky outcrops along the way, some interesting trees, and a worthy side trip to visit a small historic mine. All this for less than 10km of flattish walking. (more…)
The route to Bald Head passes through open country and woodland to excellent views up and down the Grose Valley. We did the walk in early October and there were plenty of wildflowers blooming, including waratahs. (more…)
The spectacular New South Wales Blue Mountains sit on the western edge of the greater Sydney area. They are easily accessible by car or train from the neighbouring metropolis of over 5 million people. More of a plateau, they gradually rise from the Sydney basin to over 1100m of elevation. The area’s largest town of Katoomba is perched high up at 1017m.
These upper sections are justifiably famous for their deep cut valleys lined by sandstone cliffs, as well as lush forests, impressive waterfalls and windswept heathlands. Thankfully this dramatic and rugged scenery has remained largely unaffected by urban or agricultural development. And since 1959 it has been protected in the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park.
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The sometimes indistinct track along Burra Korain Ridge takes you to Burra Korain Head for excellent views of the Grose Valley. There are roughly three vantage points to get views in all directions, so spend a bit of time exploring the head when you are there.
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