Grand Canyon Circuit, Blue Mountains NSW

A unique and atmospheric walk through a narrow, shaded canyon in the Upper Blue Mountains near Blackheath.

Grand Canyon Circuit, Blue Mountains

The Grand Canyon Circuit offers a fairly unique Blue Mountains experience, passing through the shadowy recesses of a narrow canyon carved out by Greaves Creek, near the town of Blackheath in the upper mountains. There’s lush rainforest vegetation, tall and dark cliffs, as well as more open sections with dryer vegetation. There’s also excellent views from Evans Lookout of the Grose Valley, looking like a smaller, forested version of that other (slightly more famous) Grand Canyon. Evans Lookout is outside of the canyon, but a part of the circuit walk.

The walk is of moderate difficulty on a well marked track. On the day I took these pictures we combined this walk with the longer Rodriguez Pass for a full and varied day-hike.

Track Notes

The NPWS site has information on the walk. You can start on Evans Lookout Road, either at Evans Lookout itself (at the end of the road), or earlier on at the other end of the canyon, or indeed at a car park between these two spots. Either way you walk roughly parallel to the road on a constructed track for a while to complete the circuit.

Grand Canyon Circuit: The Scenery

Grand Canyon Circuit, Blue Mountains
Tunnels or caves.
Grand Canyon Circuit, Blue Mountains
There were some very narrow sections.

Grand Canyon Circuit, Blue Mountains

Grand Canyon Circuit, Blue Mountains
Sophia for scale on the left.

Grand Canyon Circuit, Blue Mountains

Grand Canyon Circuit, Blue Mountains
I’m really not sure what to label many of these photos: ‘water ferns rocks’ would do for almost all of them.
Grand Canyon Circuit, Blue Mountains
Sections of the walk emerge from the canyon.

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Grand Canyon Circuit, Blue Mountains
Dusk at Evans Lookout, looking over the Grose Valley.

Author: Edward Hathway

I'm a clinical psychologist and keen hiker.

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