Lost City West Viewpoints, Gardens of Stone Conservation Area NSW
Countless spectacular rock pagodas at Lost City West in Gardens of Stone, a little known alternative to the popular Lost City Walking Track.
This walk takes in countless spectacular and ancient looking rock pagodas for little effort, and you probably won’t see a single person all day. For sure the varied and tracked circuit between Lost City North and South is a must-do. But on that walk you’ll be joined by many others, which can detract somewhat from that sense of having discovered, well, a lost city. This alternative to Lost City West doesn’t take you down into the valley, and requires some (easy) off-track walking, but the pay-off is having the place all to yourself.
First, scenery from 100-200m past the end of the fire trail.
We walked about 2.5km down a very rough fire trail (only suitable for modified 4WDs in competent hands), and then down the hill a couple of hundred metres to pagodas overlooking the valley. You can see the wide track in the distance which is the start of the circuit walk you can do from Lost City (South) to Lost City North. Despite the crowds this is still very worth it. We later walked over to the far right in this photo to even more densely packed pagodas. A photo of Sophia taking a photo of me, at Lost City West.
Video from this spot:
Very cool banding in the rock caused by differential erosion of ironstone (harder) and sandstone (softer). A spot of detail for you.
Walking over to the second vantage point…
Our second vantage point was in the middle here. Sophia (centre right) walking into the thick of it. Very atmospheric. Approaching our lunch spot. Sophia on the vantage point where we ate lunch. Sophia in amongst it all on one of the pagodas, at our second destination less than a kilometre from the end of the fire trail at Lost City West. Looking back at the ridge that the fire trail comes down. We kept to the edge of the open grassy area, travelling from right to left. Panorama of my favourite series of rock pagodas. I lost the sun at this point, but happy with the framing of this shot, with a long line of pagodas stretching back up the hill.
Video from this vantage point:
Leaving.
Route Notes
Walk down the heavily eroded fire trail until the end, then take a faint track to explore pagodas beyond the trail’s end. Return up the fire trail and cut across grassy ground with light tree cover, keeping to the right of a gully. Then head left for maybe 200m to pagodas offering excellent views. You can return to the fire trail with an easy bush bash through a short section of woodland/ forest.
From that ninety degree turn / junction, walk down the often heavily eroded fire trail until the end. We saw 4WD tire marks in the dirt, but as you’ll see only modified vehicles in capable hands will handle the terrain, which is heavily washed out in places. From the end take a faint impact track to explore pagodas beyond the trail’s end. Return back to the fire trail and cut across grassy ground with light tree cover, keeping to the right of a gully. Then head left for maybe 200m to pagodas offering excellent views. You can return to the fire trail with an easy bush bash through a short section of woodland/ forest.
The whole walk is about 6km of mostly flat walking. It will take roughly 1.5-2 hours, plus more for exploration of the pagodas, and photography, if that’s your thing. There’s a note on driving directions in the image caption below…
Drive first to Bungleboori Day Use Area on the main unsealed road through the area from Lithgow. From there, turn left onto Old Bells Line of Road, ignoring the turn off to Lost City North on your left. Eventually you’ll get to a slight left turn on a narrower vehicle track. Follow this to the intersection with the wide cleared tracks holding electricity pilons, and turn left. Follow the wide track (keeping right) to the ninety degree turn. Park there.
Google maps should give you the right driving directions. Driving on the route above will be suitable for 2WD I’d say, except possibly after heavy rain(?)
