Grand Canyon Walking Track

Prepare your calves! This is a gorgeous hike which starts with incredible views and a stunning descent through the forest’s canopy, but the stairs leading down and back up will leave you feeling it in your calves and glutes for days on end. Having recently moved to Australia from Austria, I admittedly didn’t really believe Australia had ‘real’ mountains and underestimated the route as a result. I was wrong; there are indeed steep inclines, and a few months of relative laziness had left me underprepared for what was ultimately quite a challenge.

Wear comfortable shoes; hiking gear isn’t necessary, but a good pair of trainers would definitely help.

The Route

This circular route takes about 2.5 hours, and begins at the Grand Canyon Carpark. From there, the route continues to Evan’s Lookout (about 20 minutes of walking) which gives you a sense of the true scale of the Blue Mountains.

From the lookout, the route proceeds downwards. Expect about one hour of solidly walking down stairs. Though the path is narrow, there are a lot of small rest areas to take a breather and let others pass by if needed.

It’s fascinating to see how the vegetation shifts and changes throughout the descent. Starting as a seemingly dry eucalyptus forest, it quickly changes into rainforest-like scenery underneath the canopy, rich with vibrant green ferns and plants which thrive in the now more humid surroundings.

Don’t forget to bring a swimming costume! If you’re new to Australia (as I am) you’ll find that a lot of National Park trails have waterfalls and pools which are safe to swim in. The water is usually cold, but when it’s a sweltering 30 degrees outside, you may find some respite by taking a quick dip at the halfway mark.

This route in particular has quite a large dipping pool with a small waterfall that you’re able to swim to. You’ll know you’ve reached it because fellow hikers tend to cluster there to have a short snack break. This isn’t quite the halfway mark, as the hike back upwards is about 30 minutes longer, but use this as an opportunity to rest and recover for the way back up.

Instead of doubling back on yourself after reaching the dipping pools, you can turn this into a circular route by continuing onwards and heading towards the Neates Glen Parking Area. From there, you’ll be able to walk along a short path along the main road to get back to your car. The route is well marked, and you will see estimates of the time left to get to the top.

The walk up is about as steep as the walk down, so prepare yourself for just a few more stairs. But while you might be huffing and puffing on the way up, don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for some of the many animals pottering around. We managed to spot an Australian Water Dragon (pictured below), some Spiny Crayfish and a pair of parrots!