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Sandstone stepping stones through the main creek in the canyonAll pictures by the author
When people talk about the Grand Canyon, there is usually only one place that comes to mind, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA. However, there is another Grand Canyon, right in Sydney's backyard near Blackheath in the Blue Mountains. While maybe not quite as grand a scale as the one in America, its lost world-like beauty is awe-inspiring in its own right.
Grand Canyon Walking Track
Blackheath, Blue Mountains, NSW
Matti Ramsay
16 | BWA April 2022
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My friend Chris and I had been talking about exploring the canyon walk for some time with much excitement, yet we hadn't quite made it out there until now. There had been around 40 mm of rain during the week, which is my preferred type of weather to visit the Blue Mountains. Although you compromise on big views, you get rushing waterfalls, flowing streams, and often low clouds and fog, which always help to create mood and atmosphere.
With both of us off work on Friday, we decided that would be the day we ventured into the canyon. I'm an early riser and usually out the door by 6-6:30 am, but Chris is a night owl, so we compromised and aimed to leave Sydney's inner west suburbs by 10 am. Due to stopping for coffee at Blaxland, we arrived at the Grand Canyon car park around noon.
The start at Neats GlennParking is easy, with three main spots to park. The first one you will see is the smaller car park, Neats Glenn, which is right near the trackhead or end, depending on which direction you want to walk the track. If you keep driving past this, there are two more parking areas. The Grand Canyon car park as
well as Evans lookout car park at the end of the road, which is closest to Evans Lookout and the trackhead. Most people start here and walk the track in a clockwise direction. While there are a decent number of stairs at both ends, there are significantly more at the Evans Lookout end, which makes starting here the preferred option as there won't be as many to climb at the end of the walk. The track is a well defined and marked 6.3 kilometre loop track and there is a path at the top to walk back to the car park where you left your car.
Of course we did it the harder way and parked at Neats Glenn, walking the track in an anti-clockwise direction, unknowingly leaving the big climb to the end. We organised our water and I got my camera ready and began our walk. The descent on the steps begins almost immediately, zigzagging through the dry sclerophyll forest. There are a variety of native shrubs and grasses, Banksias and wattles with bright flowers of reds and yellows. I can hear white browed scrub wrens busily chatting as they dance through the dense foliage, only allowing us a moment to spot them.
The track runs behind this waterfall
Looking back at our descent
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Down to the canyonThe stairs become shorter and steeper and the track becomes narrow, with handrails to guide us along the track which is carved into the sandstone rock. The vegetation begins to transform from the browns and greys into dense layers of green rainforest, with thick moss covering rocks and walls and ferns line the track's edge. Everything was saturated from the recent rain, so be prepared to get your feet wet, but remember, that's part of the fun.
After this, the canyon opens up a little here and we look out over a forest of tree ferns, like a soft sea of green. Continuing on the canyon widens again, letting in much more light and returning to the dry sclerophyll-type vegetation similar to the top of the plateau, dominated by eucalypts, climbing tall to maximise the sun before the canyon walls
block out the light. We haven't yet reached the canyon floor at this stage. The track follows the edge of the canyon walls and begins to climb a little before then dropping into what's known as the Rotunda. The track goes to the right, and to the left there's a massive rock overhang. Walking underneath there is a creek at the end, flowing down from above, running along the far side of the canyon wall. If you started at the Evans lookout end, this would be a good spot to have a rest and refuel with some water and snacks before beginning your climb out of the canyon. For us, the best was yet to come.
Continuing on with the track we come to a small tunnel through some rocks, it is completely dark inside and I can't see where I'm putting my feet, treading carefully, the tunnel bends around and there is enough
One of many creek crossings
A narrow canyon with moss, ferns and a waterfall
18 | BWA April 2022
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Sandstone steps through a sea of vibrant green ferns
light from the other side to see now. On exiting the tunnel, we are greeted with a beautiful waterfall. The morning's rain means that there is plenty of water pouring over the edge, so I find a spot on some boulders to take a couple of photos. The track runs behind the waterfall, so you get to walk under it and with this much water flowing you can't avoid getting a little bit wet. There are some nice flat rocks here where you can sit and take it all in.
At this section, the canyon narrows quite significantly and the track becomes a ledge on the right side running underneath rock overhangs. There is a hand rail on the left side before dropping down deep into the canyon. You can't see the bottom here but you can hear the water rushing through the canyon below. We follow this section for a little while before bending to the right and then there's a steep drop where the track
seems to be carved out between rocks with sandstone steps placed to make the descent easier. There's a lovely little creek flowing down the right side and I can't resist stopping for more photos. Continuing our descent leads us to the canyon floor where it really becomes spectacular. The main creek is full and flowing, with streams leading into it from the track which crosses over the creeks and streams multiple times with the help of sandstone blocks. With so much water, wet feet are unavoidable. I could spend all day down there taking photos but also just watching, listening, breathing it all in. Staring up at cliffs and rock overhangs that make up the canyon walls, covered in moss and ferns and other plants growing out of cracks, ledges and anything that will hold enough to sustain them. Water showers over the edge, the creeks are crystal clear and mountain crayfish are easily visible, given away by their bright orange colour.
A boardwalk makes the walk easier, here surrounded by glorious ferns
BWA April 2022 | 19
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As we carry on criss-crossing the creek once again, we pass the start of the Rodriguez Pass track, there are actually a couple of other tracks that lead off the Grand Canyon walking track for those who want to turn their hike into a full day or multi-day hike. At this point we head to the left and up some sandstone stairs, surrounded by more glorious tree ferns, which continue to cover the canyon floor along a creek to our right of the track. We hit a section of timber boardwalk with an overlook which provides us with a view back towards where we've just come from, rock cliffs on the right and a sea of green tree ferns below us.
1000 steps up to Evans LookoutAs we turn to keep going, we pass a couple who kindly inform us that we don't have far to go but there are about 1000 steps to climb before we reach Evans Lookout. Remembering I'm not at my fittest right now and wishing I had not just been told that, we push on, psyching each other up for the climb. While there's more than a
few steps the hike isn't as hard as I was expecting. The landscape changes as we rise out of the canyon into more of a winding gully, with evidence of the 2019-20 bushfires. Vegetation is still somewhat sparse and blackened tree trunks are now woolly with new growth sprouting to life. Life has returned. There are views through the eucalyptus trees across the Grose Valley and we can see cliffs on the other side. We're almost at the top, with sandstone stairs leading us between two rock faces before the ground begins to level out and we arrive at Evans Lookout. The breathtaking views across the Grose Valley leave us in awe, looking across to Mount Banks to the north, the perfect way to end the Grand Canyon walk. We still need to get back to the car with a nice flat 1 kilometre walk from the lookout back to Neats Glenn. Despite finishing with the longer climb, we are elated and invigorated by the incredible sights that we experienced from the walk.
The last of the steps before reaching Evans lookout
Due to recent rain the waterfalls were flowing well.
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