Also available:
Bird watching
Picnics and barbecues
There are basic picnic facilities at Baal Bone Gap, which is only accessible by 4WD.
Walking
There are no established walking tracks, but fire trails provide short walking opportunities and there's plenty of scope for off-track exploration if you're an experienced walker.
Points of interest include the Baal Bone Gap picnic area, Pantoneys Crown, and Mount Davidson.
Horse riding
Visitors can go horseriding along the Bicentennial Trail, which passes along the Crown Creek fire trail from Baal Bone Gap, and exits through private landholdings to the north of the park.
Cycling
Cycling on tracks and trails is a great way to experience the remarkable diversity of nature and magnificent landscapes found in parks.
There are literally thousands of kilometres of management trails open to cyclists criss-crossing parks in NSW. For the adventurous, exhilarating mountain bike single-track and multi-track experiences are available in certain national parks. For more information on cycling opportunities in the national parks of NSW go to our cycling home page. Please take time to find out about some simple Rules of the trail and safety when cycling in parks before setting out.
Cycle through the park along the Bicentennial Trail.
4WD and trail bike touring
Trails within the park are suitable for exploring with 4WD vehicles. Trails in the state forest to the south of the park are suitable for trail bike touring. There are no visitor facilities.
The Greater Blue Mountains Drive is an exciting touring journey that links a vast and spectacular world heritage landscape to the regions that surround it.
Adventure recreation
The Newnes Plateau cliffs provide an excellent area for rock-climbing and canyoning. Points of interest include the Baal Bone Gap picnic area, Pantoneys Crown, and Mount Davidson.
Places to visit
Baal Bone Gap picnic area
If you’re four-wheel driving, head out to Baal Bone Gap for a picnic and some of the finest views in the Blue Mountains. You’ll find huge examples of the rock pagodas that make this part of the mountains unique and see stunning sandstone cliffs and extensive views.
Baal Bone Gap is a popular place to begin a bushwalking exploration of the western end of the park. Enjoy a picnic and head out among the distinctive grass trees for a truly rejuvenating experience, but remember that trails are unmarked and walking in Gardens of Stone is for experienced and well-prepared bushwalkers only.
Activities: walking, birdwatching, picnicking, playing and socialising, motor vehicle use
Getting there: Baal Bone Gap is in the Ben Bullen precinct of gardens of Stone National Park. To get there:
- From Lithgow, follow Castlereagh Highway north to Ben Bullen.
- Turn right onto the 4WD road to Baal Bone Gap
Road access: Unsealed road/trail - 4WD only. Dry weather only.
Opening hours: Baal Bone picnic area is always open, but the road may become impassable in heavy rain.
Facilities: picnic tables, wood barbecues (bring your own firewood), fire rings (bring your own firewood), carpark
The Newnes Plateau Cliffs
This is the stuff adrenalin junkies’ dreams are made of. Whether your thing is bushwalking, canyoning, rock-climbing or mountain-biking, Newnes Plateau is an adventure wonderland.
While you’re here, you’ll catch breathtaking views of the meandering Wolgan River, the high mesas of Pantoneys Crown and Donkey Mountain, and the stunning rock formations that Gardens of Stone is famous for. Deep in the bush you’ll see a wonderful variety of habitats including alpine grasses and dwarf heath, and the magnificent eucalypts recognised by the area’s World Heritage listing. You’ll also enjoy a fantastic array of birdlife as well as kangaroos, wallabies, and gliders moving through the bush around you.
Activities: walking, canyoning, camping
Getting there: Newnes Plateau is in the southern precinct of Gardens of Stone National Park. To get there:
- From Lithgow, follow the State Mine Road northeast to join Gully Road.
- Follow this road to join Glow Worm Tunnel Road just past Bungleboori picnic area (State Forest area)
- Follow the Glow Worm Tunnel Road through the pine plantations. This road ends at the Glow Worm Tunnel carpark, which is in Wollemi National Park. The eastern side of the approach road is Gardens of Stone National Park, the west Wollemi National Park.
- You can stop along this part of the road and explore to the cliff edge; but take extra care – it is unfenced.
Opening hours: The Newnes Plateau cliffs are always open but sections may close due to poor weather or fire danger.
Roads, tracks and trails
Bicentennial trail
- 8.2km each way (one-way route)
Walking (medium difficulty, 5 hours each way)
Mountain biking
General information
Visitors to Gardens of Stone National Park can ride or bike the Crown Creek fire trail, a section of the iconic Bicentennial trail, which stretches for 5,330km along the Great Dividing Range of eastern Australia from Cooktown in Queensland to Healesville, near Melbourne.
The trail allows you the total freedom of riding through this unspoilt and dramatic country as well as a sense of the pioneering spirit of the horse riders of old. Taking in the jaw-dropping views and beautiful rock pagodas on horseback or from your bike is not to be missed for wilderness adventurers.
Spring and autumn are the most pleasant times to ride the trail, and you must be self-reliant in the bush.
