The Grand Cliff Top Walk in the Blue Mountains on Gundungurra Country is an incredible 19 km, 2-day walk that takes visitors on a spectacular journey along the escarpment in World Heritage–listed Blue Mountains National Park and through other scenic Blue Mountains City Council locations, linking Wentworth Falls, Leura and Katoomba.
Blue Mountains National Park has some of the oldest and most popular bushwalks in Australia. The new walk will span the entire escarpment, providing a world-class experience with stunning views for domestic and international travellers.
Walkers will be able to stop and enjoy a night in a mountain village, choosing from a variety of accommodation options, and complete the track the following day. Grand Cliff Top Walk is accessible from different locations, allowing walkers to tailor the length of their walk.
What the project involves
Grand Cliff Top Walk is being delivered in partnership with Blue Mountains City Council to create a unique visitor experience showcasing some of the most majestic mountain scenery in Australia.
The project will connect existing tracks and pathways, complete missing links, and improve lookouts to create a 19-kilometre walk starting at Wilson Park, Wentworth Falls and traversing the escarpment through to Scenic World in Katoomba.
The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Blue Mountains City Council are working together to improve amenities and existing walking tracks, including building thousands of new steps, many carved from stone, to ensure the walk is in keeping with the area's traditional 100-year-old sandstone paths and is well protected from bushfire.
Blue Mountains City Council is working to repair Darwins Walk at Wentworth Falls, which was affected by flooding in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The walk along Jamison Creek will form the main entry point to the Grand Cliff Top Walk.
Once fully completed, the Grand Cliff Top Walk will become an iconic experience for visitors to the Blue Mountains, showcasing some of Australia's most spectacular and rugged World Heritage landscapes.
Project update
Much of the trackwork is completed, including Overcliff-Undercliff, Pool of Siloam and sections of Prince Henry Cliff walk to Echo Point and beyond to Scenic World. Many historic lookouts have been upgraded including Tallawalla and Lady Darley.
Blue Mountains City Council is undertaking extensive work as part of the Grand Cliff Top Walk project. More details can be found on the Blue Mountains City Council website.
Funding and timeframe
This $10 million project is funded through the NSW Government's Improving Access to National Parks program.
The project will be delivered in stages and is due for completion in 2024.
Why we are doing this and who benefits
The NSW Government is delivering its largest investment in national parks history with more than $450 million for over 200 visitor infrastructure projects across the state.
It builds on the $17.9 billion and 74,000 jobs national parks already contribute annually to the state's economy and is supporting NSW communities to recover in the wake of droughts, bushfires, floods and the pandemic.
Blue Mountains National Park is world-famous and is the most visited national park in New South Wales, with millions of people using the walking tracks each year.
Grand Cliff Top Walk will ensure visitors who travel to the Blue Mountains can connect with nature on high-quality, safe and accessible tracks.
Some of these walking tracks are over 100 years old and require maintenance to protect against age and erosion. This project will ensure the tracks and surrounding environment are protected and that these high-visitation tracks can last another 100 years.
Protecting park values
Our national parks are managed to protect their unique values and provide for sustainable visitor use and enjoyment. This includes providing visitor experiences and, where appropriate, new visitor facilities, including tracks and trails.
We conduct independent environmental assessments to ensure public visitation and enjoyment are compatible with the protection of conservation values.
The project has included detailed design and assessment to ensure compliance with the park's plan of management and conservation management plans. Stringent environmental, cultural heritage and cost-benefit assessments involving our staff, key stakeholders and other experts ensure the project meets environmental, cultural and economic aspirations.
Reflecting a sense of place
Interpretation through innovative storytelling is one of the most effective ways to enhance multi-day walking experiences. Developing rich and engaging interpretation will be a key focus of the next phase of the project, with the aim of immersing walkers in the landscape to create a strong connection and sense of place. The walk will respect the park's natural and cultural values.
Engaging stakeholders
Effective community and stakeholder engagement are critical to the success of this project. We will engage with stakeholders and interested community members in a meaningful and timely way.
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