Largely following the ridges around the top edge of Wentworth Falls, this track is incredibly beautiful. After taking in the great views at Edinburgh Castle Rock, the trail descends into the valley. Lillian's Glen makes for a perfect spot for a break, then the trail heads into the Valley of the Waters before making its way back up to Conservation Hut.
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Conservation Hut is a small cafe perched above the Valley of the Waters, Blue Mountains National Park. The hut was opened in 1963 as a meeting place for the local conservation movement. Rebuilt, Conservation Hut opened as a cafe in 1993, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Around the Conservation Hut is a small parking area, public toilets, picnic shelters, town water and B&B's. For further information or bookings call (02) 4757 3827. More info
(0 km)
Conservation Hut
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Int of Armstrong St Servicetrail and Nature Track Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 942 m
Time = 19 mins
Climb = 32 m
Descent = -27 m
From Conservation Hut, this walk follows the footpath towards the car park, past the toilet block and onto the track signposted as the 'Nature Track'. Following the 'Nature Track' sign, this walk heads down the steps and past a backyard. After passing some informal tracks (on the right,) the track widens and come to a sign pointing back to the 'Nature Track Circuit - Valley of the Waters Picnic Area'. From the intersection, this walk follows the 'Nature Track Circuit - Edinburgh Castle Rock' sign along the trail, soon coming to a 'T' intersection with a wider management trail, and a sign pointing back to 'Conservation Hut 11min'.
(0.94 km)
Int of Armstrong St Servicetrail and Nature Track
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Int of Nature Track and West St Servicetrail Walk: Easy - servicetrail
Length = 346 m
Time = 8 mins
Climb = 17 m
Descent = -17 m
From the intersection, this walk heads downhill along the wide management trail. After about 60m, the trail passes a private track (and garden, on the right). Continuing along, the main trail soon narrows then widens again before coming to a 'Nature Track Circuit' sign at a three-way intersection.
(1.29 km)
Int of Nature Track and West St Trail
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Int of Nature and West St Tracks Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 296 m
Time = 9 mins
Climb = 5 m
Descent = -39 m
From the intersection, this walk follows the 'Nature Track Circuit - Edinburgh Castle Rock' sign into the bush, along the narrower track. After a while, the track heads down some steps to come to a 'T' intersection, with the 'Valley of the Waters Picnic Area' sign pointing back.
(1.58 km)
Int of Nature and West St Tracks
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Int of Nature and Edinburgh Castle Rock Tracks Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 241 m
Time = 6 mins
Climb = 13 m
Descent = -15 m
From the intersection, this walk heads down the timber steps, following the 'Nature Track' sign. After a short time, the walk heads down some metal stairs, then more timber steps before crossing a gully using a small metal bridge. After climbing out of the gully, the track starts heading gently downhill, coming to a three-way intersection marked with a 'Edinburgh Castle Rock' sign.
(1.83 km)
Int of Nature and Edinburgh Castle Rock Tracks
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Edinburgh Castle Rock Optional sidetrip: Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 14 m
Time = 1 mins
Climb = 2 m
Descent = -6 m
From the intersection, this walk heads past the sign saying 'Edinburgh Castle Rock' towards the unfenced rock and great views - this is Edinburgh Castle Rock.
Edinburgh Castle Rock
Alt = 859 m
Edinburgh Castle Rock is a signposted, unfenced viewpoint on the Nature Track, in the Blue Mountains National Park. The rock platform has an interesting formation, with an uneven surface of circular lines. From Edinburgh Castle Rock, there is a view left, up the valley towards the houses on the ridge. Looking right, down the Valley of the Waters, it is possible to see the escarpment of Kings Tablelands.
(1.83 km)
Int of Nature and Edinburgh Castle Rock Tracks
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Lillian's Glen Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 384 m
Time = 12 mins
Climb = 15 m
Descent = -86 m
From the intersection, this walk heads past the two 'Track' signs, following the right-hand arrow away from 'Edinburgh Castle Rock'. The track starts to wind down the steps, which become fairly steep before coming to post 8. From post 8, the walk follows the large rock wall (on the left), then heads down some steps and through a sandstone overhang to come to an unfenced view point, with great valley views.
From the view point, this walk heads through the sandstone overhang, keeping the rockface to the left, passing post number 7. The track starts to head gently down the hill before becoming steeper and winding down the steps. Soon the track comes to a 'Lillians Glen' sign, just before a creek crossing.
Lillian's Glen
Alt = 790 m
Lillian's Glen is a moss and fern filled section on the 'Valley of the Waters' Creek (where the Nature Track crosses the creek, south of Edinburgh Castle Rock). There are stepping stones to help cross the creek. Lillian's Glen is a great spot to rest and enjoy the area, especially on warmer days. For the sure-footed, a short clamber upstream to Asmodeus Pool[1] at the bottom of a waterfall, is worthwhile - a very nice spot at the end of a narrow canyon[2].
(2.21 km)
Lillians Glen
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Lillian's Bridge Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 262 m
Time = 7 mins
Climb = 24 m
Descent = -12 m
From the 'Lillians Glen' sign, this walk crosses the creek using the stepping stones. After heading up the steps, the track leads back down to another set of stepping stones across the creek. (This is another nice but slippery spot to enjoy, with a small waterfall to the left). After crossing these stepping stones, the track heads up the steps and passes a few handrails before heading down to an intersection marked with a number 5 post, just before Lillian's Bridge.
(2.47 km)
Lillian's Bridge
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Int of Valley of the Waters and Nature Tracks Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 169 m
Time = 6 mins
Climb = 19 m
Descent = -30 m
From the number 5 post (just next to Lillian's Bridge), this walk heads up the steps, keeping the handrail and valley to the right. The track bends and passes post 4 and comes to post 3 at the top of this climb. After a short time, the track passes post 2 and then starts to wind down the steps. Just after passing a 'Welcome to the Nature Track' information sign (point 1), the walk comes to a small clearing with a picnic table and small waterfall.
From the picnic table, this walk crosses the small wooden bridge and heads up a few steps to come to an intersection, with a sign pointing back to the 'Nature Track'.
(2.64 km)
Int of Valley of the Waters and Nature Tracks
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Empress Lookout Track: Hard - bushtrack
Length = 92 m
Time = 4 mins
Climb = 20 m
Descent = -12 m
From the intersection, this walk heads up the wooden steps, following the 'National Pass - Tea Rooms' sign. The walk soon heads though a long rock overhang to the base of a metal staircase. The walk climbs the series of steep metal staircases zigzagging up the hill. After climbing some wooden steps, the walk comes to the fenced and signposted 'Empress Lookout'.
Empress Lookout
Alt = 801 m
Empress Lookout is a fenced and signposted lookout, perched on a sandstone overhang above the Valley of the Waters Creek. There is a view down to part of the Empress Falls and into the canyon. The views are filtered through the surrounding trees. It makes for a good spot to catch your breath when walking into, or out of, the Valley of the Waters.
(2.73 km)
Empress Lookout
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Int of Valley of the Waters and Queen Victoria Tracks Walk: Easy - bushtrack
Length = 57 m
Time = 2 mins
Climb = 18 m
Descent = 0 m
From the Empress Lookout, this walk heads up the wooden steps away from the lookout. The walk heads up the hill, soon passing under a sandstone overhang then up more steps, coming to a 'Y' intersection with the signposted 'Queen Victoria Lookout' track (on the right).
(2.79 km)
Int of Valley of the Waters and Queen Victoria Tracks
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Queen Victoria Lookout Optional sidetrip: Walk: Easy - bushtrack
Length = 24 m
Time = 1 mins
Climb = 0 m
Descent = -17 m
From the intersection, this walk follows the 'Queen Victoria Lookout' sign down the steps towards the handrail. Soon the track passes a small lookout on the left and, shortly afterwards, the fence leads to the rock platform and fenced 'Queen Victoria Lookout'.
Queen Victoria Lookout
Alt = 803 m
The Queen Victoria Lookout is perched above the Valley of the Waters, south-west of Conservation Hut. The fenced lookout has views into the narrow section of the valley. The views are made more dramatic by the roar of the waterfalls below and the mists which frequent the area. Empress Falls are only just visible - the main views extend down Jamison Valley. Kings Tableland (left) and Sublime Point(right) dominate the views and the eastern edge of Mount Solitary and beyond is also visible.
(2.79 km)
Int of Valley of the Waters and Queen Victoria Tracks
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Conservation Hut Track: Moderate - bushtrack
Length = 324 m
Time = 8 mins
Climb = 75 m
Descent = -2 m
From the intersection, this walk heads away from 'Queen Victoria Lookout' up the set of stairs to almost immediately come to a 'Y' intersection with the unsignposted Lyrebird Cliff track (on the right). From the intersection, this walk heads up the timber and dirt steps, away from the valley views. The track passes a few faint tracks (on the right, that lead to an unfenced view point). The track soon comes to a signposted intersection with the 'Overcliff Track'. From the intersection, this walk follows the 'National Pass - Tea Rooms' sign up the steps, with the handrail on the left. After a short time, the track passes a couple of faint tracks (on the right, leading to an old picnic area). Heading up the main steps, the walk passes another handrail (and signs) then an information sign, before coming to a three-way intersection with the 'Shortcut Track'. From the intersection, this walk heads up the steps towards the building. The walk passes a couple of picnic shelters (on the right) before coming to the road and the front of the 'Conservation Hut'.
Fire Danger This walk passes Greater Sydney Region fire area which currently has a NONE rating and No Ban in place. (Downloaded 4 hours ago) Please Note: Each park may have its own fire ban status, this rating is based on information from the RFS and BOM.
Blue Mountains National ParkLink to official closures and fire bans page Attracting over 3 million visitors annually, Blue Mountains National Park holds some of Australia's most spectacular and diverse wilderness areas. Explore the Grose Valley, with its sheer sandstone cliffs, waterfalls and scenic walking, or enjoy the famous views of the Three Sisters. Easy access makes a day trips very worthwhile, but with such diversity it would be great to stay in one of the many B&B's and spend a few days soaking up the region. Region: Sydney & Surrounds Park feesCampingFacilities Current Park Closure information for Blue Mountains National Park Closure information last downloaded Thursday 17th of May 2012 05:00 PM
Burralow picnic and camping area is temporarily closed; all access trails leading into Burralow picnic and camping area (including Paterson Range Fire Trail, Burralow Rd/Tabaraga Ridge Fire Trail) are closed due to significant local rainfall and slippery trails. The Burralow Bridge from Paterson Range fire trail is currently out for all vehicles for structural repairs.
For updates and further information phone the NPWS Blackheath office 02 4787 8877, 9.00 am-4.30 pm seven days, or Richmond office on 02 4588 2400 9.00am-5.00 pm weekdays.
Redgum camp site at Euroka picnic and camping area at Glenbrook is closed until 27 May 2012 for maintenance and upgrade.
Darug campsite will be closed from 29 May 2012 until further notice for maintenance and upgrade.
Camping is available at other sites at Euroka. For bookings and further information phone 02 4588 2400 Mon-Thurs. (except school holidays and public holidays) or 02 4739 2950 weekends.
Claustral Canyon
Access to Claustral Canyon via the usual route across private land at Mt Tomah is no longer possible due to landholders denying access. NPWS has sought alternative access to Claustral through private land without success. Canyoners should respect the rights of Mt Tomah residents and avoid using private land.
Murphys Glen & Ingar camping areas
Murphys Glen Campsite is closed at the gate due to boggy and muddy road conditions.
Ingar Campsite Loop Road is closed due to wash outs and muddy road conditions. The day use area and car park remain open. This means that campers must walk from the day use area to campsites (about 100m).
For further information contact the NPWS Heritage Centre, phone 02 4787 8877; open seven days 9.00 am to 4.30 pm.
Prince Henry Cliff Walk is closed from Lady Darley Lookout (below Lillianfels) to Cliff View Lookout (below Skyway east station) after a fire damaged boardwalks, stairs and steps. Visitors are advised to use urban footpaths to walk between Katoomba Cascades Reserve and Echo Point.
Roberts Pass at Leura
Roberts Pass at Leura is closed east of the Lindeman Pass junction, due to a landslide. The track is impassable and there is currently no access to Valley of the Waters via Roberts Pass.
Undercliff Track at Wentworth Falls
The Undercliff Track at Wentworth Falls is closed until approx. mid-july 2012 for major repair. There is no access to the section of the track between Princes Rock and Fletchers Lookout. The section of track from Princes Rock to Den Fenella is open.
Road access to Waratah Picnic Area at Berambing is closed due to the very wet conditions. Visitors can park at the entrance gate and walk in to the Gorge walking track. The closure is expected to be in place until mid-April to allow the road and parking areas to dry out.
The Woodford-Oaks fire trail will be closed to general public access on Sunday 24 June, for the Woodford-Oaks Classic Careflight fundraising event, involving approx. 1,000 participants. In the interests of public safety, the trail is open to event runners and cyclists only until approx 1.30 pm.
A friend and I did this walk in reverse yesterday. We were glad we did! It started out with a steep descent with many steps. Doing these first meant that the latter part of the walk was a much easier level return to the Conservation Hut. A glorious day, this was just sensational!
Hiking near Sydney 
Track: Hard
1 km
not too much longer now :)