Did you know that we have our very own Grand Canyon in New South Wales?! Located near Blackheath in the Blue Mountains, the Grand Canyon is created by the rushing waters of Greaves Creek slicing through the canyon's soft sandstone for millions of years. The Grand Canyon track, a 6.3 km grade 3 walking trail, is considered to be one of the best rainforest walks in NSW. This heritage-listed track, constructed in 1907, meanders through the lush rainforest and crosses Greeves Creek in several places. The sheer number of steps and rock overhangs in the track make this walk challenging and quite an adventure.
There are three car parks close to the track; the Grand Canyon loop car park, Neates Glen car park and Evans Lookout. While Evans Lookout is the closest to the track, it does not matter which one you choose, simply follow the signage towards Grand Canyon track. If you park in Neates Glen car park, it is easier to do the walk counter-clockwise and finish off at Evens Lookout.
We parked in Grand Canyon loop car park and walked 600 meters to Evans Lookout where we were greeted by magnificent views over Grose Valley. The orange sandstone cliff walls nicely compliment the green and blue hues of the eucalyptus forest below.
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| Evans Lookout - Views of Grose Valley |
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Evans Lookout - Govetts Creek zigzagging through the valley floor
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| Start of the track at Evans Lookout |
Immediately after the start at Evans lookout, the track descends steeply through the Eucalyptus forest, passing an imposing rock to the right. We were greeted by many walking from the opposite direction, almost out of breath, giving us a hint of the challenge that lies before us.
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| Hikers doing the loop counter-clockwise walking towards Evans lookout |
The charred trunks of the Eucalyptus trees were silent witnesses to the devasting effects of the catastrophic 2019/2020 bush-fire season. However, it is amazing how nature fights back and there is hope in the way new branches are sprouting from the trunks of the burnt trees.
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| Eucalyptus trees are regenerating after the bush-fire |
After a few minutes walk through the Eucalyptus forest, the track drops steadily and passes through a narrow passage between rocks. When we emerged from the other end of the passage, it was like the landscape transformed into a completely different terrain. As we were leaving behind the rugged landscape with burnt trees, lush, green, wet and mossy rainforest appeared before us.
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Leaving behind the Eucalyptus Forest
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| Through the magnificent rainforest |
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| Continuing through the lush ferns |
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Creek crossing
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Beautiful section of the Greaves Creek
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| The track keeps on impressing us |
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| More Creek Crossings |
The Grand Canyon, being a slot canyon, is narrow and deep. At some places, it is as narrow as 2 meters and as deep as 30 meters.
If you are the adventurous sort and would like a more adrenaline-pumping activity, you could explore the true grandeur of the Grand Canyon, by abseiling down to the canyon floor. There are few commercial operators who offer canyoning in Grand Canyon. Around the midpoint of the track, we passed a few such thrill-seekers ready to enter the canyon. Shortly after, we passed a rock overhang that led us to a beautiful trickling waterfall. It was fun to walk underneath the waterfall, with the gentle shower of refreshingly cold water droplets kissing our faces.
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| Rock overhang leading to the waterfall |
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| Getting a bit wet |
Just after passing the waterfall, there was another pleasant surprise for us. After climbing a few steep steps, there was a little cave tunnel that was only wide enough for walkers to pass in one direction.
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| Cave tunnel |
We were getting hungry and looking forward to having a snack at Rotunda, a cliff overhang with a sandy beach, the best place on the track to sit and have a snack. However, Rotunda was taken. We were too hungry to wait any longer and had to settle for some nearby rocks.
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| Enjoying snacks with Rotunda as the backdrop |
After the well-earned rest, recharged with snacks and coffee, from the intersection near Rotunda we followed the signage towards Neats Glen car park. The track started to climb up steeply and I ran out of breath and found myself gasping for air much sooner than expected.
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| More steps |
After stopping for a few quick breathers and climbing many more steps, our exhausted selves were encouraged by the fresh faces of walkers coming from the opposite direction, signalling the Neats Glen car park could not be too far away. From the Neats Glen car park, our starting point, the Grand Canyon loop car park was just a short stroll away.
This is one of the best walks so far, a winner both in terms of the beauty of the surrounding and the level of difficulty.
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