Grand Cliff Top Walk – Leura Section
LEURA SECTION
GRAND CLIFF TOP TRACK
Grade 3
Time: 3-3.5 hours (excluding side trips)
Distance: 7 km
Ascent: TBA m -
Map: 8930-1S Katoomba
LILLIAN'S BRIDGE TRACK
Leave the Nature Track and take the left track:the Lillian’s Bridge Track!
LILLIAN'S BRIDGE
Lillian’s Bridge crosses above the Valley of the Waters. If you are lucky you may see some canyoners making their way to Empress Falls.
The bridge is named after Elizabeth Lilla Murray, the wife of Captain Murray who was a Wentworth Falls Reserve Trustee. The iron bridge built in 1896 was taken down in 2008, restored and re-erected.
The track continues uphill, then flattens out and follows the edge of the Fairmont Resort and Golf Course. You are now officially in Leura!
FAIRMONT RESORT
SUBLIME POINT ROAD
GOLF LINK TRACK
This track is also known as the Golf Link Track.
The track meanders up and down with views on Sublime Point and the Three Sisters. After crossing a creek, the track terminates at the Golf Link Lookout and joins the Pool of Siloam Track.
GOLF LINK LOOKOUT
Named after the Leura Golf Course, this lookout has wonderful views of Mount Solitary and Narrow Neck. Between the two headlands, you can see Mount Cloudmaker in Kananagra National Park.
POOL OF SILOAM TRACK
POOL OF SILOAM
The Pool of Siloam is named after the rock-cut pool mentioned in the New Testament. It is probably a reference to the studies of General Charles Gordon in Jerusalem in regard to the location where Jesus was crucified.
Cross the creek and climb up the Pool of Siloam Track. This steep track delivers you to the Gordon Falls picnic area where the Prince Henry Cliff Walk starts.
PRINCE HENRY CLIFF WALK
GORDON FALLS PICNIC AREA
This picnic area is popular among locals and tourists alike.
While the toilet block is being built, portaloos are available.
Continue south along the park. The Prince Henry Cliff Walk starts there but is unfortunately closed due to a landslide. Before going back, visit the Gordon Falls Lookout.
GORDON FALLS LOOKOUT
The lookout offers views of the 50 m Gordon Falls. When in flow after heavy rain, the falls are quite spectacular!
The falls are named after General Charles Gordon who died in 1885 during the siege of Khartoum in Sudan.
DETOUR - OLYMPIAN PDE TO ELYSIAN ROCK
The Prince Henry Cliff Walk being closed, walk along Olympian Pde for about 150 m and turn left into the rough Elysian Rock Access Track.
PRINCE HENRY CLIFF WALK
The Prince Henry Cliff Walk starts in earnest! What follows are lookouts with dramatic names and dramatic views on the Jamison Valley and beyond!
ELYSIAN ROCK
Elysian means delightful, blissful! Easy to see why this rocky outcrop is called Elysian Rock.
BUTTENSHAW BRIDGE
The original bridge was replaced in 2015 current metal structure. The bridge is named after Ernest Albert Buttenshaw, Minister for Lands.
OLYMPIAN ROCK
Named after Mount Olympus, the home of Greek Gods.
TARPEIAN ROCK
The original Tarpeian Rock was a cliff in Ancient Rome from which murderers, traitors, .. were thrown of. I don’t think anything like that has happened here!
BRIDAL VEIL VIEW LOOKOUT
This side track leads to a lookout with a view on Bridal Veil Falls.
Continue along the track until you reach the Leura Cascades Track.
At the intersection of the Prince Henry cliff Track with the Leura Cascades.Track, turn left and follow the Leura Falls Creek downstream.
SIDE TRIP: LEURA CASCADES PICNIC AREA
The Leura Cascades Picnic Area is a nice place to relax. The toilets are currently closed but there is a water fountain if you need to refill your bottle(s)!
THE LEURA BATHS
The Leura Baths (also known as the Katoomba Baths) were constructed in 1913 and opened by the Hon Arthur Griffiths, Minister for Public Works, December 3, 1913. The baths were a popular swimming pool for local and visitors alike.There were separate pools for ladies and gentlemen, high diving boards, changing rooms and a weatherboard kiosk, the Leura Falls Kiosk (currently Solitary Restaurant).
UPPER LEURA CASCADES
The Upper Leura Cascades are located at the end of a short track north of the “Baths”.
Make your way towards the faux-rock caves: this is the entrance of the Leura Cascades Track and the Prince Henry Cliff Walk. This section is currently closed.
FAUX-ROCK CAVES
Continue along the Leura Cascades Track.
MEETING OF THE WATERS
Two tributaries of Leura Falls creek meet there with the Chelmsford Bridge as a backdrop!
You will reach the intersection with the Prince Henry Cliff Walk. Continue along the Leura Cascades Track.
LEURA CASCADES TRACK
At the intersection of the Prince Henry cliff Track turn left onto the Leura Cascades.Track and follow the track along the Leura Cascades.
LEURA CASCADES
There are several rapids along Leura Falls Creek. The presence of the old lampposts give the location of Leura Cascades.
LEURA FALLS LOOKOUT
The track leads to the top of the Bridal Veil falls where Leura Falls Creek falls over the escarpment. Leura Falls Lookout offers a magnificent view of Leura Gap and Mount Solitary.
Less impressive are the relics of the old Leura sewerage.
LEURA FALLS OR BRIDAL VEIL FALLS?
Leura Falls used to refer to the three sections: the First Falls (now Bridal Veil Falls), the Second Falls (now Leura Falls) and Adeline Cascades.
The track follows the cliff up to Gertrude Lookout, an unmarked lookout.
GERTRUDE LOOKOUT
In 1898 there is a reference to Gertrude’s Lookout “whence one obtains a fine view of the great valley”. The lookout became known as Gertrude’s Lookout possibly because a book with Prayers from Saint Gertrude was lost in the area.
Gertrude Lookout offers views of the Bridal Veil Falls as well as the Jamison Valley. The way the water falls along the rock face is reminiscent of a bridal veil, hence the name. Bridal Veil Falls is an example of a fan waterfall.
EVELYN'S LOOKOUT
Located near the intersection with the Amphitheatre Track and the Round Walk track. Evelyn’s Lookout offers views of the Jamison Valley.
The Leura Cascades track ends near the lookout at the intersection with the Round Walk and the Amphitheatre track.
Continue on the Round Walk track.
SIDE TRIP: AMPHITHEATRE AND FEDERAL PASS TRACKS
The Amphitheatre Track links the Leura Cascades track to Federal Pass.
The Amphitheatre Track links the Leura Cascades track to Federal Pass.
Make your way down the Amphitheatre Track and remember that what goes down must go up!
The track descends into what was known as Leura Glen.
THE OLD SEWERAGE
BRIDAL VEIL FALLS
Originally called the First Fall, the unique shape of the rock over which the water falls gives the appearance of a bridal veil.
WEEPING ROCK
ALONG THE TRACK
The trail follows the cliff.
THE AMPHITHEATRE AND CLIFFS
TBA
TRACK INTERSECTION: FEDERAL PASS
The Amphitheatre track ends where it meets Federal Pass. Go up Federal Pass via Fern Bower to rejoin the Prince Henry Cliff Walk (Grand Cliff Top Walk).
FEDERAL PASS: FERN BOWER SECTION
The Federal Pass winds up in the rainforest.
ALONG FEDERAL PASS
Look for some old inscriptions on the rocks. The steep track comes to an end near Jamieson Lookout.
JAMIESON LOOKOUT
The incorrectly spelt lookout offers views on the Jamison Valley.
The track ends at the intersection with Prince Henry Cliff Walk.
Turn left to continue towards the Three Sisters and the Scenic World. You are now in the Katoomba Section of the Grand Cliff Top Walk!
If you want to visit the lookouts of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk section (Kiah, Echo Tree, Flat Rock Fossil Rock, Copeland and Bridal Veil Lookouts), turn right to access Cliff Drive.
ROUND WALK
The Round Walk links the Leura Cascades track near the top of the Bridal Veil Falls back to the Picnic Area.
The Round Walk track ends at the intersection with Prince Henry Cliff Walk track.Turn left onto the Prince Henry Cliff Walk track.
PRINCE HENRY CLIFF WALK
The track meanders through some lovely rainforest. Three lookouts give the bushwalker the opportunity to see the Jamison Valley and Mount Solitary from different viewpoints.
BRIDAL VEIL LOOKOUT
The lookout is about 50 m off the main track and offers view of the Bridal Veil.
COPELAND'S LOOKOUT
Copeland’s Lookout is located on a spur and is reached after a 10 minute walk. The lookout is surrounded by a lovely dry stone wall.
It was originally referred as the Railed Point in 1894. Old photographs show a rail guard around the lookout.
William Raeburn Copeland
William Raeburn Copeland (1855-1928) was a Scott who settled in Katoomba. Trained as a stone mason, he built several stone houses in Katoomba. He opened the first shop, a grocery store and tmber yard, in Katoomba Street.
In 1893, Copeland descended into the Jamison Valley and pioneered a way up the cliffs at Sublime Point, Copeland Pass. So hard was the feat that the performance was not repeated for 20 years.
FOSSIL ROCK LOOKOUT
Fossil Rock lookout is a short walk off Prince Henry Cliff walk. The rocks in this lookout were originally thought to be the fossil of some ancient creature and were named the “Rock Fossil”. However the shape is due to differential weathering of the sandstone from the effects of wind and water. In time the name changed to Fossil Rock. In 1952, the Blue Mountains City Council deemed the term”Fossil Rock” misleading and renamed the feature “Rock of Antiquity” without much success!
ECHO TREE AND FLAT ROCK LOOKOUTS
Echo Tree and Flat Rock Lookouts are next to each other and offer a similar view into Linda Fern Gully and the Jamison Valley. They are accessed from the entrance to Prince Henry Cliff Walk opposite the Solitary Restaurant parking area. The track can be muddy at times.
ECHO TREE LOOKOUT
Echo Tree and Flat Rock Lookouts are next to each other and offer a similar view into Linda Fern Gully and the Jamison Valley. They are accessed from the track opposite the Solitary Restaurant parking area. The track can be muddy at times.
Echo Tree used to be a must-see attraction. It is now seldomly visited. The tree was an old dead tree and has since fallen down. By shouting near the tree into the gully, it was possible to hear an echo.
In 1890, The Daily Telegraph reported that Sir Frederick Darley, Mr. H. Darley and Mr. Sid. Bellingham found a way down into the Jamison Valley from Echo Tree. It is possible that this led to the construction of the track through Fern Bower and down Lila and Linda Falls.
FLAT ROCK LOOKOUT
Although the Park sign says Flat Top, this lookout is know as Flat Rock Lookout because it is on a flat rock.
Step into Cliff Drive opposite the Solitary Restaurant.
CLIFF DRIVE
Cliff Drive is the link between Leura Cascades and Katoomba Falls.
SOLITARY RESTAURANT - LEURA FALLS KIOSK
Solitary Restaurant which is currently closed, was originally the Leura Falls Kiosk.
KIAH LOOKOUT
Kiah is an Aboriginal word meaning “beautiful place”. The lookout is located on Cliff Drive across Solitary Restaurant. It has an orientation table however the view from the lookout is partially obscured by the vegetation.
The next section of Prince Henry Cliff Walk is 100 m uphill past Solitary Restaurant on the left.
You are now in the Katoomba Section of the Grand Cliff Top Walk!
