The Grand Canyon Walk - Blackheath Blue Mountains

Evans Lookout

If you're looking for a challenging 3.5-hour hike, The Grand Canyon walk at Blackheath should be on your to-do list. It is possible to do this as a day trip from Sydney, or even better, as part of a fun experience staying at Blackheath.

We began our trek from the initial entry point instead of Evans Lookout, which required a 1.6 km walk back to retrieve the car after finishing the hike. Otherwise parking is available at Evans Lookout as are toilets.

The Grand Canyon Walk Blackheath Descent

The day we took The Grand Canyon walk was quite slippery. Along the path, you'll encounter stone steps, bridges, and even a small cave to pass through as you approach the bottom. The trail features a variety of plant species and a wealth of ferns.

Because we chose to walk against the traffic (most people start at Evans Lookout) we were pretty much alone until we started to climb back out.

Waterfall at Grand Canyon Blackheath

I thoroughly enjoyed the walk down and taking in the luscious scenery. There are handrails to help you navigate some of the more trickier steps down, as well as waterfalls and even a cave!

As you navigate the Grand Canyon loop, you'll encounter several smaller rock shelters and walk beneath numerous overhangs. Also plenty of places to sit and take in the beautiful atmosphere.

Grand Canyon Walk Rock Pools

There is no shortage of rock pools along the way, it was way too cold to swim for us being the middle of winter, but I'm sure on a nice hot summer's day it would be quite enjoyable, although I would be cautious of getting your toes nipped by a Yabby!

I didn't see a lot of colour apart from green on our walk, but did come across a few pretty flowers.

Take your time descending down to the bottom, it can be very slippery.

As you continue to walk you will witness some awesome scenery and rock formations. There is also a small cave to go through, as I mentioned before, make sure you take a torch or at least use the one on your phone. You can see the cave here.

Due to the dampness the walk is abundant with moss and ferns. When you reach the bottom of the walk, there are a few steps to navigate over creeks, so be prepared for that. One of them I struggled with so needed to help of my son-in-law to get me over.

The trip back up is a little challenging as it's very steep. Take your time and enjoy the scenery with little stops along the way.

Reward Yourself After You Finish the Walk

We took a drive down to the Megalong Valley to have the famous tea and scones. The winding road down to the valley is beautiful. It's like being in a prehistoric Australia (well that's what I'd imagine it was like). This tea house is very popular and no wonder! We enjoyed our scones, ploughman's lunch, toasted sandwich and homemade pie.

What to Bring to the Grand Canyon Walk Blackheath

• Sensible shoes that are slip resistant

• Swimmers for summer

• Warm clothes in winter

• Water

• Snacks for energy

• Torch

• First Aid Kit (or snake bandage at least)

• Let people know you are going on this walk if doing it alone - no phone reception

Blackheath Blue Mountains

Blackheath is a quaint town in the Mountains, you will find plenty of restaurants, shopping and accommodation. Blackheath is known for its annual ‘Rhododendron Festival’ held in November each year.