WALKS & WATERFALLS
Blue Mountains Bushwalks: Wentworth Falls to Grand Canyon
From the clifftop ledges of the National Pass to the easy falls at Leura Cascades — the bushwalks worth building into a Blue Mountains day, matched by effort.
See Blue Mountains trips on GetYourGuide ↗Wentworth Falls — the signature falls
Wentworth Falls, near the town of the same name, is among the best-known waterfalls in the Blue Mountains, dropping over several tiers down the cliff face into the Jamison Valley — total figures vary by source, but the falls are commonly described as several hundred metres from top to bottom across their full run. A short, easy path from the picnic area reaches the main lookout above the top tier, while a longer, steeper track descends partway down the cliff for closer views of the middle drops. On a clear day the falls and the haze-blued valley behind them make one of the more photographed views in the mountains outside Echo Point itself.
The National Pass, cut into the cliff
The National Pass is a heritage-listed walking track built in the early twentieth century, cut and blasted directly into the cliff face below Wentworth Falls rather than routed around it — a narrow ledge path, with sections of stone steps and a short tunnel, that clings to the rock with the valley falling away below. It's widely regarded among Blue Mountains walkers as one of the finest sections of track in the range for its combination of engineering and exposure, threading past the falls at close range before looping back up through the forest. It's a genuine half-day undertaking rather than a stroll, with real elevation change and some steep, uneven sections.
The Grand Canyon walk, near Blackheath
Despite the name borrowed from its American namesake, the Grand Canyon walk near Blackheath is a forested, fern-lined gorge rather than an arid one — a circuit track that drops into a narrow, shaded canyon with a creek running along its floor, crossed by small bridges and boardwalks in the wettest sections. It's often recommended as a gentler introduction to Blue Mountains canyon scenery than the National Pass, sheltered from the sun for most of its length and generally considered a moderate half-day circuit. The contrast between the canyon's cool, closed-in rainforest and the wide-open cliff views elsewhere in the mountains is part of what makes it worth doing alongside, not instead of, the bigger lookouts.
Leura Cascades, the easy option
Leura Cascades, a short walk from the village of Leura, is a series of smaller waterfalls tumbling through forest just below the clifftop, reached by a track gentle enough for most visitors without technical walking gear. It connects into the wider Prince Henry Cliff Walk network, so a short there-and-back to the cascades can be extended into a longer clifftop walk toward Katoomba and Echo Point if there's time and appetite for more. For day-trippers who want a genuine bushwalk experience without committing the better part of a day to it, Leura Cascades is usually the recommended starting point.
Matching the walk to the day you have
The Blue Mountains' walking tracks range from ten-minute lookout strolls to full-day wilderness hikes, and most day-trip visitors will do best picking one or two shorter options rather than attempting the harder circuits on a schedule built around a bus back to Sydney. The National Pass and Grand Canyon walk both suit visitors with reasonable fitness and a few free hours; Leura Cascades and the lookout paths around Wentworth Falls suit almost anyone. Mountain weather changes quickly regardless of which track you choose, so sturdy shoes, water and a rain layer are worth carrying even on a short walk that looks easy from the car park.
Blue Mountains walks compared
| Walk | Effort | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| Leura Cascades | Easy, under an hour | Small waterfalls near Leura village |
| Grand Canyon walk | Moderate, a half-day circuit | A shaded, fern-lined gorge near Blackheath |
| National Pass | Harder, a half-day circuit | Cliff-face ledges below Wentworth Falls |
| Prince Henry Cliff Walk | Flexible, point-to-point | Links Leura, Echo Point and Scenic World |