Grand Canyon Track in the Blue Mountains: our experience + tips

The Grand Canyon Track is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful hikes in the Blue Mountains. And that’s despite the fact that for much of the walk, you barely see those famous blue mountains. Instead, you descend deep into the canyon, where you suddenly find yourself walking between enormous rock walls, ferns, creeks and small waterfalls.

I walked the Grand Canyon Track during our days in the Blue Mountains and deliberately did the route in the opposite direction to the one shown on AllTrails, for example. My reason? I wanted to save the view from Evans Lookout as a reward for the end. And looking back, I definitely didn’t regret that choice.

The hike itself isn’t extremely long, but don’t underestimate the elevation difference. After all, you first have to descend into the canyon and then climb back out again. Down below, it sometimes feels as though you’ve stepped into a little fairytale world. In some places you walk right alongside the rock wall and even have to duck briefly to continue.

In this blog, I’ll tell you everything about the Grand Canyon Track near Blackheath, including my own experience, parking, the best direction to walk and a few things that are useful to know before you go.

Grand Canyon Track at a glance

The Grand Canyon Track is near Blackheath in Blue Mountains National Park, around a 2-hour drive from Sydney. The official walking route is a loop of approximately 6.3 kilometres and is classified as Grade 3 by NSW National Parks.

Normally, allow around 3 to 4 hours for the full walk. I walked the section from Grand Canyon Carpark through the canyon to Evans Lookout in about 1.5 hours. That’s pretty quick and definitely not the time I’d use as a guideline if you want to walk at a relaxed pace, take photos and stop regularly along the way.

The main thing to remember is this: the distance isn’t too bad, but there’s quite a bit of elevation gain and loss. You descend deep into the canyon in a relatively short time and then have to climb back up via plenty of stairs on the other side.

• Location: Blackheath, Blue Mountains National Park
• Full loop distance: approximately 6.3 kilometres
• Official walking time: 3 to 4 hours
• Grade: Grade 3
• Route: well signposted
• Starting point: Grand Canyon Carpark
• Possible finishing point: Evans Lookout
• Mobile reception: I had no mobile reception down in the canyon
• Good to know: lots of stairs and a few steep sections

Parking at the Grand Canyon Track

I parked for free at Grand Canyon Carpark on Evans Lookout Road. In my opinion, this is also the most convenient place to start.

If you walk the entire loop, you’ll eventually return to the same car park. At the end, you still have to walk a short stretch along Evans Lookout Road. To be honest, it’s not the most exciting part of the walk, but it’s part of the route if you want to complete the full loop.

I didn’t have to walk that final section myself. My wife picked me up at Evans Lookout, which meant I could finish the hike at the viewpoint.

That’s a nice option if you’re travelling with several people and not everyone wants to do the hike. Just keep in mind that there are only a few parking spaces at Evans Lookout. Especially at busy times, I wouldn’t automatically assume you’ll easily find somewhere to park there.

Which direction should you walk the Grand Canyon Track?

This was one of the most interesting choices for me beforehand. You can walk the Grand Canyon Track in either direction. Either way, you’ll have to descend into the canyon and climb back out again, so there’s no avoiding the downhill and uphill sections.

I chose to walk the route in the opposite direction to the one AllTrails showed me. I started at Grand Canyon Carpark and finished at Evans Lookout.

Why? Because that way you save the view over the Blue Mountains until last.

For a large part of the hike, you’re walking deep between rock walls and rainforest. As a result, you don’t see much of the vast landscape the Blue Mountains are so famous for. But when you climb out of the canyon and suddenly arrive at Evans Lookout, that changes completely. All of a sudden, the enormous valley opens up in front of you.

I thought that was a really nice reward at the end of the hike. Is this direction necessarily better? No. The walk is probably just as beautiful the other way around. But if you like the idea of finishing with the big view, I’d choose the same direction.

My experience on the Grand Canyon Track

As soon as you start descending, the landscape changes quite quickly. At the top you have the typical Blue Mountains scenery, but the further down you go, the greener it gets. You walk between ferns, alongside creeks and increasingly close to the enormous rock walls.

And eventually, you really are walking through the canyon. That was my favourite part of this hike.

You’re not just looking down from a viewpoint, as you do in so many other places in the Blue Mountains. Here, you’re right in the middle of it. The rock walls tower above you and in some places the path becomes quite narrow. Every now and then, you even have to duck a little to get underneath the rocks.

Combined with all the greenery, flowing water and little waterfalls, down in the canyon I sometimes felt as though I was walking through a fairytale world. It’s completely different from the famous Three Sisters and the big viewpoints around Katoomba.

That’s exactly what makes this hike so much fun. Want to know what else we did in this area? Read our extensive Blue Mountains tips, including the Three Sisters, Scenic World, Katoomba Falls and Minnehaha Falls.

How difficult is the Grand Canyon Track?

I’d describe the Grand Canyon Track as an enjoyable but fairly active hike.

Technically, I didn’t find it extremely difficult. The path is well signposted and there’s no complicated scrambling involved. You do, however, need to be prepared for lots of stairs and quite a bit of elevation change.

You descend into the canyon fairly quickly. And of course, what goes down has to come back up. So there’s a solid climb waiting for you on the other side. That section in particular can be tough if you don’t hike regularly.

I kept up a pretty fast pace myself and reached Evans Lookout after around 1.5 hours, but there’s a reason the official walking time for the full loop is considerably longer. So make sure you take your time.

The path can also be slippery in places. Down in the canyon it’s damp, green and sheltered. Good shoes with plenty of grip are therefore definitely a good idea.

No mobile reception in the canyon

This is a practical tip I wish I’d known a little more clearly beforehand: down in the Grand Canyon, I had no mobile reception. None at all.

Fortunately, the route is very well signposted and I met plenty of other hikers along the way, but you don’t want to depend on Google Maps or a route that’s only available online here.

So download your hiking route before you set off. Using AllTrails? Save the route offline before you leave. I was also hiking alone. Especially in that case, it’s sensible to make sure someone knows which walk you’re doing and roughly what time you expect to be back.

Is the Grand Canyon Track busy?

Don’t expect a hike where you won’t see another person for hours. I passed quite a few people along the route. The Grand Canyon Track is clearly popular, and that’s hardly surprising: the hike is relatively compact, easy to reach and shows you a completely different side of the Blue Mountains.

Still, I didn’t find it annoying. The route is long enough and has enough different sections that you’re not constantly walking behind the same group of hikers.

Want more peace and quiet? Then, as with almost every popular hike, I’d start early. It can get busy around Blackheath and the best-known walking tracks, especially on weekends and during holiday periods.

Be careful after heavy rain

A little wetness is almost part of this hike. The canyon is green and damp, which means rocks and stairs can be slippery. But after heavy rain, it’s a different story.

The Grand Canyon Track follows and crosses several creeks. NSW National Parks therefore warns against entering the canyon shortly before, during or immediately after heavy rainfall. Water levels can rise quickly.

So always check the weather and any NSW National Parks alerts before you set off. We had quite a lot of mist and wet weather during our days in the Blue Mountains. In a way, that gave the hike even more atmosphere, but safety obviously comes first.

Combining the Grand Canyon Track with Evans Lookout

If you follow the direction I walked, you save Evans Lookout until the end. And in my opinion, it’s a great way to finish.

After all the greenery and narrow sections in the canyon, you suddenly find yourself high above the valley again. From Evans Lookout, you have views over Grose Valley and get exactly that classic scenery you come to the Blue Mountains for.

Do you have two cars or someone who can pick you up? Then you can finish here, just as I did. Otherwise, you walk from Evans Lookout back towards Grand Canyon Carpark to complete the full loop. That final stretch along the road certainly isn’t the highlight of the hike, but fortunately, by then you’ve already seen the best part.

Combining the Grand Canyon Track with the rest of the Blue Mountains

If you only have a little time in the Blue Mountains and want to do one slightly longer hike, the Grand Canyon Track would be very high on my list.

The famous viewpoints around Katoomba are beautiful, but there you mainly see the Blue Mountains from above. On this hike, you experience the landscape from the inside.

During our days here, we combined it with places including the Three Sisters, Scenic World, Katoomba Falls, the Night-Lit Walk and Minnehaha Falls. In our blog about the Blue Mountains in Australia, you’ll find our complete itinerary and experiences.

What should you bring on the Grand Canyon Track?

• Good hiking shoes or trainers with plenty of grip
• Enough water
• A small snack
• An offline map of the route
• Sunscreen for the exposed sections
• A rain jacket if the weather is changeable
• An extra layer of clothing if needed

Down in the canyon, you spend a lot of time in the shade and it can feel cooler and damper than up at the viewpoints. Always check the current conditions before setting off as well. Walking tracks in the Blue Mountains can temporarily close because of bad weather, fire danger, maintenance or damage.

Where to stay near the Grand Canyon Track

Do you mainly want to explore the Grand Canyon Track and the northern part of the Blue Mountains? Then I’d choose Blackheath as your base. You’ll be much closer to the hike than if you have to travel all the way from Sydney and can set off early in the morning.

We stayed with our camper at Katoomba Falls Tourist Park, because we visited several places around Katoomba. Prefer to stay in a hotel and is the Grand Canyon Track high on your list? These are three options in Blackheath:

Parklands Country Gardens & Lodges

A more comfortable stay in Blackheath surrounded by plenty of greenery. Parklands is on Govetts Leap Road and is especially interesting if you’d like a little more luxury after hiking. The hotel has spacious suites and is also conveniently located for other viewpoints and walks around Blackheath.

View Parklands Country Gardens & Lodges on Booking.com

Kyah

Kyah is also in Blackheath and is a modern, renovated motel in a quiet location. It’s convenient if you want to combine several hikes in this part of the Blue Mountains and be able to get back to your accommodation quickly in the evening.

View Kyah on Booking.com

Gardners Inn Hotel

Mainly looking for a simple base in Blackheath? You can also consider Gardners Inn Hotel. The hotel is centrally located in the village and has free parking, which is useful if you’re exploring the Blue Mountains by rental car.

View Gardners Inn Hotel on Booking.com

Prefer to compare options yourself? View all accommodation in Blackheath on Booking.com.

No car? Visiting the Blue Mountains from Sydney

We had our own transport during our trip, which is very convenient for hikes such as the Grand Canyon Track. You can also take the train from Sydney to the Blue Mountains, but for this particular hike a car gives you much more freedom.

Don’t have your own transport and mainly want to see the best-known highlights? There are plenty of Blue Mountains day tours from Sydney. These usually focus on places such as the Three Sisters, Scenic World and various viewpoints. For the Grand Canyon Track itself, I’d rather allow plenty of time and not try to squeeze it into a packed day tour.

Is the Grand Canyon Track worth it?

Yes, absolutely. In fact, this was one of my favourite hikes of our trip through Australia.

Not because you constantly have spectacular panoramic views, but precisely because you step into a completely different world. At the top, you’re surrounded by the famous blue mountains and deep valleys. A little later, you’re down below among ferns, creeks and enormous rock walls.

Add the narrow passages, small waterfalls and the substantial climb back out of the canyon, and you have a hike that packs an impressive amount into just a few kilometres.

My tip? Start at Grand Canyon Carpark, walk towards Evans Lookout and save that huge view over the Blue Mountains as your reward at the end.

And download your map before you descend. Because down in that little fairytale world, I really did have absolutely zero reception.