Blue Mountains National Park (NSW) Guide

About the Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains mix easy access with a real sense of escape. You’re never far from a town if something goes wrong, which is a comfort when you’re new to touring, yet you can be camped among cliffs and bush by the end of a Friday afternoon. Some places are on sealed roads that any car can drive, and others are 4WD only, so check the access for each spot before you go. If this is your first trip, our beginner’s guide to 4WD touring covers the gear and the basics.

The two campgrounds we’ve reviewed are both free and both basic: pit toilets and fire pits, and no drinking water, so bring all you need. Mount York needs no booking and is on a sealed road near Mount Victoria. Burralow Creek is booked online, with a $6 booking fee, and the trails in are 4WD only.

Best time to go

Spring and autumn are the best seasons for camping and walking in the Blue Mountains. Winter is cold at night but often clear, and summer is the season to plan around because of the heat and the bushfire risk.

• AutumnBest timeMarch–MayMild temperaturesChanging coloursIdeal for hiking and camping
• WinterGood timeJune–AugustCold nightsOften clear daysFrosty mornings
• SpringBest timeSeptember–NovemberBlooming wildflowersDry conditionsGreat visibility
• SummerTake careDecember–FebruaryHot weatherIncreased bushfire riskCheck for fire bans

Campgrounds in the Blue Mountains

These are the campgrounds we’ve stayed at and reviewed, from our highest score down. Mount York is the easy one: a sealed road, flat sites and Hartley Valley views, with historic walking tracks from camp. Burralow Creek takes more effort to reach, and rewards it with a large grassy area in the bush and a walk to Bulcamatta Falls.

Lookouts in the Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains are known for their lookouts, and you don’t have to join the crowds at Echo Point to get a big view. Bardens Lookout sits on Mount York Road, close to Mount York Campground, and looks west over the Hartley Valley. In Katoomba, the Three Sisters at Echo Point are the classic that everyone should see once, but it’s the busiest spot in the mountains, because many people take the train from Sydney to Katoomba. Govetts Leap in Blackheath has spectacular views into the Grose Valley with fewer people, and Hargraves Lookout over the Megalong Valley is the quiet one: not many people go there, and the views are incredible.

If you’d rather stay in the bush than look at it from a platform, the Valley of the Waters walk near Wentworth Falls is steep, but the waterfalls and forest make it well worth the climb back up.

Things to Book in the Blue Mountains

There’s plenty you can book in the Blue Mountains: guided tours around Katoomba, including one in an ex-army truck, a sunset tour that leaves from Sydney, and abseiling, canyoning and rock climbing with a guide on the cliffs. We haven’t done these ourselves yet, so we don’t score them. They can all be booked online through Thrill Experiences, and it’s worth booking ahead if you want to add one to a camping weekend.

Summary: Is a Blue Mountains Weekend Worth It?

Yes. Free camping, some of the best lookouts in NSW and plenty to do, all one to two hours from Sydney, make the Blue Mountains an easy weekend away and a good first trip if you’re new to camping or 4WD touring. Pick Mount York for an easy night on a sealed road, or Burralow Creek if you have a 4WD and want more bush around you.

Recommended Gear for the Blue Mountains

Neither campground has drinking water, so start with water storage for the weekend. Nights are cold for much of the year, which makes good sleeping gear worth having, along with camping lighting for the early dark in the bush. For the 4WD-only trails into Burralow Creek, pack your tyre tools so you can air down and back up again.