The walking track from Hat Hill to Bald Head in the Blackheath area of the Blue Mountains offers scenic views without the crowds.
This remote 7 km return trail leads to a panoramic vantage point with impressive views across the Grose Valley and its surrounding cliff walls.
| Hat Hill to Bald Head | |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 7 km (return) |
| Time: | 2-3 hours |
| Grade: | Moderate |
| Wheel-friendly: | No |
| Dog-friendly: | No |
| Trailhead: | Google Maps |
Getting There
The trailhead for this walk is on Hat Hill Road, just before the point where this road turns into Perrys Lookdown Road.
To get there, turn onto Hat Hill Road just north of Blackheath town centre and continue driving for about 7 minutes (5 km) until you see the signpost shown in the photo below.
There’s a reasonably sized parking area on the eastern side of the road. This is a quiet walk, so finding a spot to park is rarely an issue.
Track Notes
The walking track to Bald Head isn’t signposted, but the path is fairly easy to follow from start to finish. The gently undulating terrain can be a bit rough and uneven in places, though it never becomes overly difficult.
Below is a map of the walk highlighting the three main points of interest:
- Hat Hill
- First Vantage Point
- Bald Head
Hat Hill
Once you’ve parked and are ready to start, look for the beginning of the trail next to the Blue Mountains National Park signpost on the western side of the road.
The walk begins on a fairly flat, sandy path before climbing gently over a more rocky surface towards the summit of Hat Hill.
It’s a short and relatively easy walk to the top, where district views and a glimpse of the Grose Valley in the distance make for a nice warm-up for the rest of the trail.
First Vantage Point
From the top of Hat Hill, continue along the main trail heading north, passing through a long stretch of open country with scenic district views on both sides.
If you’re doing this walk in spring, you’ll likely spot plenty of wildflowers, including Waratahs, Flannel Flowers, and Pale Pink Boronias.
After roughly 2.5 km of hiking through mostly open terrain, the scenery begins to change as the track enters a forested area, with sections where the path becomes slightly overgrown.
A few hundred metres further along, the trail reaches several rock ledges that offer glimpses of the Grose Valley and Bald Head.
While the views here are partly obscured by trees, it’s still a pleasant spot to pause and take a short break before continuing on to Bald Head.
Bald Head
The final stretch to Bald Head is the most challenging part of the walk, as the trail descends steeply into a gully before climbing back up to reach the endpoint.
The start of this section is on the right side of the rocky area, where you’ll see a path leading downhill into the bush.
After a few hundred metres of descending on a fairly rocky path, the climb up to Bald Head begins. It’s quite steep and a little demanding, but the ascent is fairly short.
At the top, there’s plenty of space to explore the ridge and take in the wide views in all directions. On a clear day, you should be able to spot several well-known Blue Mountains landmarks, including Mount Banks, Walls Lookout, and Hanging Rock.
In the photo above, you can see Hanging Rock on the left. While the views from Hanging Rock are arguably more impressive, the walk to Bald Head is a far more enjoyable experience.
When you’re ready to leave this quiet and remote spot, retrace your steps along the same path back to Hat Hill Road.
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