The Nature Track in the Wentworth Falls area of the Blue Mountains is a scenic 3.5 km bushwalk that starts and finishes at the Conservation Hut.
This relatively quiet walking track passes through a variety of landscapes, including creek crossings, valley views, and small waterfalls.
| Nature Track | |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 3.5 km (circuit) |
| Time: | 2 hours |
| Grade: | Moderate (steep sections) |
| Dogs: | Not allowed |
| Wheel-friendly: | No |
| Maps: |  PDF map |
Getting There
This walk begins at the Conservation Hut, located at the end of Fletcher Street in Wentworth Falls.
To get there from the Great Western Highway, take the exit onto Falls Road in Wentworth Falls, then turn right into Fletcher Street, which leads to a car park.
The car park is a good size but often fills up quickly on weekends due to the café and access to several popular walking trails.
Below is a map of the walk (not to scale), starting from the car park at the Conservation Hut and featuring the following highlights:
- Edinburgh Castle Rock
- Lillians Glen
- Empress Canyon
- Queen Victoria Lookout
Track Notes
The Nature Track is a moderately challenging bushwalk, with steep sections and obstacles such as creek crossings and staircases.
The track is well-defined and easy to follow, and anyone with a reasonable level of fitness should be able to complete the walk within two hours.
We recommend walking in an anti-clockwise direction so you can experience the best parts of the track in the second half.
The Start
At the Conservation Hut, look for the large Nature Track signpost next to the car park, near the toilet block.
The first part of the walk follows a narrow bush path that gradually widens into a fire trail running parallel to Valley Road.
This section isn’t overly inspiring, but it serves as a good warm-up for the rest of the track, which soon becomes much more exciting.
After about 1.5 km along this trail, you’ll see an old signpost marked “Nature Track Circuit” and “Edinburgh Castle Rock”. This is where you turn left into the bush.
Edinburgh Castle Rock
The walking track continues along a narrow path, with several sets of steps, staircases, and footbridges, before reaching the signposted turnoff to Edinburgh Castle Rock.
Turn left at this junction to visit the lookout. It’s only a short side trail, and while the views aren’t spectacular, it’s still a nice spot to check out.
Edinburgh Castle Rock is an unfenced lookout on top of a rock formation, overlooking the northern part of the Valley of the Waters.
Lillians Glen
From the lookout, retrace your steps to the main walking track and continue south towards Lillians Glen and Empress Canyon.
Before reaching Lillians Glen, the track passes through a stretch of beautiful scenery, with sandstone rock overhangs, large cliff walls, and scenic viewpoints.
Lillians Glen is where the track crosses Valley of the Waters Creek via a set of man-made stepping stones. It’s a lovely, photogenic spot to explore.
If you’re up for a little adventure and don’t mind getting your feet wet, walk upstream through the creek to Asmodeus Pool, a gorgeous canyon pool with a small waterfall.
Empress Canyon
From Lillians Glen, the track continues into the Empress Canyon area, a popular spot for canyoning and abseiling.
You’ll first need to tackle another crossing of Valley of the Waters Creek, but this time the area is quite slippery, so watch your step as you make your way across.
For another little adventure, walk to your left along the creek, and you’ll come across a small waterfall. Keep in mind it’s very slippery here!
After crossing the creek, the track heads up a set of steps and soon reaches an intersection at a small bridge, known as Lillian’s Bridge. At this intersection, continue straight ahead.
If you cross Lillian’s Bridge, the trail continues to Leura via the Lillians Bridge Track. We recommend saving that hike for another day.
Soon after passing the intersection at Lillian’s Bridge, the track arrives at another intersection with the trail to Empress Falls. If you’d like to visit the waterfall (it’s not too far away), continue straight ahead.
Otherwise, veer to the left and head up the stairs.
Queen Victoria Lookout
This is where the track becomes a bit more challenging, with multiple sets of staircases to conquer. As you make your way up, you’ll notice the landscape shifting from lush rainforest to dry bushland.
After climbing the stairs, you’ll be rewarded with two great lookout points.
You’ll first pass Empress Lookout. While the views here aren’t particularly impressive, you can catch glimpses of Empress Canyon and Empress Falls.
The second lookout, Queen Victoria Lookout, is only moments away and is much more impressive. It’s a fantastic vantage point, perched above the Valley of the Waters with sweeping views of the Jamison Valley.
On a clear day, the fenced viewing platform offers spectacular views, with prominent landmarks like Lincoln’s Rock, Kings Tableland, and Mount Solitary visible in the distance.
After taking in the views, retrace your steps to the main track and get ready for the final short climb back to the Conservation Hut.
Nearby walks:
