Hiking – National Pass Trail, Australia | Travel

National Pass (Sydney) is one of Australia’s finest trails, that takes you along steep staircases, gorgeous waterfalls, narrow slippery cliff lines, and stunning views of the Blue Mountains. National Pass Trail (Australia) is a 6 km long Grade-4 bushwalking circuit that requires some fitness level and prior experience in bushwalking.

Having said that I did this walk along with my Uncle, Aunt, and their 10 and 12-year-old kids. And we totally loved every minute of the 3.5 hours spent in the arms of nature. We came across muddy slippery footholds,  the famous Grand Stairway with a dizzying view of the valley, walked under overhanging rocks, and even behind a kinda-drizzling waterfall. We started the walk from Wentworth Falls Picnic Area. 

Can you those tiny people in the picture? From Fletcher Lookout, we walked all the way there. Wentworth Falls was the first waterfall that we crossed, as we walked further into the national park.

 
 
Clicked from Fletcher Lookout
 

Check out some other beautiful views from National Pass Trail

Wentworth Falls
 

 

The Edge of the Waterfall
 

 

The path from Wentworth falls
 
At the top of the Grand Stairway
 
The Grand Stairway was build around 100 years ago, by men using only picks and shovels. As you walk down the steep staircase, the majestic view of the valley unfolds right in front of you, as if you are walking straight into some mystical kingdom. Be careful if you suffer from vertigo!
How can anyone not fall in love with this view!
 

 

 

We caught our breath ‘and heart’ after descending the stairway.
 
After walking few more minutes, we came across Upper Wentworth Falls. Breathtaking, to say the least!

By this time we had walked over an hour and decided to walk further up to the Conservation Hut, which was 2 hours away.


One of my favorite part of the trail is Den Fenella Lookout, which is also the wetter part of the trail. The Den Fenella Creek runs overhead and it felt like walking behind a drizzling waterfall.

Den Fenella
 

 

Sylvia falls – Perfect spot for some awesome photography 🙂 This was followed by some more steep climbing.

 

Empress Waterfalls looked majestic, with water rushing down the ebony rocks, carved millions of years ago. There were few abseilers in their wet suits climbing up the waterfall. Looks like is a hot spot for those seeking more adventure.

 
It had started drizzling by the time we crossed Empress waterfalls and reached Empress Falls Lookout. We had to climb another set of steep staircases to reach this spot. Afar, you can see the fog slowly rolling in, making everything around us look mystical.
 

Conservation Hut and the car-park were only 10 minutes away from here, but the stairs to the hut can really test your stamina. We took many breaks before we finally emerged from the national park.


Wentworth Falls Suburb was clouded in mist as we drove back home, cherishing the wonderful trek we had just completed.

 

Tips for hiking in National Pass Trail Australia :
1) Wear comfortable shoes with proper grip as the footholds get very slippery at a few places.
2) Check weather conditions and map before starting the trail
3) Cellphone network is not available in many parts of the national park.
4) Don’t forget to carry water
5) Some level of fitness is necessary as you will end up climbing stairways either way.

27 thoughts on “Hiking – National Pass Trail, Australia | Travel

  1. Australia! What a gorgeous country and what natural beauty! Thank you for sharing these fab photos. Def on my wishlist, is Oz! And you, what a pretty girl you are! Always a pleasure to see your pics!

Let’s keep the conversation flowing!