Another short Blue Mountains walk with the kids, after the Furber Steps yesterday… this time it’s the Overcliff-Undercliff Track at the Valley of the Waters, in Wentworth Falls. Although the walk can be done as a loop from Conservation Hut, returning via the Short Cut Track, my wife will pick us up at the Wentworth Falls Picnic Area.
The Overcliff Track descends towards the cliff-line and Queen Victoria Lookout. There are some great views over the Jamison Valley, and even though it’s late morning there’s a blanket of cloud over the valley.
The track gets a bit rough and muddy as it continues along the top of the cliff.
There’s another nice view from the (signposted) Lyrebird Lookout and Breakfast Point Lookout, down the Jamison Valley and across to Mount Solitary.
A side track follows Den Fenella Creek, crossing the creek a couple of times as it descends the steep gully.
After the second crossing of Den Fenella Creek, the fence-lined path follows the edge of the cliff – parts of it under a long overhang or natural balcony – before reaching a lookout. There are great views across the valley from the last section of this track.
We retrace our steps back to the main track; at the junction with the Den Fenella Track, the Overcliff Track becomes the Undercliff Track. It continues along the cliff edge, with some views of Wentworth Falls cascading over the cliffs.
It’s obvious how the track got its name, as sections of the Undercliff Track pass under long rock overhangs.
We’re getting closer to Wentworth Falls, and there’s another nice view of the waterfall from the Undercliff Track.
The Undercliff Track goes under a final overhang, which has timber blocks on the floor, before reaching a four-way intersection with the Wentworth Falls Track (Fletchers Lookout is to the right, and the Wentworth Falls Track goes up to the Wentworth Falls Lookout and down to Queens Cascade).
Fletchers Lookout is only a 50m detour: it has a small viewing platform, with views of the top of Wentworth Falls and into Jamison Valley (including Mount Solitary and Narrow Neck).
We also make a quick detour to Queen’s Cascades, a small waterfall formed by the Jamison Creek (at the top of Wentworth Falls) cascsding over two levels into a sandy pool.
From here we back-track a short distance up to the junction with the Undercliff Track, and continue up the Wentworth Falls Track to the Wentworth Falls Lookout. It’s a nice end to the Overcliff-Undercliff Track bushwalk, with Wentworth Falls Lookout providing sweepingt views over across the Jamison Valley to Mount Solitary straight ahead, with Kings Tableland on the left and Sublime Point to the right.
0.0km Conservation Hut (Valley of the Waters Track)
0.4km Queen Victoria Lookout
0.5km Valley of the Waters Track joins Overcliff Track
0.6km Lyrebird Lookout
1.2km Breakfast Point Lookout
1.5km Junction with Dan Fenella Lookout track
1.7km Dan Fenella Lookout
1.9km Back to main track (now Undercliff Track)
2.7km Eagles Nest Lookout (50m detour)
3.1km Junction with Wentworth Falls Track
100m return to Fletchers Lookout
200m return to Queens Cascade
3.9km Wentworth Falls Lookout
Accommodation near Overcliff-Undercliff Track
The Overcliff-Undercliff Track can be done as a day trip from Sydney… or stay overnight and spend more time exploring the many walks in the area. Katoomba has the most accommodation options, and there are lots of boutique cabins and guethouses in Leura and Wentworth Falls.
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