The walk to Tiger Snake Canyon starts at the end of Old Coach Road, which is also the trailhead for the one of the Glow Worm Tunnel bushwalk routes and the off-track Rock Island loop. I’ve been invited by John Graham to join him and a few friends for this Wollemi NP canyon, which involves a few abseils – but no swimming (making it a popular winter canyon).
The well-worn Tiger Snake Canyon track follows a ridge and is easy walking; after about 2.5km there’s a nice outlook to the west over the Wollemi National Park.
It’s about a 3.4km walk to the entry point of Tiger Snake Canyon, and only the last few hundred metres is a bit overgrown. As the name suggests, the canyon was named in September 1977 when a party of Sydney University Bushwalkers and Ramblers Bushwalkers were exploring the area on a trip from the Wolgan Valley to Constance Gorge. Dave Noble in his blog recounts how part of the group encountered an “active and angry” tiger snake at the mouth of the narrow (lower) canyon, which prevented them getting out; the solution was to throw a pile of clothes on the snake, which were later retrieved with a long stick…
We were exploring the area and ducked up a side gully. It was a party of subw and ramblers in the late 1970s. A few of the guys ran ahead and were stopped by the wall of the abseil. As they turned back they noticed a tiger snake on a pile of debris near the constricted opening of the chamber. The comedy of getting past is memorable. Later they returned to complete the canyon from the top.
Rose Maxwell née Adams
As with many canyon and creek walks in the greater Blue Mountains, the standard topo map doesn’t really show the true nature of the terrain around Tiger Snake Canyon, with deep slots and high cliffs dissecting the landscape.
Upper Tiger Snake Canyon
There are a couple of ways to enter the upper Tiger Snake Canyon (at MGA 425 179): “descend into the slot off a tree in the centre” (where there is a sling), which is an awkward abseil…
…or “walk back 30m and climb on top of the pagoda on the river left where a sling anchor can be found dropping 18m into the canyon”.
We take the longer 18m drop from the top of the pagoda, which delivers a less awkward and more dramatic entrance into the narrow slot.
A short walk through the narrow slot brings us to the top of the second, much shorter abseil. The sling for this abseil is around a few logs wedged into the sandstone, described as “a clump of dodgy-looking logs” and “the infamous bundle of sticks anchor”. For some reason everyone is keen to abseil down before me, which is fair enough as I’m questioning whether the sticks will hold under my weight!
A last, tight squeeze through a narrow slot brings us to a short down-climb out of the canyon. It could be abseiled – but is just as easily descended using the roots of a tree as hand-holds.
The third and final abseil on this first section of canyon is another long one, with the anchor sling on a sturdy tree at the top of the 17m cliff.
The abseil drops past a large overhang.
It’s a fun abseil to finish the lower section of Tiger Snake Canyon.
Lower Tiger Snake Canyon
Getting to the lower canyon section involves a short (500m) walk down the dry creek bed, past one narrow constriction. It’s remarkable that after a few days of heavy rain – the previous day had 20mm – there is no water in the creek, and the canyon we’ve just come through has only a few shallow puddles.
As we near the lower canyon, there are towering ferns above the uppermost entrance.
We continue past the narrow entrance, which take you to the top of the narrow slow via another awkward abseil, scrambling up and along a narrow ledge that takes to the middle of the canyon.
This is the longest Tiger Snake Canyon abseil, with a drop of 22m. It’s also the most spectacular, as you drop directly down into the deep and dark slot.
Photos don’t really do justice do the tall and narrow slot, with just a glimmer of sunlight coming in from the top: “I can remember being amazed when we entered the lower constriction of the canyon. At that time it was probably one of the narrowest canyons that we had seen. And it was also quite deep and dark” (Dave Noble).
At the far end of the canyon is a larger chamber, with a narrow slot that you can clamber up (this is alternate abseiling entry point) – and a fitting place for group photo!
The walk out is through the long slot canyon, which gets very dark and very narrow, before the entrance is reached.
Tiger Canyon Exit
The canyon opens up to rainforest gully, with a few scrambles as we descend over and through moss-covered boulders.
The gully soon opens up to an enormous and impressive amphitheatre-like cathedral, with towering sandstone walls and ferns. The weather has started to close in – as forecast – and with thunder reverberating above the rain starts to pour down. We enjoy 40mm of rain within the next two hours. But as we sit under the tall sandstone walls, we remain completely dry.
The exit track from Tiger Canyon is not as dramatic as the canyon itself – but it’s a scenic walk out, despite the rain which has now set-in. It starts by following the base of the cliffs on the right-hand side of the gully…
…and then up a narrow slot in the cliff-line, with one tricky scramble, especially for those with short legs (and in my case, for those with longer legs!).
There are some nice views from the top of the slot over Constance Gorge, and the cliffs above it.
A rough trail continues almost parallel to the creek / canyon we’ve just come down, ascending fairly gently as we skirt around the base of one large rock outctrop and pass through a gap between two large pagodas.
At one point the trail stops in front of a large pagoda: the route goes up and over the top of the imposing rock formation and offers some great views over the South Wolgan area.
From here we cross one more smaller pagoda, before re-joining the Tiger Snake Canyon entry track (around MGA 437 209) for the 3.5km walk back to the cars.
A great day out: just under 10km with five abseils, which has taken us about six hours, including a couple of long breaks. We didn’t see anyone all day – perhaps the relatively long walk in makes this canyon less popular in summer. The log book at the start showed only a handful of groups over the last couple of months.
Getting to Tiger Snake Canyon
As well as being a relatively long walk to the start of Tiger Snake Canyon, the trailhead is relatively long drive from Sydney. The start of the walking track is from the Old Coach Road car park, which is a signposted firetrail off the Glow Worm Tunnel Road.
If coming from Sydney turn off Bells Line of Road at Clarence (just before the Zig Zag Railway) and take the Old Bells Line of Road. After 8.6km turn right onto Glow Worm Tunnel Road and continue along this for 20.1km. Turn right onto Old Coach Road and follow this for 4.1km to a locked gates and small carpark. It’s about 33km (45min) from Bells Line of Road, all on unsealed roads.
More information
- Dave Noble – The Discovery and Naming of Tiger Snake Canyon
- Oz Ultimate – Tiger Snake Canyon – track notes
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