Starting near Cathedral Reserve in Mount Wilson, the signposted Happy Valley track provides a steep descent through rainforest to the picturesque and canyon-like Waterfall Creek.
Although there may have been a very basic route to Waterfall Creek as far back as the 1880s, the Kirk brothers are credited with opening up the track in the late 1920s.
Hamilton (1937) to “Happy Valley, almost as inaccessible as that of Rasselas” indicating that the locality was named and visited in the 1880s, but that whatever track was there was fairly basic. Tom Kirk stated that the track was designed to allow travellers on the Mt Wilson to Mt Irvine Road and picnickers to access water from the creek. In 1928 / 1929 Tom and Peter Kirk extended the track via a series of zig zags to the main creek (lower Waterfall Creek). Blasting was carried out to create the track extension.
Blue Mountains Heritage Register Review
Down the Happy Valley Track
The track gradually fell into disuse from the 1950s until the 1990s, when a local bushwalking group and the Mount Wilson Progress Association rehabilitated the Happy Valley Track. Now it’s in great condition and easy walking under a soaring canopy of tall rainforest trees. After a couple of hundred metres there’s a junction with a another track to Cathedral Creek, with the Happy Valley Track continuing straight ahead.
The track is well shaded as it descends into the valley, passing Rough Tree Ferns (Cyathea australis), False Sarsaparilla (Hardenbergia violacea) and the dark green fronds of the Strap Fern (Blechnum patersonii).
The temperature drops, the trees get taller and the Happy Valley Track gets steeper as it drops further into the valley.
Towards the bottom of Happy Valley the track zig-zags under enormous ferns, before reaching Waterfall Creek; there’s a bit scrambling to drop into the creek.
Continuing down Waterfall Creek, a narrow ledge on the loeft provides access to a picturesque pool and swimming hole.
A small waterfall drops into the pool; there are rough “steps” cut into the rock that allow you to clamber down from the ledge.
Once near the stream you will see a small waterfall which falls into a pond on your left. One can get down to this by crossing the stream directly above the fall. You will find little foot notches carved into the rock and you can clamber the rock shelf and jump onto the rocks below. The pool is lovely for a quick cool dip. It is a good walk for the summer and is a lovely quiet secret place, well worth the effort of getting there.’
Elizabeth Raines, Mount Wilson Walks (1998)
You can continue down the fairly shallow and picturesque creek from the pool, keeping your feet dry (if you so choose) by judiciously hopping over the small boulders.
It’s not quite a canyon, but feels very canyon-like with Waterfall Creek hemmed in by tall, fern-covered cliffs.
We negotiate the narrow gorge for a few hundred metres; it requires some scrambling but nothing too serious, before encountering a deeper section of the creek that would require a waist-deep wade.
Retracing our steps, we explore the creek upstream of the Happy Valley Track for a short distance – but there’s another small but deep pool that would require a deep immersion!
Cathedral Creek
While it’s an unrelentingly steep climb back up, the entire track is shaded and we’re soon back at the junction with the Cathedral Creek Track, which we turn onto. Like the Happy Valley Track, the Cathedral Creek Track passes through rainforest dominated by tall Coachwood trees.
It’s not long before the track reaches Cathedral Creek, a small (and often dry) creek that runs down from Cathedral Reserve and has enormous tree ferns.
What I wasn’t expecting is that the Cathedral Creek Track continues beyond the creek, offering an alternative route back up to Mount Irvine Road.
It’s arguably the most impressive section of the two tracks, as it zig-zags up the steep side of the valley under towering trees and ferns.
The Cathedral Creek Track eventually emerges at the bottom of the Cathedral Reserve.
Rather than walking back down Mount Irvine Road to our car, we follow Cathedral Creek before reaching an enormous fallen tree, where we head back to the shoulder of the road to complete the loop.
While this is a short walk, it’s well worth the effort – and on a warmer day you can enjoy a refreshing swim before the climb back out.
Getting to the Happy Valley Track and Cathedral Creek
You can park at Cathedral of Ferns at Mount Wilson (which is 9.2km / 10min drive) from the Bells Line of Road, or opposite the Happy Valley Track along Mount Irvine Road (next to the Happy Valley Picnic Area). It’s best to start with the Happy Valley Track which is well signposted, and then come back via the Cathedral Creek Track to the Cathedral of Ferns camping area.
More information
- Mount Wilson & Mount Irvine Community Site – Happy Valley Track
- Blue Mountains Heritage Register Review – Happy Valley Reserve
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