The Greater Blue Mountains incorporates a number of national parks and is full of cultural significance, with six Aboriginal groups having connections to the area. There are over 3,000 recorded Aboriginal heritage sites in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, but the rugged and remote topography means that for every known site there are likely to be at least two more yet to be “discovered” or recorded. The parks in this area include include:
- Blue Mountains National Park, which protects many important cultural sites of the Dharug and Wiradjuri people, has a number of easily accessibly and signposted Aboriginal rock art sites.
- Wollemi National Park is the traditional home of the Wiradjuri, Dharug, Wanaruah and Darkinjung people. Evidence of their occupation includes ceremonial grounds, stone arrangements, grinding grooves, scarred trees and rock engravings.
- Yengo National Park which is home to the Darkinjung and Wonnarua People, has 640 Aboriginal cultural sites recorded in the park and nearby areas.
- Gardens of Stone, the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri people, has many shelters with rock art and hand stencils in its countless valleys and overhangs.
Three axe grinding grooves in the creek bed above Freezing Hole (near Peggys Pool).
- Number of motifs: 2
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1987
A small and shallow shelter in the lower Blue Mountains whch contains about 15 red ochre hand stencils. Nearby is a small pool with grinding grooves.
- Number of motifs: 15
- Quality: 4/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1958
An impressive display of red, yellow and white Aboriginal hand stencils in a long shelter. The Red Hands Cave is reached via a 1km return walk from the end of the Red Hands Firetrail or a longer 8.2km bushwalk along Campfire Creek.
- Blue Mountains National Park
- Number of motifs: 76
- Quality: 4.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1913
- Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy
A series of waterholes with grinding grooves on a large sandstone creek bed near Red Hand Cave.
- Blue Mountains National Park
- Quality: 3/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2024
Multiple stone arrangements and grinding grooves on a "Revelations Ridge" above Bowens Creek.
- Wollemi National Park
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 3/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2023
Two adjacent Aboriginal rock art sites on Rock Island in Wollemi National Park, with five hand stencils in white ochre.
- Wollemi National Park
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 3/5
- Condition of art: Good, Weathered
- Year first recorded: 2023
An isolated rock outcrop along Rocklily Ridge with Aboriginal grinding grooves.
- Blue Mountains National Park
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1988
Shaws Creek Aboriginal Place contains a small Aboriginal engraving, which has two kangaroos and five kangaroo tracks - and an additional carving likely to be European. There are also multiple axe grinding grooves.
- Yellomundee Regional Park
- Number of motifs: 7
- Quality: 3.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1948
- Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy
A long rock shelter with spectacular Aboriginal cave paintings in red ochre. The four large figures are said to represent quails.
- Wollemi National Park
- Number of motifs: 10
- Quality: 5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1985
- Originally recorded by: Val Attenbrow
An Aboriginal rock art site in the lower Blue Mountains with a unique deity or spirit figure drawn in white ochre.
- Number of motifs: 1
- Quality: 4.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2024
A significant Aboriginal rock art site in the MacDonald River district, Spirits Cave was extensively documented by Ian Sim. The shelter contains 186 motifs, including multiple deity figures and what was thought to be a Rainbow Serpent.
- Yengo National Park
- Number of motifs: 186
- Quality: 4.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1969
- Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy, Ian Sim
- View site sketch
A very weathered Aboriginal rock art site near Springwood Ridge, with charcoal motifs.
- Blue Mountains National Park
- Number of motifs: 4
- Quality: 1.5/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 2024
A shelter near Springwood Ridge with at least five weathered Aboriginal hand stencils in red ochre .
- Blue Mountains National Park
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 1.5/5
- Condition of art: Graffiti damage, Weathered
- Year first recorded: 1995
An isolated shelter in Sun Valley (Valley Heights) which protects over 20 Aboriginal stencils in red ochre, including a boomerang motif.
- Number of motifs: 24
- Quality: 4/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1958
A tall and shallow overhang in the Blue Mountains, the rock art in the Sunshine Shelter consists of parallel lines in red ochre.
- Blue Mountains National Park
- Number of motifs: 2
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2022
- Originally recorded by: William Moon