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.
A nice set of Aboriginal axe grinding grooves, along the bed of an unnamed creek north of Little Tootie
- Wollemi National Park
- Number of motifs: 6
- Quality: 4/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2023
An Aboriginal rock art site with two charcoal motifs in a shelter north of Little Tootie, in Wollemi National Park.
- Wollemi National Park
- Number of motifs: 2
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2023
An example of a scarred tree in the Blue Mountains, which has been burnt in the 2019/2020 bushfires.
- Blue Mountains National Park
- Quality: 1/5
- Condition of art: Fire damage
- Unknown recording date
Multiple sets of shallow grinding grooves on a rock platform near the Oaks Trail
- Blue Mountains National Park
- Number of motifs: 10
- Quality: 2.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2022
Aboriginal rock art site along the Oaks Trail in the Blue Labyrinth area of the Blue Mountains, which has a pair of kangaroo tracks and a few scattered grinding grooves.
- Blue Mountains National Park
- Number of motifs: 2
- Quality: 3/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 1958
- Originally recorded by: Ian Sim
Aboriginal rock art comprising multiple weathered hand stencils and two white lines in a low shelter.
- Yengo National Park
- Number of motifs: 10
- Quality: 2.5/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 2010
A small Aboriginal engraving site in Faulconbridge, which includes two men and a leaping kangaroo, as well as many axe grinding grooves. It was likely a ceremonial site.
- Blue Mountains National Park
- Number of motifs: 4
- Quality: 3.5/5
- Condition of art: Good, Partially Destroyed
- Year first recorded: 1946
- Originally recorded by: F.D. McCarthy
- View site sketch
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 shelter below a small cliff line which contains over 50 hand stencils; nearby are grinding grooves and a stone arrangement.
- Wollemi National Park
- Number of motifs: 55
- Quality: 4.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2022
- Originally recorded by: Mark Roebuck
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