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.
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 shelter near the South Terraborra Trail which has numerous motifs in charcoal, including a wallaby and kangaroo.
- Wollemi National Park
- Number of motifs: 20
- Quality: 3/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2019
- Originally recorded by: William Moon
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
A small Aboriginal rock art shelter near Tari Creek in the Wollemi with a single charcoal figure.
- Wollemi National Park
- Number of motifs: 1
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 2012
- Originally recorded by: William Moon
A row of Aboriginal axe grinding grooves in a long shelter above Tari Creek in the Wollemi.
- Wollemi National Park
- Quality: 2/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2012
- Originally recorded by: William Moon
A single Aboriginal hand stencil in a small overhang near Tari Creek.
- Wollemi National Park
- Number of motifs: 1
- Quality: 1/5
- Condition of art: Good, Graffiti damage
- Year first recorded: 2012
- Originally recorded by: William Moon
A large sandstone shelter above Tari Creek, which has several unusual Aboriginal rock art figures in white and charcoal.
- Wollemi National Park
- Number of motifs: 5
- Quality: 3/5
- Condition of art: Weathered
- Year first recorded: 2008
- Originally recorded by: William Moon
A spectacular Aboriginal rock art site near the Terraborra North Ridge, with a long panel containing over 30 charcoal figures.
- Parr State Conservation Area
- Number of motifs: 36
- Quality: 5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2019
A shelter near the Terraborra North Ridge, which has multiple charcoal figures (including two kangaroos)
- Parr State Conservation Area
- Number of motifs: 12
- Quality: 3.5/5
- Condition of art: Good
- Year first recorded: 2019