On the same ridge as Copelands Lookout, Fossil Rock is a lookout just off the Prince Henry Cliff Walk in Katoomba. It was first referred to by this name in the 1884 Railway Guide to NSW, after what was thought to be a fossil within the rock formation.
This formation was thought to be the fossilised remains of some ancient creature by those with a vivid imagination – or those with a tourist business to promote. In 1952 the Blue Mountains Advertiser reported Council had decided that in future the feature be known as Rock of Antiquity to acknowledge the rock is not a fossil; a council directive that obviously got nowhere.
Mt Wilson Mt Irvine Bushwalking Group, July 2015
Fossil Rock provides a view over the Jamison Valley, towards Mount Solitary.
Getting to Fossil Rock
Copelands Lookout is reached by a very short walk along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk from Cliff Drive in Katoomba. It’s less than 200 metres return to the lookout; continue to Copelands Lookout for even better Jamison Valley views (0.8km return) or enjoy even more lookouts and Leura Cascades by continuing to the Leura Cascadesa Picnic Area (2.4km return).
The start of the walk is about 1.4km from Katoomba station, and 2.9km from Leura.
2 Comments
Carolyn · January 5, 2025 at 8:45 am
I think there is some ignorance going on.
Many years ago I visited Fossil rock and there was no doubt at all that there were creatures – several creatures – turned to stone on the rocks. It was thought at the time they were plesiosaurs.
With the new knowledge on the ice ages and the rise and fall of the land and oceans and the forming of the mountains, there is no reason why these creatures were not cast up during one of the sudden rising of the seas. Certainly is it stupid to deny their existence simply because you cannot work out how they got there.
“Rewind to over a million years ago when the sea completely covered the area of the Blue Mountains. While the sea level was so high, bucket loads of residue dropped into the water and covered the sea floor. All the dust and debris eventually compressed and formed sandstone and shale.
Perhaps you could get this checked out?
oliverd :-) · January 6, 2025 at 11:08 am
Carolyn, I don’t profess any qualifications or experience in paleontology.. but there would be zero chance of a plesiosaur fossil, as plesiosaurs lived from about 215 million to 66 million years ago, and the Blue Mountains were formed about one million years ago.