GARY'S PHOTO GUIDE TO THE BLUE MOUNTAINS, AUSTRALIA.

"This is a guide I would have really appreciated when I first started photographing the Blue Mountains, Australia over a decade ago."  -  All info and images © Gary P Hayes

For first timers to the mountains I recommended you also read my introduction guide A Landscape Photographers Guide to Visiting the Blue Mountains Australia which helps break down the geography and refers to many of the locations below. It is aimed at new and/or visiting photographers to help them find good locations for their photography - and who have limited time such as a single sunrise or sunset visit.

Click the images below to be taken to a dedicated page with (a) An interpretive photograph of the location by Gary (b)  a short description of the photo opp (c) brief notes on what type of lenses or accessories to bring (d) Detail on how to get from the embedded Google Maps position to the actual shooting location

GRADING (level of difficulty of access)

Grade 0 = car park at location Grade 1 - Easy flat walk   Grade 2 - Longer walk on an easy trail, some gradients or steps   Grade 3 - A moderate grade walk on rougher track, steeper gradient  Grade 4 - A walk for an extended period often on rocky steep terrain  Grade 5 - A  long trek on very rough terrain, spots off recognisable trail

NOTE: An alternative view of the areas below as MAPS VIEW with clickable location markers

KATOOMBA AREA - Gary's Photo Spots

Katoomba is notable for its south facing escarpment, roughly following Cliff Drive and various key points along that include Prince Henry Cliff walk lookouts, through to echo point, across to Scenic World and Katoomba Falls gully and then onto more wilder areas around Narrow Neck and Nellies Glen. There are various walks down to the Jamison Valley floor passing many great waterfalls. North Katoomba (Yosemite) has a few treats such as Minnehaha Falls amongst others. NOTE: Lookouts near Cahills and Boars Head are still out of bounds due to the fires there last year.

Witches Leap Falls – Grade 2

Veras Grotto Falls ~ Grade 3

Vaniman’s LO – Grade 2

Therabulat LO, Katoomba – Sunset Grade 2

Spooners LO – Grade 1

Prince Henry Cliff Walk – Sunrise Grade 1

Panorama Drive LO, Katoomba – Grade 0

North’s LO – Sunset Grade 3

Nellies Glen – Grade 4

Narrowneck LO 0 – Grade 2

BLACKHEATH AREA - Gary's Photo Spots

Blackheath is special as it accesses the western and southern aspects of the Grose Valley (and Govetts Gorge). So particularly good at sunrise from Evans, Govetts, Pulpit and Hanging Rock through to more sunset spots like Anvil and on the other side of the plateau Hargraves (which overlooks the cultivated Megalong Valley). Plenty of glens, waterfalls and smaller lookouts on the Megalong, Shipley side too. 

Wind Eroded Caves – Grade 1

Walls Cave Walk – Grade 3

Shipley Kanimbla View, Blackheath – Grade 1

Pulpit Rock, Blackheath – Sunrise Grade 2

Point Pilcher, Medlow Bath – Grade 1

Perrys Lookdown – Sunrise Grade 2

Mount Blackheath LO – Sunset Grade 2

Mermaids Cave – Grade 2

Hat Hill LO, Blackheath – Sunset Grade 3

Hargraves Lookout, Blackheath – Sunset Grade 1

LEURA AREA - Gary's Photo Spots

Leura south is really an extension of the eastern side of Katoomba and many walks join up, such as Federal Pass underneath the Three Sisters into the wonderful Leura Forest and some special waterfalls. The biggest tourist area is Leura Cascades here which, if you keep walking, gets a bit more rugged as it heads down into the valley past Bridal Veil and Weeping Rock. On the northern side Mount Hay Road takes you into more rugged and wild areas onto the eastern ridges of the Grose Valley which are great at sunset.

Weeping Rock Falls – Grade 3

Tarpean Lookout – Grade 2

Sublime Point, Leura – Grade 2

Pool of Siloam – Grade 3

Outcrop nr Gordon Falls – Sunset Grade 2

Olympian Rock – Sunrise Grade 1

Mount Hay, Grose Valley – Sunset Grade 4

Mount Hay Fortress Ridge LO – Grade 3

Mount Hay – Sunset Grade 3

Lockleys Pylon, Mount Hay – Sunset Grade 3

WENTWORTH FALLS AREA - Gary's Photo Spots

Most of the activity is on the southern edges of the Jamison and the main Wentworth Falls via the National Pass and up through the Valley of the Waters. Some of the most photogenic falls are in this area. North there is a nice lake for reflections and one of the most popular sunset spots a few kms east at Lincoln's Rock. 

Wentworth Falls Lake – Sunset Grade 1

Wentworth Falls & Valley of the Waters – Grade 4

Weeping Rock – Grade 2

Valley of the Waters – Grade 4

Tableland Rocks, Wentworth Falls – Sunset Grade 2

Sinclair Crescent Tree Arch – Grade 1

Rocket Point over Wentworth Falls – Grade 2

Queen Victoria LO, Wentworth Falls – Grade 3

Princes Rock LO, Wentworth Falls – Grade 2

Princes Rock LO – Sunrise Grade 2

MOUNT VICTORIA AREA - Gary's Photo Spots

At the end of the main strip so to speak, this area is very special and has a lot to offer, I know because I live here. On the eastern side access to the upper ends of the Grose and fantastic spots above Victoria Falls such as Asgards Head for example, while on the western escarpment many lookouts over the Kanimbla Valley great at sundown. Quite a few caves are on offer too.

Victoria Falls – Grade 4

Sunset Rock, Mount Victoria – Sunset Grade 2

Pulpit Rock, Mt Vic – Sunset Grade 2

Mitchell’s Ridge, Mt Vic – Sunset Grade 1

Hornes Point, Mt Vic – Sunset Grade 2

Ferris Cave – Grade 3

Fairy Bower LOs – Grade 3

LOW AND MID MOUNTAINS AREA - Gary's Photo Spots

Often overlooked by visiting photographers as the landscape is a lot 'smaller' than Wentworth Falls and beyond but it still has a lot to offer. The many unique falls around Lawson and Hazelbrook, some very interesting escarpment views over the Napean lower down in Lapstone areas plus a few secret spots accessing the eastern end of the Grose Valley too.

North Lawson Waterfall Loop – Grade 3

South Lawson Waterfall Loop – Grade 3

A Landscape Photographers Guide to Australia’s Blue Mountains

Terrace & Victor Falls Hazelbrook – Grade 3

North Hazelbrook Waterfall Loop – Grade 3

Corridor of Oaks, Faulconbridge – Grade 1

Blue and Jellybean Pools Glenbrook – Grade 2

Lennox Bridge – Grade 1

LITHGOW AND OBERON AREA - Gary's Photo Spots

A bit amiss of me to group this large area into one grouping but it sort of works. Lithgow is more than just a mining town and although it's main city attraction for photographers is the Blast Furnace, on it's door step are some amazing places yet to be fully represented by photography. Newnes and Ben Bullen State forest are not protected under the Gardens of Stone umbrella, yet, but if you have a decent 4WD have treasures inside. To the west of Lithgow the rolling Kanimbla Hills and Hartley nestled on the plateau and further out the more wilder and rugged areas of Kanangra, whose main entrance is actually very close to Jenolan Caves areas. Snow often falls first in this corner of the region too.

Lithgow Blast Furnace Ruins – Grade 1

Kanangra Walls & NP – Grade 3

Hassan’s Walls, Lithgow – Grade 2

Hartley Vale – Grade 1

Corridor of Red Maple, Hartley – Grade 1

Bracey’s Lookout – Grade 1

A Landscape Photographers Guide to Australia’s Blue Mountains

GARDENS OF STONE AREA - Gary's Photo Spots

Although the Gardens of Stone NP is a very defined area I have used it here to describe a wider area encompassing Capertee and Wolgan Valleys plus areas in a proposed extension for the Gardens of Stone which includes Ben Bullen and Newnes State Forests and other areas close by.

Wolgan Valley – Grade 1

Wolgan River – Grade 2

Pearsons Lookout, Capertee Valley – Sunset Grade 0

Pantoney’s Crown, Capertee – Sunset Grade 2

Newnes, Wolgan Valley – Grade 2

Glen Davis, Capertee – Sunset Grade 1

Glen Davis Road, Capertee – Sunset Grade 1

Cape Horn – Sunrise Grade 1

A Landscape Photographers Guide to Australia’s Blue Mountains