KATOOMBA FALLS WALKING TRACKS BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW AUSTRALIA

KATOOMBA FALLS WALKING TRACKS BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW AUSTRALIA

The Katoomba Falls area was one of the first in the Blue Mountains opened up for tourists to enjoy. Local residents probably made the first rough tracks from the vicinity of today’s railway station down to the number one attraction – Katoomba Falls. The opening of the nearby coal mine around the same time made access easier to this area and the basic network of tracks we know today was in existence well before 1900.

Quite a lot of my videos and blogs have been about this area. In fact, we seem to have lunch or afternoon tea in the reserve nearly every week. Here is a list of these – with links – which will help you to explore the area from the comfort of your own home (or from along the track, if you are so inclined).

The illustrations come various old guide books I’ve downloaded through Trove.

Videos

Katoomba Falls Walking Tracks 25^th June 2015 

Katoomba Holiday Part 2 21^st May 2015 

Katoomba Holiday Part 1 8^th May 2015 

Cascade St to Katoomba Falls Reserve 17^th January 2015 

AShort Round Walk at Katoomba Falls 21^st November 2014   

Katoomba Falls to Scenic World 12^th September 2014 

The Round Walk Katoomba Falls 4^th July 2014 

Katoomba Cascades to Echo Point 25^th January 2014 

Furber Steps Katoomba Falls 23^rd January 2014 

Katoomba Falls Reserve and Caravan Park 25^th August 2013 

The Round Walk Scenic World to Katoomba Falls and Return 24^th August 2013 

Katoomba Cascades and Reid’s Plateau  3^rd August 2013

Blog Entries

Prince Henry Cliff Walk Katoomba Cascades to Echo Point 24th January 2014 

Furber’s Step Katoomba Falls 22nd January 2014 

Katoomba Falls to the Bottom of the Upper Falls 5^th December 2013 

The Round Walk Katoomba Falls 15^th September 2013 

Katoomba Falls Reserve 26^th August 2013 

The Orphan Rock 21^st August 2013 

The Katoomba Cascades and Reid’s Plateau 3^rd August 2013

Please let me know via the comments section below or on individual blogs or videos if you find something that should be corrected (or added).

https://johnsbluemountainsblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/links-to-all-blog-entries-and-relevant.html All Blue Mountains blogs and videos

https://johnsnewenglandminerals.blogspot.com/2013/12/list-of-all-blog-entries-to-date.html

All New England and other Geology blogs and videos

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1325599670344725659?pli=1

Limestone Caves of NSW

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1147003616874115974/2430103125095714141

Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1515863000684737715

Shoalhaven District Geology

KATOOMBA FALLS – TO THE BOTTOM OF THE UPPER FALL

KATOOMBA FALLS – TO THE BOTTOM 

OF THE UPPER FALL

The Katoomba Falls area has always been popular with walkers and I guess it always will be. I’ve met many other walkers along the tracks and it’s great to see them enjoying the beauties of the place. Its proximity to the rides at Scenic World is partly the reason, of course, which provides opportunities for a number of round trips.

The track down to the Federal Pass level (where the Scenic Railway terminates) goes through two stages, coinciding with the descent through the two cliff-forming sandstone layers. Between the two is a prominent claystone bed which nearly always causes the top cliff line to be set back a little from the lower. This means that all the waterfalls from Katoomba to King’s Tableland at Wentworth Falls are split into upper and lower sections. This division is very obvious at Katoomba Falls.

The track into the valley descends on the right shortly after you leave Cliff Drive at the old Katoomba Falls Kiosk. It goes down into a rain forest world through a gap in the cliffs which may have once been the course of Kedumba Creek. A minor waterfall (also in two stages) called Witch’s (or Witches) Leap is soon seen on the right. The main Katoomba Falls may be seen from Rainforest Lookout soon after; just below this is the turnoff to “Under the Falls”, as it has often been called. It isn’t really under the falls, rather the spot is between the upper and lower falls.                                                                                                            

The brink of the lower Witch's Leap fall

Along this track you will cross the Witch’s Leap stream again, right at the brink of its second drop. Shortly after, you will arrive at the cascades between the two Katoomba Falls. You get an altogether different view of the falls here. Unfortunately its has proven to be a dangerous place for those who want to look at the bottom fall, which is why there is a solid safety rail well back from the edge. Not everyone takes notice of that, of course, and in summer people like to paddle around and take a shower. They are no doubt unaware of some of the grim events that happened here.

In July 1907 there was a cold snap which caused much of the waterfall to freeze over. This has happened a number of times, but on this occasion 

SMH July 9, 1907

the attraction of the frozen fall was too much for some visitors and two people died as a result of the slippery conditions. You may read about the tragedy in many newspapers of the day, but the Sydney Morning Herald of Tuesday 9 July 1907, page 7, is as good as any (See Trove). A similar freeze occurred in July 1922. A   few years ago we encountered a sizable icicle near Wollumai Lookout, between Katoomba Falls and Echo Point, so I guess this is a phenomenon that can still happen, even if it rarely does!

The 1907 event attracted a photographer who took pictures for and of tourists amongst the ice. A few of these survive and may be seen at the Blue Mountains Local Studies site here .

Several Wild Walks files are relevant to this walk. Katoomba Cascades here and Katoomba Falls Circuit here .

Finally, my video of the walk to “Under the Falls” may be seen here . My  Blue Mountains You Tube playlist may be found here. You will find videos of the Round Walk, Katoomba Cascades etc in the Blue Mountains playlist. In  other playlists - on gem hunting/mining, Glen Innes and New Zealand. Please comment and subscribe.

https://johnsbluemountainsblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/links-to-all-blog-entries-and-relevant.html All Blue Mountains blogs and videos

https://johnsnewenglandminerals.blogspot.com/2013/12/list-of-all-blog-entries-to-date.html

All New England and other Geology blogs and videos

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1325599670344725659?pli=1

Limestone Caves of NSW

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1147003616874115974/2430103125095714141

Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1515863000684737715

Shoalhaven District Geology

Icicle near Wollumai Lookout 2007

THE KATOOMBA FALLS RESERVE, BLUE MOUNTAINS NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA

THE KATOOMBA FALLS RESERVE

BLUE MOUNTAINS NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA

The Katoomba Falls Reserve has been a central part of the “Katoomba experience” for 130 years. Its proximity to Scenic World guarantees that the flow of visitors will continue unabated. So far as I can tell, the falls and surrounding bushland are part of the Blue Mountains National Park while the reserve itself (ie the adjacent picnic and park lands etc) is administered by the Blue Mountains City Council. Both have a continuing battle to keep these areas attractive to visitors and yet maintain their conservation and scenic value.

It appears from the Sydney Morning Herald of July 7^th 1880 that the reserve was established on June 4^th that year. It would have included the area around the falls themselves, no doubt, as well as the more level ground which we now think of the as the Katoomba Falls Reserve. From then on, sundry improvements began to be made and the area developed as a picnic ground. For example, we read in the Nepean Times of Saturday 29^th October 1887 that the local Congregational Church was to hold a Sunday School picnic there the following Saturday.

Railway picnics were great events in those days, bringing NSW Government Railway employees from far and wide for a day’s fun and games. The SMH reports of the picnics of 1912 and 1913 make it clear that crowds of 2000 people attended. The town council was criticised for not making better provision for such numbers. It is a subject worth reading about in Trove, and it's apparent that both Blackheath and Mt Victoria benefited from similar large assemblies.

The camping ground in 1958

At some point the town’s showground was established on the reserve, before moving to its present site around 1926. From that time the NRMA came onto the scene wanting to convert the showground site into a camping area. This was done and the site became a very popular venue in the 1930’s. I can only remember the place from the early 50’s but I am sure those early campers would be amazed at the facilities that are provided for visitors today. It is now known as the Blue Mountains Tourist Park and the website may be found here . 

Cricket has been played at the reserve for a long time too. We read in the “Blue Mountain Echo” of Friday 2nd December 1910 of plans to set up a proper cricket ground there. Today there are two and the second one also serves as an off-leash dog area every morning.

I have copied the comment below from the Orphan Rock blog, as it is also relevant here.

"If you consult the map on page 251 of The Burning Mists of Time, you will see that by 8th June 1880, North had already given the land for Katoomba Park, basically all that land on the ledge from Katoomba Falls around to and including the Orphan Rock.

Access to the Rock was stopped in 1974 when a mudslide obliterated the access track, and BMCC never repaired it. I think they took it as an excuse to remove some more track maintenance from their books.

In 1998 I took the Mayor and the Head of NPWS up to the top of the Rock to see if it could be re-instated. At the time there was an issue as to whether Council or NPWS "owned" the Rock. Nothing ever came of it.         Philip Hammon June 2014"

 There are three main picnic areas at Katoomba Falls Reserve and on any day, sunny or not, there are always people there making use of this excellent park.

View my Blue Mountains videos here. The one dealing with Katoomba Falls Reserve is here 

https://johnsbluemountainsblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/links-to-all-blog-entries-and-relevant.html All Blue Mountains blogs and videos

https://johnsnewenglandminerals.blogspot.com/2013/12/list-of-all-blog-entries-to-date.html

All New England and other Geology blogs and videos

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1325599670344725659?pli=1

Limestone Caves of NSW

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1147003616874115974/2430103125095714141

Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs

https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/1515863000684737715

Shoalhaven District Geology.

The writer at Katoomba Falls camping area June 1958