3 Astonishing, Lesser-Known Rock Formations In The Blue Mountains

I’ve written about my favorite walks and favorite lookouts in the Blue Mountains, but this national park has a lot more to charm you, no matter how many times you visit. In this post I’m showing you three extraordinary places. They’re not exactly lookouts, though you find lovely views at each, but what makes them unforgettable are the rock formations.

One is well-known and requires quite a bit of walking, but the remaining two are barely known and require only a short walk.

Hanging Rock

The Baltzer Lookout is an astonishing, though remote lookout, being a 5.5 km walk from the nearest parking lot. But what’s even more impressive than the lookout itself is taking the steep stairs down towards Hanging Rock. It’s quite a popular attraction, so don’t expect to have it to yourself.

How to access Hanging Rock?

You need to turn to Ridgewell Road (just north of Blackheath) from the Great Western Highway. This is an unsealed road, but is in good condition, and any kind of car can cope with it in normal weather conditions.

There’s a gate and a small car park at the end of Ridgewell Road. From the gate you take the Burramoko Fire Trail to the Baltzer Lookout and Hanging Rock. It’s about 5.5 km to reach Baltzer Lookout, but the fire trail is wide, fairly flat and easy (and not particularly exciting or scenic), except for the very last stretch just before the lookout.

Baltzer Lookout 

The track then descends steeply on uneven terrain towards Baltzer Lookout. There’s no fence, but the ridge is wide enough, just watch your steps carefully. The view is one of the best in the Blue Mountains, take your time to enjoy it.

Hanging Rock

But you can’t see Hanging Rock properly from the Baltzer Lookout. Look for a track towards the left from the lookout. It steeply goes downhill and leads you further on another ridge. It’s safer than it looks at first, and it offers the most beautiful views of Hanging Rock, a unique rock formation that words and pictures can barely describe.

It’s like a giant would have cut a piece from the hundreds of meters tall rock wall, and it’s about to fall down.

Walking onto Hanging Rock is absolutely not recommended. You can enjoy the best views of it from the ridge, anyway.

Devil’s Eye Arch

The Devil’s Eye Arch is an awesome window looking out to the Blue Mountains. It resembles a cave, but really, it’s rather just a beautiful window frame made by Mother Nature.

It’s a short walk away from this pullout along Cliff Drive in Katoomba. Despite being so close to some of the most popular Blue Mountains attractions, barely anyone knows about this track. Granted, you won’t notice the track if you’re not looking for it. It doesn’t seem officially maintained either, but is well-beaten.

There’s a fork shortly after you start, and the right path takes you to a rocky slope and then down to the arch and the lookout. It’s steep, and the rock platform has a huge drop, so watch your steps.

The left side of the fork is worth a visit, too. It leads to a rocky plateau with lovely views. Altogether it takes about 20 minutes to complete both pathways.

Dargan Arch, Bells Line Of Road

The Dargan Arch (also called Dargans Arch) is a natural sandstone rock formation that looks like a cave except there’s no roof above your head. It’s a very cool arch and the way you get down there is also quite impressive via the stone bridge. Add the fact that it’s located along the Bells Line Of Road, a scenic drive through the Blue Mountains which is not nearly as busy as the Great Western Highway, and there you have it: one of my very favorite rock formations in the Blue Mountains.

The parking lot and trailhead takes a little patience to find, but I marked the exact location for you on a map. You need to turn to Sandham Road before you reach the town of Dargan. Sandham Road is unsealed, but fine for most vehicles, just take it slow. You need to drive about 3 km, until you see a clearing on your right. This is where the trail starts, and there’s an obvious signpost, though Dargan Arch is only mentioned in small letters: “No climbing on Dargan and surrounds”.

about to cross the stone bridge

There’s only one track and it’s an obvious one. It’s about 1.5 km and descends all the way – so you need to climb back in the end. It leads to a rocky plateau where you can enjoy lovely views, but it ends a bit later, at the bottom of Dargan Arch. Walking through the stone bridge might seem scary at first, but once you’re close you’ll realize that it’s wide enough to allow a safe traverse. And the arch looks the best from the bottom.

You’ll return the same way.

Dargan Arch access information:

• Parking and trailhead: Sandham Road (exactly here)
• Length of Dargan Arch track: about 1.5 km
• GPS coordinates of Dargan Arch: 33.4813983S, 150.2661903E

Blue Mountains rock formations on a map

Finally, I marked the exact GPS coordinates of each rock formation and where to park for them. The tracks are not marked (might not even be visible on Google Maps), but they’re well-beaten, and you’ll notice them if you look for them. Same applies to following the tracks, they’re obvious enough – and you have the coordinates for your final destination.

Where to stay in the Blue Mountains?

Katoomba is in the heart of the Blue Mountains, the main town and the center of tourism.

Your best budget accommodation option in Katoomba is the YHA Blue Mountains Katoomba. It has both dorm rooms and private rooms, a garden, free private parking, a shared lounge and a terrace (and barbecue, because it’s Australia). The spaces are simple, but nice and clean, and the hostel has a great atmosphere overall.

The Metropole Guest House in Katoomba is a great mid-range option. This 1930’s style guesthouse combines modern comfort with old world charm, and it’s right behind the train station. There’s a restaurant, a library and an elegant lounge with a game area on-site.

If you’re looking for luxurious accommodation in a heritage-listed manor house, Carrington Hotel with its stained glass Art Nouveau features, elegant rooms and fine dining options is the best choice. It’s only 200 meters from the train station, which makes it easily reachable from Sydney by train.

Accommodation along the Bells Line of Road is scarcer to come by. The largest towns are Bilpin and Lithgow. Zig Zag Motel & Apartments could be a good choice for a budget-friendly stay. Tomah Retreat offers a remote, relaxing hideaway in Mount Tomah, and you have the option to sign up for an on-site meditation retreat.

So what are you waiting for?