The Blue Mountains are a taste of the wild Australia, yet it’s a convenient day trip from Sydney. With vast green valleys, dramatic orange canyon walls, rushing waterfalls, temperate rainforest and ferns that make you feel like being back in the time of the dinosaurs, it surely leaves one impressed. And you don’t even need to hike for some fascinating views.
Though, to be honest, I highly recommend hiking to experience the real vibe and tranquil beauties of the Blue Mountains. But this post is written to give advice to those who can’t hike or only have time to stop at a few lookouts as they drive through.
There’s plenty of amazing lookouts, most of them right by the road, or only a few minutes walk away. But it’s hard to pick the most impressive ones when you visit for the first time. So I won’t tell you to visit all (though they are all worthy of visiting), rather pick the very best ones.
My TOP 6 lookouts in the Blue Mountains
With one exception, they’re along the Sydney – Glenbrook – Katoomba – Blackheath drive which is the usual road that leads to most of the attractions in the Blue Mountains. But the last one in the list, the Walls Lookout is reachable from the Bells Line of Road, which is a lesser-known, much less busy and more scenic drive of the two Blue Mountain routes. It takes you to Lithgow through Bilpin.
Also, not all of these lookouts are right by the road, some of them require a short hike. I didn’t include any lookouts that would require a longer hike to reach though, because my goal was to give you ideas about easily accessible, rewarding viewpoints in the Blue Mountains.
Govetts Leap Lookout & Bridal Veil Falls, Blackheath
What makes it so good? Accessibility and a spectacular, close view of Grose Valley, especially in perfect light conditions late in the afternoon.
Govetts Leap Lookout is one of the most accessible lookouts in the Blue Mountains. You can simply drive up to this lookout, choose a bench and enjoy a wonderful view of the Grose Valley and Bridal Veil Falls. This waterfall is tall, narrow and graceful, tumbling into the deep valley, and you get a distant view from it from Govetts Leap Lookout.
Set foot on one of the walking tracks to find more beauty and adventure.
Evans Lookout is just a few minutes drive by car, and it offers quite a similar view. Our preference is Govetts Leap Lookout, but it’s worth visiting both if you have the time, and delightful walking tracks start at both. Both are fenced, and you find toilets and picnic benches.
Princes Rock Lookout, Wentworth Falls
What makes it so good? Close, impressive view of the first drop of Wentworth Falls and a spectacular view of Jamison Valley, with Mount Solitary rising out of it.
Walking 550 meters from the Wentworth Falls picnic area is required to reach one of the best lookouts in the Blue Mountains. Again, this lookout combines a view of a lush green valley, surrounded by dramatic cliffs, and a view of 187 meters tall Wentworth Falls – actually, just the first portion of it. Here’s the track on a map. The lookout is fenced.
If you visit after rain, you might experience a very different, mystic vibe as thick layers of mist rise above the valley. If you’d hike more, Jamison Lookout – Wentworth Falls Lookout – Fletchers Lookout – Rocket Point Lookout – Princes Rock Lookout loop includes all the worthwhile Wentworth Falls area lookouts, and it’s a great introductory hike to fall in love with the Blue Mountains.
Boars Head Lookout, Katoomba
What makes it so good? It’s easily accessible and not too busy, despite being located in a busy area. Four different lookouts offer views of the Narrow Neck and Megalong Valley.
You find this set of lookouts at the end of Cliff Drive in Katoomba. There’s a lovely picnic area, a small parking area and a sealed walkway and a series of stairs that takes you to the four lookout points, all of them fenced (the last two actually called Cahill’s Lookout).
I love them because of the great views of the Narrow Neck Peninsula that separates Jameson Valley from Megalong Valley and Megalong Valley itself. Boars Head Lookout is the name of one of the four, and it offers a cool view of a rock formation that looks like a boar’s head.
It’s the cherry on top that Boars Head Lookout never gets nearly as busy as the Katoomba Falls lookouts or Echo Point Lookout, though it’s very close to them. Head there to enjoy the solitude of this beautiful landscape.
Echo Point Lookout, Katoomba
What makes it so good? It’s the most famous lookout in the Blue Mountains and offers the best views of the Three Sisters.
I won’t tell you not to visit Echo Point Lookout just because it can get extremely busy. Yes, it does, but it has one of the most unique views in the Blue Mountains – a close view of the Three Sisters rock formations, along with a series of valleys and canyons in the distance -, and it has been upgraded with several spacious viewing platforms and rows of benches surrounding them. The place is prepared for the crowds, and crowds arrive from time to time.
You can drive directly to the lookout, and just walk a few minutes from the parking lot to the viewing platform. Keep in mind though that this is one of the few parking lots in the Blue Mountains where parking fee is required (despite having a New South Wales national parks pass). You can also visit as part of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk, which is a gorgeous introduction walk to the Blue Mountains. Park at the Katoomba Falls Reserve (for free) in this case.
Orphan Rock Lookout, Katoomba
What makes it so good? View of a unique rock formation rising out of the canyon wall, and the nearby three other lookouts, each only a few steps away.
If you do the Prince Henry Cliff Walk from Katoomba Falls Reserve to the Echo Point Lookout, the Orphan Rock Lookout is on your way, anyway.
From the Katoomba Falls Reserve a short walk takes you to a tiny circuit of breathtaking lookouts: Solitary Lookout, Katoomba Falls Lookout, Orphan Rock Lookout and Witches Leap Lookout. They’re a few steps away from each other, and I highlighted Orphan Rock Lookout because it can be accessed through a narrow, picturesque crevice and offers a great view of Jamison Valley and the unique rock formation rising out of it: Orphan Rock.
In the 1890s, the early days of tourism in the Blue Mountains, Orphan Rock was even more popular than the Three Sisters, and visitors could conquer it via ladders and stairs hewn into the rock. But in 1974 a landslide damaged the access path, and it was never reopened, because the structure is too unstable. You can safely admire it from the Orphan Rock Lookout.
Walls Lookout, Bells Line of Road
What makes it so good? 360 degrees panoramic views and no crowds. Short, scenic hike to the viewpoint.
The Walls Lookout is not located in the most popular Katoomba – Leura – Blackheath area, rather along the lesser-known Bells Line of Road. Also, it requires a 1.3 km of walking to reach it. These two facts make it one of the least busy lookouts, despite the amazing 360 degrees panoramic views it offers.
Driving the Bells Line of Road is an amazing experience by itself, it’s much more scenic than driving through Katoomba and Blackheath. And Walls Lookout is located at the edge of a scenic ridge that looks over the Grose Valley and offers close views of the surrounding dramatic canyon walls. Views that you’ll likely have for yourself.
The Walls Lookout walking track starts from a dirt parking lot right at the beginning of Pierces Pass Road. The path ascends steadily through the forest and a scenic ridge. You should wear proper hiking shoes with good traction, because the terrain is uneven and steep at places.
Walls Lookout is not fenced, and it’s not a purpose-built lookout platform, but a large area on top of a cliff. There’s enough space to enjoy the views and stay well away from the edge.
The rest of the Blue Mountains lookouts
I wouldn’t swear that there’s not one I missed out, but these are the Blue Mountains lookouts which are right by the road or accessible by a short walk:
- Mount Portal Lookout, Mulgoa
- Lincoln’s Rock Lookout, Wentworth Falls
- Wentworth Falls Lookout, Wentworth Falls
- Honeymoon Bridge, Katoomba
- Leura Cascades picnic area, Leura
- Sublime Point, Leura (5 minutes walk)
- Olympian Rock, Leura (5 minutes walk, with stairs)
- Pulpit Rock Lookout, Blackheath
- Hargraves Lookout, Blackheath
- Hassans Walls Lookout, Lithgow
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