Last updated: April 30, 2024
The Lillians Bridge Track to the Gladstone Lookout is a short but highly enjoyable walk to a viewing point that is still a bit of a hidden gem.
The walk starts from the Fairmont Resort in Leura and forms part of the Grand Cliff Top Walk between Wentworth Falls and Katoomba.
| Lillians Bridge Track to Gladstone Lookout | |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 2.5 km (return) |
| Duration: | 1 hour (depending on stops) |
| Grade: | Easy |
| Wheel-friendly: | No |
| Dogs: | Not allowed |
How to Get There
The short hike to the Gladstone Lookout via the Lillians Bridge Track starts from the Fairmont Resort in Leura.
To get there by car, take the Scott Avenue exit from the Great Western Highway. Turn into Gladstone Road, followed by Fitzroy Street, and follow the signs for Fairmont Resort.
The best place to park your car is the car park close to the Ice Skating Rink. As far as we know, parking there is free (see map location).
Map
Here is a map of the walk to the Gladstone Lookout, starting from the Fairmont Resort grounds, to give you an idea of the route:
Track Notes
This 2.5 km return walking track is a relatively short and easy walk, but some climbing is required to get to and from the lookout.
The path is also somewhat overgrown in certain sections, so we recommend wearing comfortable hiking shoes.
1. Start of the Walk
There are multiple ways to get to the trailhead, but if you’re parking at the ice skating rink, walk around the pond and past the tennis courts.
You can find the start of the walk next to the pony stables. Look for the big Blue Mountains National Park signpost and follow the path into the bush.
Note that this signpost also mentions the Moya Lookout (also known as Moya Point), which is a second lookout you can explore along the same trail.
After about 500 metres past that signpost, you will arrive at a junction where you need to turn right to walk to the two lookouts.
2. Gladstone Lookout
The path to the Gladstone and Moya Point lookouts is quite steep and has a fair amount of steps, but it’s all very doable.
After 500 metres of hiking through pleasant bushland scenery, the trail arrives at a junction with a couple of old signposts.
At that junction, you can either go straight ahead to visit Moya Point or turn right to see the Gladstone Lookout first.
We decided to go up the stairs and visit the Gladstone Lookout first, which is only about 100 metres away from that junction on a narrow walking path.
Gladstone Lookout is a flat rocky area that offers fantastic views of the Jamison Valley in the Leura area of the Blue Mountains.
It’s not a well-known lookout, and most people doing the Grand Cliff Top Walk skip this detour altogether.
We were lucky to have the lookout all to ourselves, so we took our time to take in those views while enjoying a quiet picnic lunch!
3. Moya Point
The next lookout to visit is the Moya Point Lookout, which is only a short stroll away, so it’s worth visiting.
As you approach the lookout, you can see the Wentworth Falls waterfall on your left, which is quite an amazing sight from such a distance.
Moya Point Lookout faces the Valley of the Waters and Lincoln’s Rock on the other side of the valley.
Keen to continue hiking?
If you have time to spare, we recommend continuing on the Lillians Bridge Track towards the Wentworth Falls area, where the trail connects with the Valley of the Waters Track and the Nature Track.
Even if you’re not doing the Valley of the Waters Track, the rest of the Lillians Bridge Track to Wentworth Falls is a very pretty hike that is worth the effort.
