Lockleys Pylon Walking Track

Last updated: February 19, 2022

The Lockleys Pylon walking track is an exciting bushwalk in the Blue Mountains, offering scenic 360-degree views of the Grose Valley and beyond.

This part of the Blue Mountains is still relatively quiet and unspoiled, which makes the track to this unique landmark all the more enjoyable.

The start of the Lockleys Pylon walking track is on Mount Hay Road, which you can access from Leura (see map location).

From the Great Western Highway, take the Leura exit and turn right at the roundabout crossing the overpass. Turn right into Britain Street followed by a left turn into Mount Hay Road.

After about 10 km on this unsealed road, you will arrive at a small car park. If this car park is full, there are spots nearby where you can try to park, as long as you don’t block the road.

While a 4WD vehicle isn’t required to conquer Mount Hay Rd, it is crucial to drive very carefully. However, in wet conditions or after a period of rainfall, it’s recommended to not go there with a 2WD vehicle.

With Leura’s train station about 15 km away and no buses heading out there, traveling by car is unfortunately the only feasible option.

The Lockleys Pylon Track is approximately 7 km return and is moderately challenging, but anyone with a reasonable level of fitness can easily complete this fantastic hike.

The path overall is quite easy to follow, and there is a bit of a steep climb at the end to get to the summit of Lockley Pylon.

Here is a map of the walk, starting from the car park:

The Pinnacles

Once you’ve parked your car, it’s time to start hiking. Simply look for the signpost which marks the start of the trail.

The first section of the walking track is uphill heading towards a unique rock formation named The Pinnacles.

It’s worth having a wander around this rock formation and explore this interesting landmark and surroundings a bit more.

The track continues through a beautiful landscape of heath vegetation, with scenic views of Fortress Ridge to the west to take in.

Keep an eye out for a short detour that leads to a lookout point with great views of Fortress Ridge and Fortress Creek in the valley below.

Lockleys Pylon

As the path continues, Lockleys Pylon will slowly start to appear in the distance, while the panoramic views of the valleys and mountains on both sides of the track keep getting better.

Have a good look around and see if you can identify Mount Hay and Mount Banks in the distance.

Once you get to Lockleys Pylon, a set of stairs followed by a well maintained path will get you to the summit of this very distinctive landmark.

Lockleys Pylon was named after John Gilmour Lockley, a writer and journalist who supported conservation efforts to save the Blue Gum Forest from logging in the 1930’s.

While it’s not all that far to the peak, there are some steep sections that can be a bit challenging. Once at the top, you will notice that there are several different paths you can choose from to head back down.

But before heading back, you will want to spend some time up there to take in the amazing 360-degree views of one of the most beautiful parts of the greater Blue Mountains.

Du Faur Head

If you would like to extend this walk, it might be worth continuing the track to Du Faur Head, a rock formation on the edge of the escarpment, overlooking the Grose Valley.

From there you can go even further and hike all the way to the Blue Gum Forest in the valley.

Allow for an extra two hours of hiking time if you’re planning to go all the way to the Blue Gum Forest.

What makes the Lockleys Pylon track particularly enjoyable is that it is quite unique compared to other, more popular hikes in the Blue Mountains, such as the Grand Canyon walk and the walking tracks in the Wentworth Falls area.

With the strong winds and alpine-like landscape, this walk is somewhat reminiscent of the hike up to Mount Kosciuszko.