Last updated: March 12, 2021
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 landmark all the more enjoyable.
| Lockleys Pylon Walking Track | |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 7km (return) |
| Time: | 2-3 hours |
| Grade: | Moderate (steep sections, rough surface) |
| Dogs: | Not allowed |
How to Get There
The start of the Lockleys Pylon walking track is on Mount Hay Road (map) near Leura Mall.
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 10km 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’s crucial to drive very carefully. However, in wet conditions or after a period of rain, 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.
Lockleys Pylon Walking Track
Lockleys Pylon was named after J.G. Lockley, a writer and journalist who supported conservation efforts to save the Blue Gum Forest from logging in the 1930’s.
The first section of the walking track is uphill heading towards a unique rock formation named The Pinnacles. It’s worth wandering around the rocks to explore this interesting landmark a bit more.
The track continues through a beautiful landscape with heath vegetation, with scenic views of Fortress Ridge to the west.
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.
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.
While it’s not all that far to the peak, there are some steep sections that require a bit of effort to conquer.
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 there to take in the amazing 360-degree views of one of the most beautiful parts of the Blue Mountains national park.
If you’d like to extend this walk, it’s 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 visit 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 walking 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.
Map
Follow Mount Hay Rd for about 10km until you get to a small car park where the starting point of the Lockleys Pylon walking track is.
Drive very carefully because Mount Hay Rd is a challenging unsealed road.
This walk is amazing, thanks for sharing. The road there is quite poor, but take it slow. I went on to Du Faur Head, 195 steps down, and back up! But the view was awesome to sit and have lunch.
Thanks Annette, you’re right, continuing on to Du Faur Head from Lockleys Pylon is definitely worth the effort!