The Overcliff Undercliff Track in the Wentworth Falls area of the Blue Mountains is a 4 km long circuit trail through beautiful scenery, taking in several panoramic lookout points.
This hike doesn’t descend into the valley. Instead, it stays higher up on the cliffs, which makes it a less challenging adventure than the Wentworth Pass, but certainly not less enjoyable.
| Overcliff Undercliff Track | |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 4 km (circuit) |
| Duration: | 2 hours (depending on stops) |
| Grade: | Easy / moderate |
| Dogs: | Not allowed |
Getting There
The Overcliff Undercliff Track can be started from the Wentworth Falls Picnic Area or from the Conservation Hut.
To get to the picnic area, turn into Falls Road from the Great Western Highway. At the end of that road, turn into Sir H Burrell Drive, where you will find a car park.
To get to the old Conservation Hut, turn into Fletcher Street from Falls Road, which leads directly to the car park. If that’s full, try street parking nearby.
It doesn’t really matter where you start the walk, nor if you go clockwise or anti-clockwise. In this article, however, we’re going to do this walk clockwise, starting from the Wentworth Falls Picnic Area.
Track Notes
The Overcliff Undercliff Track is approximately 4 km in length and consists of four sections (in clockwise order, starting from the picnic area):
- Wentworth Falls Track
- Undercliff Track
- Overcliff Track
- Shortcut Track
Here is a map with the walk with those four sections highlighted:
Overall, it’s a relatively easy bushwalk on a well-maintained walking path that is well-signposted. There are a few steep sections with steps, but for the most part, the walking track is reasonably flat.
Parts of the track have also recently been upgraded by NSW National Parks, turning this into a safe and enjoyable hike. This walk doesn’t descend into the valley and also doesn’t come close to the waterfall.
1. Wentworth Falls Track
The first part of the Overcliff Undercliff Track is a section of the Wentworth Falls Track, from the picnic area to the Fletchers Lookout.
This part follows the footpath along Sir H Burrel Drive and includes two scenic lookout points, the Jamison Lookout and the Wentworth Falls Lookout.
While you can’t see much of the waterfall from those two lookouts, the valley views are fantastic.
At the Wentworth Falls Lookout, the track heads into the bush and soon arrives at an intersection with a short trail to the Fletchers Lookout. We recommend visiting that lookout, as it offers nice views of the waterfall.
That intersection also marks the start of the Undercliff Track, going westbound away from the waterfall.
2. Undercliff Track
This is where the walking track gets exciting, passing several large rock overhangs and sections with stepping stones through a scenic landscape of moss and ferns.
The views of the valley on your left are pretty impressive too, and even though you’re walking quite close to the edge of the cliff, the walking path is very safe and comfortable.
There are no official lookout points along the Undercliff Track, but in our opinion, this is the best section of the entire Overcliff Undercliff Track.
The Undercliff Track evolves into the Overcliff Track at the crossing of the Den Fenella Creek via a small footbridge.
3. Overcliff Track
At that small footbridge, you can do a short detour to the Den Fenella Lookout, a not-so-well-known lookout point that offers superb views of the Jamison Valley.
To get there, follow the 200m walking trail along the creek, which leads to that lookout. It’s a bit steep, with several staircases to help you navigate this short rainforest trail.
From the Den Fenella Creek crossing, the circuit walk continues westbound and passes two more exciting lookout points.
The first lookout point is the Breakfast Point Lookout.
This is a non-signposted lookout point with a stone wall and offers excellent views of the Jamison Valley and beyond.
The second lookout point is the fenced Lyrebird Lookout.
This is not the prettiest vantage point along the entire walk, but if you look closely, you may be able to recognise Sublime Point and, further back, Mount Solitary.
The Overcliff Track soon connects with the Valley of the Waters Track and the Empress Falls Track, where you make a right turn heading towards the Conservation Hut.
This is quite a steep section, but it’s only short.
4. Shortcut Track
Before completing the loop via the Shortcut Track, it’s worth doing a quick detour to Empress Falls, a beautiful waterfall. To get there, follow the path heading down into the valley.
Otherwise, continue up the staircase towards the Conservation Hut.
Just before arriving at the Conservation Hut, the Overcliff Undercliff circuit trail makes a right turn into the bush at the signpost (see above photo).
This last section is aptly named the Shortcut Track, as it’s a quick way to walk back to the Wentworth Falls picnic area. This is certainly not the most spectacular part of the loop, but it’s a pleasant and easy stroll back to the car park.
Once you’ve completed the Overcliff Undercliff Track, go and check out the Weeping Rock Circuit Walk nearby, which is especially enjoyable after rainfall.
