Rigby Hill Walking Track in the Blue Mountains

Last updated: February 16, 2023

The Rigby Hill walking track is a scenic 1.2 km return trail in the northern part of the Blue Mountains, accessible via the Bells Line of Road.

The trail leads to a hill on top of a sandstone escarpment from where you can soak in panoramic views of the Grose Valley and the surrounding cliff walls.

Read on, and find out how best to get there and what you can do nearby.

From the Bells Line of Road, turn into Pierces Road at the large “Pierces Pass Picnic Area” signpost.

Pierces Road is located approximately 1.5 km west of Mount Banks Rd and 2.5 km southeast of Mount Wilson Rd (see map location).

Stay on Pierces Rd until the very end, where you will find a small car parking area. Note that this is an unsealed road, but driving with a 2WD vehicle is manageable.

You will find the starting point of the walking track to Rigby Hill at the parking area. This is also the starting point of the challenging Pierces Pass, which descends into the Grose Valley.

The short hike up to Rigby Hill is a fun walk through fantastic scenery. The track itself is a bit rough at times, and there are a few steep sections, but overall it’s a relatively easy walk.

Wearing good walking shoes is recommended, though, as the walking path sometimes is a bit challenging. The return walk can easily be completed within one hour, including time spent enjoying the views.

You will find the starting point of the Rigby Hill walking track at the parking area at the end of Pierces Rd.

It’s a small parking area that fills up quickly on the weekends because the popular Pierces Pass also starts from there. You can try parking a bit further up the road if the parking area is full.

The walking track is very easy to follow, from start to finish.

The first part of the walk is mostly uphill through bushland, followed by a section through open scenery with beautiful district views.

Once you reach the end of the walk, on top of Rigby Hill, the views of the Grose Valley are absolutely breathtaking.

This is still a bit of an undiscovered area in the Blue Mountains, where you won’t find many tourists around.

Please be mindful though that this is not a paved walking track, nor is there any fencing around the cliff edges.

This means visitors must be careful when exploring the escarpment, especially when walking closer to the cliff edges facing the valley.

For a bit of perspective, the Blackheath area is located on the opposite side of the Grose Valley, with Perrys Lookdown towards the left (east), and the Baltzer Lookout and Hanging Rock towards the right (west).

Further away, looking towards the east, you might be able to identify Mount Banks and Du Faur Head.

If you’d like to do more exploring in this beautiful part of the Blue Mountains, there are a few great walking tracks nearby to consider.

1. Pierces Pass

The Pierces Pass is a challenging walking track into the Grose Valley to Blue Gum Forest along the Grose River. The start of this track is the same as the start of the Rigby Hill walking track, so you can’t miss it.

Read more about the Pierces Pass.

2. Walls Lookout Walking Track

The walking track to the Walls Lookout is located next door to the Rigby Hill walking track, a similar walk with fantastic views, but slightly longer.

You can find the starting point of this enjoyable walking track at the parking area located at the start of Pierces Pass Rd.

Read more about the Walls Lookout walking track.

3. Mount Banks Summit Walk

The hike up to Mount Banks is a moderately challenging walking track to the summit of one of the most iconic mountain peaks in the Blue Mountains.

The summit walk starts at the Mount Banks picnic area, which can be accessed via Mount Banks Rd, approximately 1.5 km east of Pierces Pass Rd.

Read more about the Mount Banks summit walk.