Conquer the wild foothills of the Capertee Valley on the exhilarating Devil’s Climb Loop at Turon Gates. This trail directly confronts a steep, rocky ridge to reward you with panoramic mountain vistas before dropping into a tranquil wilderness sanctuary. Winding along the crystal-clear Turon River, you will navigate hidden valleys teeming with native wildlife like kangaroos and wombats.
The Devil's Climb & Turon River
📍 TURON GATES ECO-RETREAT
Distance
11.5 km
Duration
03:56 hrs
Elev Gain
+544 m
Elev Lost
-521 m
| Date |
01 August 2020 |
| Starting Point |
Turon Gates |
| Difficulty |
Moderate / hard |
| Pace / Gear |
3.3 km/h — Light day pack |
| Highlights |
Turon River |
🗺️ Interactive Route Map
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Turon National Park is a tiny speck of park, located just west of the Greater Blue Mountains area. It may surprise you to find that beyond the rugged cliffs of the Blue Mountains isn't the beginning of Australia's endless red desert but, rather, vast expanses of farmland, wombat-filled bush and the odd pristine river thrown in for good measure – the Turon River being the one in question in this instance.
With international and state borders currently closed, we're limited to exploring our home state of New South Wales, which is not all bad given it's larger than the state of Texas. There's plenty to explore, and this is often best done with a car full of camping gear, even in the depths of an Australian winter. This particular hike is described on the website of the Turon Gates campsite, where we were staying for the weekend, and is aptly named 'the Devil's Climb'. As you might expect, there's a steep ascent in there.
The hike is basically a loop out from the campsite, climbing up and then along a ridge before dropping into the next valley and following the Turon River back. The climb is actually the first thing you do after leaving the campsite. The path ascends a steep, rocky incline that rewards your effort with sweeping views over the surrounding landscape.
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| The bottom of the Devils Climb at the end of the campsite |
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A sign marks the beginning of the climb
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Turon Gates campsite next to Turon River
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Turon National Park
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Halfway up the ridge
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Looking up to the ridge
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| Turon National Park |
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| Looking back down the Devil's Climb |
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| The climb continues up into the trees |
Eventually, we reached the ridgetop after the sweaty Devil's Climb, where we met a fire trail rising from the opposite valley. The trail along the top is fairly easy: a broad track, wide enough to be driven, gently undulating along the ridge. That said, the views are muted by the trees, save for one or two locations, which is a shame but pretty typical of New South Wales.
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| Reaching the ridgetop |
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| The ridge top fire trail |
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A view across the Greater Blue Mountains
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| Markers lead the way |
The path descends steeply through the trees, winding its way down towards the Turon River. We passed the rusted hulk of a truck halfway up the hillside, which, given the steepness and condition of the path, remains a mystery as to how it actually got there.
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| Starting our descent to Turon River |
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An abandoned truck - it had certainly seen better days
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| The Eucalyptus trees synonymous with the area |
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Down at the bottom of the valley
 | Approaching the verdant Turon River
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Eventually, we reached the Turon River, which is absolutely stunning. Here we joined the riverside walk back towards the campsite, marked out by reflective dots nailed to the trees. Immediately we had to cross the river, crossing over a sketchy-looking fallen tree like you might see in the movies. After a short climb over a low ridge, we emerged at the riverbank again. The markers guided us to cross, but it seemed the usual stepping stones were underwater. After searching around, we decided the easiest way over would be simply wading across.
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Reaching Turon River
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| Our first crossing point |
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The log appears much narrower when you're suspended above the river
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| Turon River |
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| The first ford on Turon River |
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Sara crosses Turon River
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After we were across the river, the path continued, winding also alongside the idyllic waters. We actually had to cross the river another two times by the time we had made our way along the valley. Both of these were done barefoot and, if I'm honest, were not particularly pleasant as the river was very cold, despite what the photos suggest.
The Devil's Climb packs a serious punch, effortlessly shifting from a tough ridge scramble to peaceful riverside paths. If you want to escape the crowded Blue Mountains lookouts and experience a more rugged, authentic slice of the NSW bush, this track is hard to beat. Just make sure to bring your best hiking boots, pack plenty of water, and enjoy the peace and quiet out there.
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