Rigby Hill & Walls Lookout - Blue Mountains National Park

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Route: Pierces Pass Road, Rigby Hill Track, Rigby Hill, Pierce Pass to Walls Lookout Track, Walls Lookout, Wall Lookout Track

Date: 30/09/2023
From: Pierces Pass

Parking: Walls Lookout Picnic Area
Start Point: Walls Lookout Picnic Area
Finish Point: Walls Lookout Picnic Area
Region: Blue Mountains National Park - Grose Wilderness

Route length: 4.3km
Time taken: 01:22
Average speed: 4.1km/h
Ascent: 201m
Descent: 197m

Points of Interest: Rigby Hill, Walls Lookout

Rigby Hill and Walls Lookout are two scenic spots in the Blue Mountains National Park that offer stunning views of the Grose Valley and its surrounding sandstone cliffs. Both are accessible by short, easy walking tracks from Pierces Pass Road that can be combined into this spectacular outing - perfect if you want some big views but are short on time.

The tracks both start at Pierces Pass Road, located off Bells Line of Road, the historic northern crossing of the Blue Mountains. The odd name for the road is derived from the road's original route as surveyed by Archibald Bell - Bell's Line. The route was shown to Bell by Indigenous Darug men Emery and Cogy in 1823 and was part of the traditional Aboriginal pathway network. After Bell marked the route, it was cleared and became the second road across the Blue Mountains after what is now the Great Western Highway.

Having never visited Rigby Hill, I decided to head there first by following Pierces Pass Road down to the lower parking area that serves Pierces Pass itself. The hiker's pass is one of the most used routes into the Upper Grose Valley and was constructed in the early 1930s by Bert Pierce and Clarrie Hungerford to access the Blue Gum Forest for cattle grazing (though the route is likely to be much older). The Rigby Hill Track begins from the car park, next to a large boulder.

Rigby Hill looms over Pierces Pass Road

The Rigby Hill Track begins behind this large boulder

The first 200m of the Rigby Hill Track makes its way through the famed Australian bush until it reaches a tall rock platform with a set of carved steps. After this, the bush begins to thin, and you'll get some good views of the dome of Rigby Hill ahead. Despite appearances, the climb to the top of the hill is not as steep as it appears from this vantage point.

Accessing the ridge leading to Rigby Hill

Liversidge Hill is almost a carbon copy of Rigby Hill

I made short work of the path up Rigby Hill, emerging on the summit to find the wooden post telling you you've reached 923m above sea level. Not bad for such little effort. The views from the summit are sublime, made even better by continuing south-west to the edge of the cliffs. 

Birrabang Ridge and Pierces Creek

Climbing to Rigby Hill

The Walls Lookout Track is easy to spot on the opposite ridge

The summit of Rigby Hill

Rigby Hill is named after John Rigby, a surveyor who worked in the Blue Mountains in the 19th century and was involved in the construction of the Bells Line of Road. He also surveyed the Grose Valley and the surrounding cliffs, which can be seen from the hill. Rigby Hill is a tribute to his contribution to the exploration and development of the area.

The view west towards Burra Korain and Liversidge Hill

The eastern vista along the Grose Valley towards Docker Head

The imposing cliffs surrounding Walls Lookout

A wider view of the western valley including Bald Head, Burramoko Head, Burra Korain Head and Liversidge Hill

The Grose Valley

The deep Hungerfords Gully separates Rigby Hill from Walls Lookout so it is necessary to backtrack to the Pierces Pass car park to find the link track, imaginatively called 'Pierces Pass to Walls Lookout Track'. The track makes an easy, gradual climb to Walls Lookout.

The Rigby Hill Track

A view of Rigby Hill from the link track

Heading for Walls Lookout

Walls Lookout and Rigby Hill

Walls Lookout, while similar to Rigby Hill, has an incredible view, elevated by the fact you can see the enormous cliffs below Rigby Hill itself, something that you won't see from its summit. There are several flat rock platforms dotted around that offer wonderful views of the Grose Valley, just take care of venturing near the cliff edges and none of them are fenced.

Walls Lookout

The Grose Valley

The cliffs of Wongarra Hill

Rigby Hill

Rigby Hill

After indulging in the view from the lookout, it's an easy walk back along the Walls Lookout Track to the car park. This hike has to have one of the best view-to-effort ratios anywhere in the Blue Mountains thanks to its astonishing location in the heart of the Grose Wilderness. It is perfect if you're after that Blue Mountains hit but are short on time.

Walls Lookout

Leaving Walls Lookout

A final Grose Valley view