Govetts Leap & the Pulpit Rock Track - Blue Mountains National Park

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Route: Blue Mountains Heritage Centre, Govetts Leap Road, Govetts Leap Lookout, Williams Lookout, Pulpit Rock Track, Popes Glen Creek, Cripps Lookout, Pulpit Rock Track, Hat Hill Road, Twin Falls Road, Roslyn Street, Twin Falls Lookout, Hat Hill Road, Popes Glen, Boyds Beach, Fairfax Heritage Track

Date: 07/04/2025
From: Blue Mountains Heritage Centre

Parking: Blue Mountains Heritage Centre
Start Point: Blue Mountains Heritage Centre
Finish Point: Blue Mountains Heritage Centre
Region: Blue Mountains National Park

Route length: 8.3 km
Time taken: 02:02
Average speed: km/h
Ascent: 330m
Descent: 318m

After a recent attempt at this hike was thwarted by rain, I was back on a more pleasant day to give it another go. My day began at the Blue Mountains Heritage Centre, an excellent starting point to dive into the rich history and natural wonders of this World Heritage-listed region. The centre offers interactive exhibits and immersive experiences perfect for curious visitors eager to learn about the geology, flora, fauna, and Indigenous heritage of the area.

The Blue Mountains Heritage Centre

Govetts Leap Road

Located right at the gateway to Govetts Leap, the Heritage Centre sits just off Govetts Leap Road, which leads to the main lookout. This lookout recently underwent a $3.4 million upgrade in 2023, including a fully accessible pathway, new viewing platforms, picnic areas, and a redesigned car park.

The memorial pillar at Govetts Leap Lookout

The highlight here is, of course, the lookout itself, offering a spectacular grandstand view over Govetts Gorge and the iconic Govetts Leap waterfall, also known as Bridal Veil Falls. This magnificent waterfall plunges approximately 180 m down the sheer face of Griffith Taylor Wall, a vast sandstone cliff that stretches from Evans Lookout all the way to Docker Head and Perry’s Lookdown many kilometres away.

Govetts Leap

The Grose Gorge

Lockley Pylon and a distant Mount Hay

The falls are named after William Romaine Govett, a government surveyor who first documented them in 1831 — though it’s likely local Indigenous peoples knew of the site long before. Interestingly, the term “Leap” derives from an old Scottish word for waterfall, despite Govett himself hailing from Devon.

From the main lookout, adventurous visitors can continue to Breakfast Rock and Williams Lookouts, both of which offer unobstructed views of the waterfall and the surrounding cliffs. These vantage points do require descending a series of fairly steep steps, but the spectacular vistas are well worth the effort.

Govetts Leap

Govetts Leap

The track towards Cripps Lookout and beyond starts to the left of the main Govetts Leap lookout. It follows the cliff edge towards Popes Glen. It passes a number of minor lookouts that offer a shifting panorama of the Grose Valley and the distant mountain ranges.

Grose Gorge

Lockley Pylon

Rodriguez Lookout

The Griffith Taylor Wall

The path crosses the creek below Taylor Fall and climbs to Bradleys Lookout located along the Pulpit Rock Track above Horseshoe Falls, another tall waterfall along the Griffith Taylor Wall. A bit of extra climbing, following the Pulpit Rock Track, leads to Cripps Lookout.

Popes Glen Creek

Popes Glen Creek

Pulpit Rock Track

Cripps Lookout, perched along the Pulpit Rock Track between Govetts Leap and Pulpit Rock, is a true highlight for visitors seeking breathtaking scenery. From this remarkable vantage point, you can take in sweeping views across Govetts Gorge and the Grose Valley, with both Horseshoe Falls and the dramatic cascade of Govetts Leap (Bridal Veil Falls) on full display. Be sure to visit after some rain when the waterfalls are at their most impressive.

Govetts Leap from Cripps Lookout

Govetts Leap

Govetts Leap

Griffith Taylor Wall

The Pulpit Rock Track continues along the cliff top with an evolving view of the valley and Pulpit Rock itself. The isolated pinnacle is an impressive feature of the cliff wall. Fires in 2020 severely damaged the infrastructure of the lookout at Pulpit Rock and, at the time of writing, it has yet to reopen.

Pulpit Rock Track

Pulpit Rock

Grose Gorge

Govetts Leap

Grose Gorge

Pulpit Rock

Pulpit Rock and Mount Hay

Pulpit Rock Track

At the moment, Pulpit Rock is closed with no access, so I followed my nose up the hillside above the track, following a series of obvious switchbacks leading to Hat Hill Road. I intended to visit Twins Falls Lookout, which is situated at the end of Roslyn Street. This viewpoint is rarely visited and is situated off the beaten path.

Twin Falls Road

Roslyn Street

Approaching Twin Falls Lookout

Getting up above Cripps Lookout

An aerial view of Cripps Lookout (bottom) and Twin Falls Lookout (top)

I backtracked from the lookout to Hat Hill Road, following it west a short distance before heading back into the bush where a path (seemingly unnamed) descends to Popes Glen Creek at Boyds Beach. The name is rather grand, given Boyds Beach is little more than a sandy bank along the creek, adjacent to a swimming hole.

Boyds Beach

Boyds Beach

Fairfax Heritage Track

After crossing the creek, there is a choice of tracks. You can follow the Popes Glen Track back towards Govetts Leap Lookout or follow a link track up the hillside to meet the Fairfax Heritage Track — my choice on this particular day. The walking track forms part of a larger loop, but is 100% wheelchair accessible. It climbs a gentle slope, skirting the edge of a unique hanging swamp. The path leads directly back to the Heritage Centre, where I'd left my car earlier in the day.