Sublime Point 07-09-2025
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Route: Megalong Street, Gladstone Road, Scott Avenue, Great Western Highway, Bate Street, Nature Track, Edinburgh Castle Rock, Asmodeus Pool, Floras Bath, Grand Cliff Top Walk, Inspiration Point Track, Moya Point Lookout, Gladstone Lookout, Gladstone Lookout Track, Fairmont Adventure Park, Sublime Point Road, Sublime Point, Carleton Road, Grand Cliff Top Track, Golf Links Lookout, Pool of Siloam, Prince Henry Cliff Top Walk, Gordon Falls Lookout, Elysian Rock, Olympian Rock, Tarpeian Rock, Bridal Veil View, Cliff Drive, Jersey Avenue
Date: 07/09/2025
From: Leura
Parking: Megalong Road
Start Point: Bate Street
Finish Point: Leura Village
Region: Blue Mountains National Park
Route length: 16.8 km
Time taken: 04:01
Average speed: 4.2 km/h
Ascent: 681m
Descent: 689m
While the trails around Leura and Katoomba are rightly popular, you can find some quieter hiking in the vicinity of Sublime Point and Gordon Falls. Sandwiched between Wentworth Falls to the east and the Three Sisters to the west, the tracks around Sublime Point receive significantly fewer visitors. Despite this, they offer some of the most interesting hiking in the area, particularly the Nature Track and the Pool of Siloam. These areas are especially good for hiking in wet weather, when the waterfalls really put on a show.
This hike offers a bit of everything the Blue Mountains is famous for: sweeping views, cascading waterfalls, and lush green gullies, all beginning with the Nature Track. The Nature Track begins at the end of Bate Street on the edge of Leura so you can choose almost anywhere in the village to park. There is also an entry from Valley Road to the east.
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| The beginning of the Nature Track at Bate Street |
The Nature Track begins by heading south past the Blue Mountains National Park sign and descending a set of wooden steps. Almost immediately, you'll get some views of the neighbouring valley. After crossing some small gullies, you'll find a sign for Edinburgh Castle Rock, an unfenced viewpoint atop an interesting rock outcrop. My guess is someone, at some point in time, thought it bore a resemblance to Edinburgh Castle.
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| The Nature Track descends into the valley |
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| The Nature Track |
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| Edinburgh Castle Rock |
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| Valley of the Waters |
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| A different perspective of Edinburgh Castle Rock |
The Nature Track heads down alongside the rock and then out to a ledge above the Valley of the Waters Creek, with views of Lillian's Glen. The path quickly descends further to the creek itself, crossing close to Asmodeus Pool. The pool is well hidden, and if you were not looking for it, you would probably miss it. There is a small wooden sign with a rough short track behind it where you'll need to scramble up and along, then squeeze into the canyon. The scramble to the beautiful pool is more than worth the modest amount of effort.
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| Below Edinburgh Castle Rock |
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| Valley of the Waters |
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| The hidden entrance to Asmodeus Pool |
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| Asmodeus Pool waterfall |
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| Asmodeus Pool |
A short distance from Asmodeus Pool is Flora's Bath, another small waterfall hidden behind a tall sandstone outcrop, however, it is far easier to reach than Asmodeus Pool. Close to Floras Bat is a set of stepping stones allowing you to cross the creek just before it disappears into the depths of Empress Canyon. This is a popular canyoning route that emerges at the top of Empress Falls, further down the valley.
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| Floras Bath |
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| Valley of the Waters Creek |
Continuing on from the creek, the path follows the edge of the canyon until it meets the Grand Cliff Top Walk (GCTW) at a wooden bridge which allows you to peer into the depths of the canyon. The hike continues west, crossing Empress canyon via the bridge and beginning one of the longest climbs of the hike towards the Fairmont Resort.
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| The GCTW at Empress Canyon, crossing Lilians Bridge |
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| The Grand Cliff Top Walk |
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| The Grand Cliff Top Track below Fairmont Resort |
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| Bush below Fairmont Reserve |
Part way along the trail is a turn-off towards Inspiration Point, a small promontory that pokes out into the valley. There are two lookouts at the end, Moya Point (which has a fine view of Wentworth Falls) and Gladstone Lookout (which looks along the edge of Sublime Point). The path on the western side of Inspiration Point, back to the Grand Cliff Top Walk, is quite rough in places as it is not well-maintained. |
| Wentworth Falls |
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| Moya Point Lookout |
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| Gladstone Lookout |
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| Isobel Bowden Ridge |
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| Gladstone Lookout |
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| The cliffs of Sublime Point |
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| Inspiration Point and the Jamison Valley |
Once past Fairmont Resort you'll find yourself on Sublime Point Road which leads for 2 km to Sublime Point. Easy hiking, but nothing to write home about. At the end of the road is Sublime Point Lookout, owned by Blue Mountains City Council. It has a tremendous view over the valley towards Mount Solitary and, you'll get your first glimpse of the famous Three Sisters.
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| Pool of Siloam |
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| Gordon Creek |
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| Gordon Falls Lookout |
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| Sublime Point |
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| Gordon Falls |
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| Leura Falls Creek heads for the Kedumba River |
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| Olympian Rock |
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| Olympian Rock Lookout |
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| Bridal Veil View |
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| Bridal Veil Falls |
After visiting the lookout, it was time to call it a day for this hike. Access to Cliff Drive is close by and the streets of Leura provide a swift way back to where I'd parked to car. As ever, there's something about the sandstone cliffs, hidden waterfalls, and eucalyptus forests of the Blue Mountains that never gets old, even if I've seen them many times before.
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