Mount York via Lockyers Road & Cox's Descent - Blue Mountains National Park

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Route: Lockyers Track Head, Lockyers Road, Nature Walk, Mount York Road, Barden Lookout, Mount York, Eddys Lookout, Coxs Road, Nature Walk, Lockyers Road

Date: 31/10/2025
From: Lockyers Track Head

Parking: Lockyers Track Head
Start Point: Lockyers Track Head
Finish Point: Lockyers Track Head
Region: Blue Mountains

Route length: 8.4 km
Time taken: 02:30
Average speed: 4.3 km
Ascent: 308m
Descent: 310m

Points of Interest: Lockyers Road, Barden Lookout, Mount York, Coxs Road

Mount York sits on the very western edge of the central Blue Mountains, just before the flat, grassy plains of Hartley Vale. In reality, it is more of an elevated spur than a true mountain, but it offers sublime views across Hartley. The cliffs are so steep that the main railway line, following the Great Western Highway from Sydney, had to carve a more circuitous route to Lithgow rather than descend Victoria Pass directly.

While the obvious starting point is the summit itself—reachable by road—there’s more fun in beginning from the valley. Starting from Hartley Vale, the hike climbs Lockyers Road toward the summit, following the alignment of Lockyers Road. The trail begins at a small trailhead on Hartley Vale Road, which also offers a basic, slightly hilly camping area with a toilet for early starts.

Ready to go at the Lockyers Trailhead

At the back of the car park, the Lockyers Road track begins with a steepish ascent before settling into a gentle rhythm. This historic track, along with Coxs Road, was built by convicts in the early 1800s to reach the fertile Hartley Vale. Named after surveyor Major Edmund Lockyer, Lockyers Road was the second attempt to cross the Blue Mountains. It was never completed, as the work gangs were later transferred to Victoria Pass, now home to the Great Western Highway.

Hartley Vale

Lockyers Road

Today, the old road functions as a bushwalking track, with a series of metal information signs along the route. The path climbs onto the spine of a long ridge radiating from the plateau, known as the Lockley Promontory. Along the way, rocky outcrops provide excellent views of Mount York and the surrounding valley.

The beginning of Lockyers Road ascent

Lockyers Road

Lockyers Road

There are a few signs dooted along the track

Spring wattle in bloom

Lockyers Road

Views over Hartley 

There are some nice places along the way to pause (paws?)

Lockyers Road

Approaching the top of Lockyers Road

The track eventually meets Mount York Road and follows it toward the summit. A few lookouts along the way reward walkers with superb views of the Vale of Hartley. The first is near a pair of old, hand-dug wells, likely constructed by the convicts who built Coxs and Lockyers Roads. From there, a short downhill walk opens onto a small clearing with magnificent vantage points.

The historic wells

The second lookout is Barden Lookout, which includes a small parking area and offers equally impressive views across the valley. Named after Alfred Barden, a long-time local council employee who worked on roads and reserves in the area in the early 20th century, the lookout gazes out over farmland, rolling hills and the western plains beyond Hartley. The views are especially striking at sunrise and sunset, when the light spills across the valley below.

Barden Lookout

Barden Lookout

Hartley

Hartley

A little further on, the flat summit of Mount York features a large camping area and several memorials commemorating explorers Blaxland, Lawson and Wentworth, the first Europeans to gaze westward over the Blue Mountains in 1813. Among the historic features are a stone obelisk, a pavilion shelter, and a stone arch, all built as commemorative structures in the early 20th century. At the tip of the plateau, two fenced lookouts provide expansive views to the north and west.

Camping area on Mount York

Mount York

The Pavilion — 1913

Stone archway — 1931

Stone chair — 1931

Mount York Obelisk — 1813

The plaque on the obelisk

Seeking out the views

At the western lookout stands a prominent rock known as Eddy Rock, named after Edward Eddy, a former Chief Commissioner of the NSW Government Railways. Eddy played a key role in improving and modernising the local rail network at a time when rail infrastructure was vital to regional communities. He was also credited with maintaining employment for local workers during a period of regional economic depression, making the site a small but meaningful reminder of the role railways played in opening up and sustaining communities beyond the Blue Mountains.

Eddy Rock

Eddy Rock

Hartley from Eddy Rock

The descent begins along Coxs Road, with breathtaking cliff-top views of Mount York and the valley below. Governor Macquarie commissioned the road in 1814 and appointed William Cox to oversee its construction. Within six months, thirty convicts built over 100 miles (ca. 161 km) of roads and bridges from the Nepean River to Bathurst. The route from Mount York to the valley floor is the steepest section of the entire road, and the cliff-top portion is among the best preserved.

Sniffing out Coxs Road

Cliffs of Mount York

Coxs Road

Hartley Vale

Hartley Vale

Pick marks on Coxs Road

Cox Road

Coxs Road

The gully crossing

The gully crossing

After crossing the gully, the road narrows into the Nature Track, a gentle, narrow path that descends steadily toward the valley floor. As the trail drops, it opens onto flatter ground that was once highly sought after by early European settlers for farming and grazing. The final stretch follows this open landscape before reconnecting with Lockyers Road, completing the circuit and returning you to the trailhead.

Coxs Road

Nature Track

Mount York from the Nature Track

Nature Track

Back at the trailhead

Mount York offers a perfect mix of history, sweeping views, and quiet bushwalking. From the convict-built Lockyers and Coxs Roads to cliff-top lookouts overlooking the Vale of Hartley, every step reveals the drama of the Blue Mountains. Short but rewarding, this hike gives a true sense of adventure—without the crowds—making it an unforgettable escape just a couple of hours from Sydney.