Hunting for the best dog-friendly bushwalk Blue Mountains trails have to offer? Ditch the restricted national parks. Take your pup to the Birdwood Gully Round Walk in Springwood instead. Located in Sassafras Park, this short rainforest circuit allows dogs on a leash. The track dives from dry eucalypt ridges into a deep, mossy canyon. Your dog can splash through Springwood Creek beneath towering sandstone cliffs, ferns, and hidden caves.
Birdwood Gully
📍 SASSAFRAS PARK / LOWER BLUE MOUNTAINS
Distance2.6 km
Duration02:02 hrs
Elev Gain+213 m
Elev Lost-211 m
Date
07 December 2025
Starting Point
Bednal Road
Difficulty
Easy
Pace / Gear
3.2 km/h — Water bottle
Highlights
Springwood Creek, Glow-worm Cave
🗺️ Interactive Route MapPinch or use wheel to zoom
Birdwood Gully, close to the village of Springwood, is often touted as one of the best dog-friendly hikes in the Blue Mountains. The gully was officially named after Field Marshal William Birdwood, the esteemed commander of the ANZACs during the 1915 Gallipoli campaign. Following the war, his popular tours of Australia inspired local communities to name landmarks in his honor.
As the name suggests, the walk centres on Birdwood Gully, a small sandstone creek that feeds into Springwood Creek, which in turn winds its way north through bushland before eventually joining the Grose River system. Like much of the upper Grose catchment, these creeks have quietly carved their way through the plateau over millions of years, shaping the narrow gullies and rock overhangs that make this area so appealing.
A sign marks the beginning of the hike
The circuit around the gully is only 2.6 km, making it ideal for a relaxed morning or afternoon walk with a dog.
The land here lies within Darug Country, and long before Springwood became a railway village, these gullies and creeks would have been used as travel corridors and reliable water sources. Rock overhangs, like those found along the walk, often provided shelter, and nearby sandstone country is rich in Aboriginal rock art and occupation sites.
There are several access points to the circuit and plenty of on-street parking — Perry Avenue was our choice, giving easy access via Bednal Road. After negotiating an awkward bend in the road, we entered Birdwood Gully Park, with the dog enthusiastically leading the way. Almost immediately, the track crosses Birdwood Gully itself, which on a hot day like this was reduced to a series of shallow pools.
Birdwood Gully Park
Birdwood Gully Park
Birdwood Gully Park
The path follows the creek downstream through open bushland, passing sculpted sandstone outcrops and pockets of lush, creek-side vegetation. The sandstone here is classic Triassic Hawkesbury sandstone, laid down around 200 million years ago and later eroded into ledges, alcoves, and cliffs by flowing water.
Tidswell Reserve
One of the more interesting rocks on the way to Springwood Creehk
Further along, Birdwood Gully Park merges into Sassafras Park, and the track descends to the confluence of Birdwood Gully and Springwood Creek. This shady junction is one of the highlights of the walk — a quiet, sheltered spot with plenty of room for a splash, which was mandatory for the dog on a warm afternoon.
Springwood Creek
From here, the Birdwood Gully Loop follows Springwood Creek upstream through the most scenic section of the hike. The track ducks beneath shallow rock overhangs before entering a narrow sandstone corridor where the creek has cut a small gorge. A low waterfall spills over a rock shelf here, though you’ll need a wet spell to see it at anything approaching full flow.
Springwood Creek
Springwood Creek
Springwood Creek
Some directions etched onto the floor
Springwood Creek
Dry cascade on Springwood Creek
Old graffitti
The path climbs beside the cascade, still shadowing the creek, before turning away from the water and heading uphill. Stone steps guide you to a large sandstone cave, home to a small colony of glow worms — a reminder of how these shaded, damp gullies support pockets of rainforest and specialised wildlife even so close to suburbia.
Springwood Creek
Birdwood Gully Round
The glowworm cave
A final climb through a cleft in the cliffs brings you out onto Lucinda Avenue, marking the western side of the circuit. From here, it’s a short stroll back to the starting point, completing a compact but surprisingly varied loop.
Climbing back to Lucinda Avenue
For such a short walk, Birdwood Gully packs in a lot: layered sandstone geology, cool creek lines, quiet bush, and a glimpse into how both people and water have moved through this landscape for thousands of years. It’s an ideal introduction to Blue Mountains walking — especially if you’ve got a four-legged companion in tow.
Conquer Blackheath’s ultimate dog-friendly loop on this spectacular 6.7 km circuit through the Blue Mountains. Perfect for hikers and on-lead pups, this 2.5-hour trail hits the dramatic cliff faces of Walls Ledge, the hidden slot canyon of The Grotto, and the historic steps of Porters Pass. Experience sweeping Kanimbla Valley views and rushing waterfalls on a premier, pet-friendly adventure starting right from Centennial Glen Car Park.
Walls Ledge, Slippery Dip Falls, Porters Pass, Centennial Glen
🗺️ Interactive Route MapPinch or use wheel to zoom
West of Blackheath, Centennial Glen forms the serene headwaters of Centennial Glen Creek—a cool, fern‑lined gorge framed by sandstone overhangs, trickling waterfalls, and deep green shade. The name “Centennial” honours New South Wales’ centenary (1788–1888).
Dogs are permitted on‑lead throughout this part of Blackheath, including the Centennial Glen, Walls Ledge, and Porters Pass tracks, so our four‑legged companion was able to join us for the circuit. The route includes narrow cliff‑line sections, stairs, and uneven ground, so keeping dogs close is essential.
Most visitors reach the glen from the Bundarra Street / Centennial Glen carpark, where a small parking area and toilet block mark the start of several well‑used walking tracks that fan out along the cliff‑line and into the valley. Instead of descending directly into the glen, we began with a more scenic, circuitous approach, following the Walls Ledge Track as it contours the escarpment toward Porters Pass—a classic Blue Mountains route known for its airy traverses and lush forested gullies.
The beginning of the Walls Ledge Loop Track
Let's go
There's a short, steep descent to get you below the cliffs
Kanimbla Valley
Starting from an elevated position, the path immediately offers fine views across the Kanimbla Valley toward Mount Victoria. The track heads south briefly before doubling back to meet the beginning of the Walls Ledge Track.
Walls Ledge follows a narrow ledge halfway down the cliffs of the Shipley Plateau. In places, protective rails guard the edge, as a misstep could mean a tumble into the valley below. The sun-soaked cliffs attract rock climbers year-round, and several groups were out today.
Walls Ledge
The cliffs that are so popular with climbers
Towards the end of the Walls Ledge section, the track opens to a rainforest section and a large basin, leading into Centennial Glen. A steep set of metal steps descends into the canyon, meeting a signed path at the bottom. A short detour brings you to The Grotto, a dark slot canyon with a waterfall the far end. Reaching the falls requires a tricky shuffle along a rock shelf, but the only consequence of a slip is a soaking rather than serious injury.
Short sections are fenced
Kanimbla Valley
Walls Ledge
Centennial Glen
Heading down to Centennial GLen
The steps down to the creek are steep in places
The Grotto
The Grotto
Continuing along the main path, the walk follows the lower waterfalls of Centennial Glen, including the aptly named Slippery Dip Falls. Stone steps and metal rails get you close to the action as the track descends steeply to the base of the falls.
Slippery Dip Falls
Slippery Dip Falls
Slippery Dip Falls
Slippery Dip Falls
The path has a birds eye view down the waterfall
After crossing the creek, the track joins Colliers Causeway, one of Blackheath’s lesser-known tracks. This short yet spectacular route winds along ledges and terraces, passing occasional overhanging cliffs and waterfalls.
Crossing Centennial Glen Creek
Centennial Glen Creek
Colliers Causeway
Colliers Causeway
Colliers Causeway
Cliffs above Colliers Causeway
Colliers Causeway
Next, we arrived at Porters Pass, one of the oldest tracks in the Blue Mountains, dating back to 1888. Indigenous Australians likely pioneered routes down the western escarpment thousands of years prior. Steps typical of the Blue Mountains provide a steep climb up the gully. At the top, Lambert's Lookout offers sweeping valley views from a rocky outcrop.
Porters Pass Gully
Individual dog bath
On Porters Pass
Porters Pass
Porters Pass
Porters Pass
Lambert's Lookout
The trail climbs gently for a short stretch before dropping down across an open hillside that overlooks the cliffs. Ahead, Fort Rock rises as a solitary sentinel, marking a junction where several paths meet. If you clamber atop it, you'll be rewarded with some sweeping views.
The Cliff Top Track
Cliff Top Track
Lambert's Lookout
Fort Rock
From Fort Rock, we began descending once more into the northern end of Centennial Glen. This lush, shaded canyon is dotted with waterfalls and sandstone overhangs and, like Walls Ledge, attracts rock climbers year-round. If you’re not a climber and are exploring Centennial Glen for hiking, you’ll see the cliffs from the walking tracks — but Wave Wall itself is mainly a destination for people roped up with climbing gear.
Overlooking Centennial Glen
Centennial Falls
Centennial Falls
Centennial Glen
Centennial Glen
The Wave Wall
Centennial Glen
Following the canyon floor, we made our way back to the Walls Ledge Track—a junction we had passed earlier. This final stretch of the loop includes a short climb that brings you back to the car park above the glen.
The loop has a little bit of everything—quiet gullies, cliff‑top views, waterfalls, and those cool, shaded pockets of Centennial Glen that always feel a little hidden from the world. For a walk that’s genuinely one of the best dog‑friendly options around Blackheath, this circuit is hard to beat.
