THE WENTWORTH FALLS PICNIC AREA

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The Wentworth Falls Recreation Reserve (one of the various names given to the area) was established in the 1870’s as the focal point of a network of walking tracks and lookouts. In those days it was administered by a trust of local people who used the limited funds made available to them by the state government and from donations to set up what is arguably the best track network in the Blue Mountains.

The map forms part of Jim Smith’s story of the Stonehaven Pass. You can download it here and read about the Reserve Trust and its work. NOTE 11th November 2017. This reference has been removed from the Internet. 

You will find my video on the picnic area here. The National Parks information may be found here. (no longer there

You will find a limited amount of parking, toilets, picnic tables, barbecues and shady green spaces. What you won’t find is a children’s play area (there was one here years ago, but I haven’t been able to find a photo of it) or a kiosk (also long since vanished). For better or worse, this is one of the differences between management by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (today) and by a local Reserve Trust or Council (formerly).

John and mother Vera 1958

Sue in 2004

You can take a walk around the picnic area by following the concrete path overlooking the Jamison Valley, with its two lookouts (Jamison and Wentworth Falls) both of which are well supplied with information boards. By crossing the rather busy road (Sir Henry Burrell Drive) at the far end, you can return down the path shown on the video. Jim Smith’s map locates some of the interesting structures which survive from earlier times.

The second map dates from 1938 (a NSW Railways publication). Note the word “kiosk” at one end and “gates” at the other. Both have vanished. The tracks shown are all still there and are well used today. They lead to: The Valley of the Waters by the Short Cut track, Den Fenella and the Undercliff and Overcliff tracks, Princes Rock and the Undercliff track and Fletcher’s Lookout, Darwin’s Walk and the top of Wentworth Falls by the final track. From these, many other tracks lead off.

I hope you find time to visit this pleasant spot and plan some great trips using it as a base. You will find a list of my walks and videos here. Quite a few are based around this spot and I expect to add more in the future. My Blue Mountains You Tube playlist may be found here. I have three other playlists - on gem hunting/mining, Glen Innes and New Zealand. Please comment and subscribe.

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