Best Way to Spend 1 Day in the Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains National Park is a UNESCO World-Heritage listed mountain range west of Sydney. The entire area stretches over 11,400 square kilometers / 4,402 sq mi, so impossible to cover in one day. Having visited this impressive bushland of mainly eucalyptus trees, I will let you in on the best way to spend one day in the Blue Mountains while road tripping.

To give you a quick answer right from the start, the best way to experience the Blue Mountains is by combining a half-day hike along the Grand Canyon Walk and some of the famous (but not too crowded) viewpoints in the Blackheath and Katoomba area, the two main cities.

But first off - why are they called the Blue Mountains? I will quote from the Scenic World:

"The haze which appears to surround any distant object is due to an optical phenomenon called ‘Rayleigh scattering’. ... The Blue Mountains (appear blue because of the) Eucalyptus oil droplets emitted from the forests combine with dust particles and water vapour, scattering short wavelength rays of light which are predominantly blue in colour."

This article covers day 11 of our 18-day road trip itinerary along the southern East Coast of Australia. Click on the yellow 'Show Entire Route' tab on the top left, to view our in-depth guides to each stop for an even greater insight for your own road trip through Australia.

Why are the Blue Mountains so popular

The Blue Mountains are known to the world mostly for its large variety of hiking, and mountain-biking trails, waterfalls, stunning lookouts, adventure sports such as canyoning, and camping all in lush nature made up of forest, cliffs, and canyons. The fact that this natural playground is only one hour away from Sydney increased its popularity.

The best one-day itinerary for your Blue Mountains adventure

Before our visit, I was wondering which area is more attractive for a day visit to the Blue Mountains. The area around the main city Katoomba or the area around Blackheath a bit further north? Well, how about both? Keep on reading, and I will tell you how you can combine both.

To make the most of your day, arrive early and head towards Blackheath. You will start your day with a three-hour hike on the Grand Canyon walking track.

The Grand Canyon Walk - the most impressive hike

The Grand Canyon Walk is one of the most popular and most impressive hikes in the Blue Mountains. It is an entirely different experience compared to hiking its namesake, the Grand Canyon in the US. Here in the Blue Mountains, you will be wowed by lush rainforest filled with waterfalls, creeks, cliffs made of huge sandstone walls, and despite its popularity, only a few other hikers.

There are multiple car parks along the Evans Lookout Road. I recommend you drive to the last car park at Evans Lookout, the start of your hike, and should it be full already, you can head back to the earlier ones (e.g., Grand Canyon or Neates Glen Car Park).

Start your hike at Evans Lookout with gorgeous views over the Grose River Valley and its surrounding sandstone cliffs covered by lush forest. At the beginning of the hike, you will only descend, each step a little deeper into the dense forest. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes, Jen slipped once and landed on her butt, despite wearing hiking shoes, so watch out for slippery stones.

After about 30 minutes, you will see signs guiding to Beauchamp Waterfalls to the left. Try your luck to find them! We tried and returned to the Grand Canyon Walk before spotting them as the trail got narrower by the minute and more exposed to the dropping cliff. Maybe we turned around too early, let us know about your experience 😉.

Along the Grand Canyon Walk, you will pass by overhanging rocks, cliffs, canyons with creeks perfect for canyoning, ferns of all sizes, and cute creeks that invite you for a picnic break.

Towards the end of the hike, you will head back up to the rim (the Evans Lookout Road). That last part will be very steep with lots of switchbacks. Once you have arrived back to the rim, you can take the nature trail along the road to head back to Evans Lookout.

The total hike will take you around 3 hours, including a few stops. Be sure to take enough water and some snacks with you.

Katoomba & Leura - the Blue Mountain towns

After finishing your hike during the first part of the day, head back south to the two towns Katoomba and Leura, only a 15 minutes drive from the Evans Lookout car park.

Katoomba is the biggest town in the Blue Mountains and has a lively main road with shops and restaurants. Also, there are several supermarkets, in case you need to stock up your van after your city escape.

Leura is the smaller yet more picturesque town (we unfortunately didn't make a stop there), so go see for yourself 😉.

Both have one main street that you can drive or stroll down, depending on how much time you have.

Three Sisters & Cliff Walk - the best views of the Blue Mountains

After you have explored the towns, drop your campervan off at the Katoomba Falls Tourist Park, your campground for the night (more info below).

From there, you can easily head to the Prince Henry Cliff Walk on foot by crossing the Cliff Drive.

Time your day and stay in the towns so that you get to be on the cliff walk at sunset. Start your walk towards the Katoomba Falls and continue along the trail. You will pass by multiple viewpoints and the Scenic World Skyway, a passenger gondola crossing the Blue Mountains canyon for great views. For us, this is too touristic, and we rather enjoyed the views from the clifftop itself.

As you are walking along, you are heading for views of the famous Three Sisters. The most iconic Blue Mountain rock formation and attraction. The closest and most popular viewpoint is Echo Point. We strongly suggest you skip Echo Point, as you will be surrounded by masses and I mean masses of tourists just aiming for that quick picture to hop back on their bus. You will waste time and natural peacefulness there.

Instead, enjoy the views and photo ops from Wollumai Lookout. You get to see the Three Sisters and views of the Jamison Valley from there.

On your way back to your campervan, pass by the Maple Grove Park for another close encounter with Cockatoos.

That's it, one full day of exploration in various areas of the Blue Mountains, combining hikes, views, and fantastic photo opportunities.

How to get to the Blue Mountains

Since here at RTE, we are all about road tripping and campervanning you should already have your car or van with you. If you are just on a visit to Sydney and are looking for a day escape, there is a train running to Katoomba or Blackheath, taking 2 hours. However, I still recommend getting a rental car to be independent and reach those not so crowded areas.

With a car, you will reach the foot of the Blue Mountains in an hour via the M4 from Sydney. To start your day in the Blackheath area, you will cross the Blue Mountains range and will reach Blackheath in a little under two hours.

Where to spend the night at the Blue Mountains with your campervan

The best campground for your Blue Mountains escape is the Katoomba Falls Tourist Park.

The location makes it perfect, as it is located within walking distance from the cliff walk overlooking the Jamison Valley and the Three Sisters.

It has a separate area for unpowered sites, right next to the recreational ovals (green sports grounds), which is very quiet and peaceful. One unpowered site costs AU$35 in low season and AU$45 in high season.

Beware that the moment the sun sets, temperatures drop, and morning fog is not unusual in this area. Luckily the campground offers clean hot showers.

Are the Blue Mountains on your road tripping route? If not, its time to put them there and tell us about your plans in the comments below!