The best traffic-free bike rides in the Blue Mountains

This crossing is a concrete causeway where Glenbrook Creek flows gently across the trail. Depending on water levels, you may need to walk or ride through a shallow sheet of flowing water, so take extra care as you cross, as the surface can be slippery. After heavy rain, the crossing may become impassable or be closed, so be sure to check recent weather conditions before you plan to explore this part of the trail.

Red Wire Saddle is sometimes referred to as Red Wire Saddle Cliffs, and sticks out above the forests to reveal a nice view of the lower Blue Mountains bushland and rolling hills. The saddle sits alongside sandstone cliffs. The name comes from utility workers and fire workers who put up basic telephone and emergency communication lines, and in order to stand up to harsh elements, bushfires, and rusting, the wires were copper-coated which aged into a distinct rusty red hue.

Woodford – Oaks trail is a wide fire management road that passes though eucalyptus forests and past streams, watering holes, reservoirs, campsites, picnic areas, and archaeological sites like Bora Ground. The entire trail stretches from Woodford to Glenbrook spanning almost 28 kilometres in total. The trail can be taken as an out and back or, for ambitious bushwalkers and bikers, an end-to-end adventure. The trail starts and ends very close to Woodford and Glenbrook train stations. This area can get hot in summer. During severe heatwaves, temperatures can occasionally soar past 40° C, so plan accordingly.

The Woodford – Oaks trail is an unsealed fire management road, not a public driving road. Just south of the Wheel Firefighting Reservoir spur trail, the Woodford – Oaks trail opens up to a large dirt car park for designated vehicles.

Weeping Rock is a beautiful, small waterfall where Jamison Creek spills gently over a sandstone rock overhang near Wentworth Falls. The cascade is reached by a quieter side track on the Weeping Rock circuit, and is a cool, shady spot with shallow rock pools and lush ferns under the cliff. There are metal stairs next to the falls that continue along the creek, where you might spot freshwater crayfish, often seen here.

Cataract Falls is the largest and most intricate waterfall along the circuit, cascading in several tiers down Cataract Creek. A network of trails provides access to various viewpoints, including a lower plunge pool and a mid-level platform where the water flows over beautiful orange-stained rock slabs. The multiple layers and changing perspectives make this stop particularly captivating, as the water splits and reunites as it descends.

Adelina Falls is a small waterfall on Lawson Creek, dropping about 15 metres into a sheltered, gully lined with ferns. A short side track leads down to its base, where a footbridge crosses the creek, and the exposed clay beneath the falls gives the rock a distinctive orange tint. The setting feels enclosed and shaded, with water slipping over rock ledges into a quiet pool at the bottom.

Set along the cliff edge in Blue Mountains National Park, this lookout sits on a narrow, fenced ledge with a direct view of Wentworth Falls as it drops into the valley below. The position brings you close to the escarpment, with steep drop-offs and a more immediate perspective of the waterfall and surrounding rock walls. Space is limited at the lookout, and surfaces can be uneven or slippery, particularly after rain.