Evans lookout

Evans lookout is a fenced viewing area on the rim above the Grose Valley near Blackheath, where sandstone cliffs enclose a deep eucalypt forest. It is one of the park’s easiest big-view stops: a mostly flat, step-free path links the car park with the shelter, viewpoints and toilets. The upper and lower viewpoints sit close together and offer two angles across the valley. Stay behind the fence and on the marked path.

The Grand Canyon Track is a separate 6.3 km loop, graded 3 and usually taking 3–4 hours. It follows Greaves Creek through a sandstone gorge and climbs back out toward Evans lookout; expect steps and a much bigger effort than the short viewpoint visit. Walkers have used the route since 1907. Greaves Creek can flood, so avoid the canyon before, during or after heavy rain.

The cliffs are made of Narrabeen Group sandstone, about 240 million years old. It resists erosion better than the softer layers beneath it, leaving a high rim above the forested valley. At the valley floor, much older Berry Siltstone—laid down on an ocean floor more than 260 million years ago—records a very different landscape beneath today’s forest.

The exposed cliff edges around Blackheath support the Blue Mountains cliff mallee, a shrub confined to exposed upper-mountain cliffs. On the nearby Grand Canyon walk, the vegetation changes with the descent: banksia and mountain devil give way to ferns and rainforest beside the creek, then golden wattles on the climb out. A rare giant dragonfly, with a wingspan of up to 12.5 cm, may be seen in October.