Parking
Start at the locked gate on Kedumba Valley Road. AWD and 4WD vehicles can park at the gate; 2WD vehicles can park near the old Queen Victoria Hospital, about 1.5 km away. The approach road is unsealed.
Overview
About Kedumba Valley Loop
Why go
- A genuine loop through Kedumba Valley and its old pastoral remains
- River and ridge sections break up the long fire-trail miles
Heads up
- About 13 km is wide fire trail
- Steep descent and climb make this a full-day outing
- No potable water on the route
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Blue Mountains map
Full mapElevation148–802 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Blue Mountains alerts
- ClosureRoads and tracks closed across Blue Mountains National ParkMany roads, fire trails and walking tracks across Blue Mountains National Park are closed; do not enter closed areas.Official details
- CautionPark-wide solid-fuel fire banA park fire ban is active across Blue Mountains National Park: campfires and solid-fuel barbecues and stoves are prohibited. - Gas and electric cookers are permitted, subject to safety rules.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Blue Mountains Tour Guide
Your drive to Kedumba Valley Loop, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Blue Mountains National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Blue Mountains audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Kedumba Valley’s Walk-in River Campground0:00 / 0:20
“You're approaching the Kedumba Valley access, where the river campground is a walk-in destination.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Blue Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Echidna's Sticky Tongue
- Where the Blue Comes From
- Lincoln's Rock and Lincoln Hall
- Wentworth Falls from the Picnic Area
- 188 audio storiesacross Blue Mountains’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grey Kangaroo, Wombat, Red-necked Wallaby, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 110 trails, 84 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Kedumba Valley Loop
The commitmentKedumba Valley Loop is a 19 km circuit from the locked Kedumba Valley Road gates, down into the…
Kedumba Valley Loop is a 19 km circuit from the locked Kedumba Valley Road gates, down into the Kedumba Valley and back to the same start. Allow about eight hours for a hard day with roughly 1,000 m of climbing. Around 13 km is broad fire trail, with rougher singletrack through the valley. Choose it for the deep valley, river and old pastoral remains; skip it if you want a short walk or mostly narrow track. The route reaches the Mount Solitary track junction but does not climb Mount Solitary.
Down from the tablelandThe fire trail begins with a gentler descent, then steepens after roughly 1.5 km.
The fire trail begins with a gentler descent, then steepens after roughly 1.5 km. There are occasional views across the valley to the cliff line and Katoomba, but this is not a continuous lookout walk. Lower down, the bush opens into a sunnier valley floor. A short signed spur leads to Kedumba Slab Hut, once the Maxwell family's home; their pastoral settlement lasted into the 1950s, and William Maxwell's grave is nearby.
At the riverCedarland Ridge brings the circuit to the walk-in Kedumba River Crossing campground, beside the…
Cedarland Ridge brings the circuit to the walk-in Kedumba River Crossing campground, beside the Kedumba River and old settlement remains. The river crossing and change from fire trail to footpath make this the route's most varied stretch. The campground is a useful place to pause, but it is remote and has no potable drinking water.
The way back outAfter the Mount Solitary junction, the loop follows undulating singletrack before dropping…
After the Mount Solitary junction, the loop follows undulating singletrack before dropping steeply back to the river. From there, expect another long climb and several kilometres of fire trail before the road junction and the gates. The descent and return climb make the distance feel longer than the map suggests; carry enough water for the whole loop and treat any river water before drinking.
Access and rulesThe start is the locked gate on unsealed Kedumba Valley Road.
The start is the locked gate on unsealed Kedumba Valley Road. AWD and 4WD vehicles can park at the gate; 2WD vehicles can park near the old Queen Victoria Hospital, about 1.5 km short of it. The campground has non-flush toilets and fire rings. Pets are not permitted in the national park, apart from trained assistance animals working at the time. This is a remote route with steep grades and river crossings.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Blue Mountains
58 sightingsGrey KangarooMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
43 sightingsWombatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
18 sightingsRed-necked WallabyMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
53 sightingsSwamp WallabyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
23 sightingsBrushtail PossumMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
30 sightingsRing-tailed PossumMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Blue Mountains. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
