Lockley Pylon walking track

Lockley Pylon is a 7 km out-and-back from the Mount Hay Road parking area to a rocky high point above the Grose Valley. The route follows the ridge through heath and low forest, then opens to a long view of sandstone cliffs, Mount Hay and Mount Banks. Allow 2 to 3 hours; I would plan about two and a half. It is a Grade 3 walk on a formed, signposted track, with short climbs, occasional steps and some obstacles. If you want a proper high-country view without committing to an all-day walk, this is a strong pick.

The first few hundred metres climb a narrow path before it eases. This stretch is rocky and quieter for views, with only glimpses through scrub. The track then crosses open heath and low forest, with uneven ground that slows you more than the distance suggests. Around 2.5 km in, the ridge swings into view and the landscape opens up. Stick with the walk past its subdued start; the best scenery comes on the final stretch.

The last section is open and exposed, with a short, gentle climb to the rocky summit and its large cairn. From here the Grose Valley drops away below, with Mount Hay and Mount Banks across the cliffs. The pylon is a natural bulge on Du Faur Buttress, roughly 600 metres above the valley floor, rather than a built lookout platform. For a photo, keep a little of the sandstone and heath in the foreground with the far cliffs behind; it gives the view a sense of scale.

Lockley Pylon is named for J. G. “Redgum” Lockley, a journalist who helped campaign to save Blue Gum Forest from logging. On 15 November 1931, conservationist Myles Dunphy and others brought Lockley to the forest and named the rock pinnacle for him. The forest became a public recreation reserve in September 1932. That history gives the lookout a second point: the valley you are looking into helped turn a local conservation fight into a lasting place people could visit.

The ridge is more than a bare viewpoint. Heath and low woodland carry small flannel flowers, orchids, fringe lilies, grass trees, banksias and waratahs. Spring is a good time to notice the flowering heath, including red lambertias; pink flannel flowers can appear after fires. Basalt terraces support the ridge-top heath, while tougher Narrabeen sandstone forms the steep walls around the Grose Valley. Those cliffs are about 240 million years old, and the contrast between the flatter, scrubby ridge and the deep valley is the walk’s geological payoff.

Park at the Lockley Pylon area beside Mount Hay Road; the track start is a short walk away. The road is gravel, and its condition can change, so check it before setting out. There is no drinking water in the area and mobile reception is limited. Pets are not allowed, except certified assistance animals.

The standard walk ends at the pylon and returns the same way. A rough, unmarked continuation beyond the cairn heads toward Du Faur Head, with a descent, steps and rocky ledges; treat it as a separate route and do not add it to the 7 km unless you have route information for that extension.