Parking
Start at Pierces Pass Picnic Area, reached from Bells Line of Road via Pierces Pass Road. Parking is at the picnic area where the track begins.
Overview
About Pierces Pass to Grose River
Why go
- A shady creek gully, waterfall and river crossing in one walk
- Sandstone cliffs and valley views open up along the descent
Heads up
- The steep climb back makes this harder than 4.9 km suggests
- The rocky river-side scramble is slippery and optional
Pierces Pass to Grose River is a 4.9 km return walk from Pierces Pass Picnic Area to a crossing on the Grose River. It follows the opening stretch of the longer Blue Gum Forest track, then turns back at the river. Allow about three hours with stops. This is a short route with a hard climb: the river is roughly 460 m below the start, and you have to climb back out on the same track.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Blue Mountains map
Full mapElevation401–862 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 Pierces Pass to Grose River, 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
Pierces Pass and the Rigby Hill Walk0:00 / 0:27
“You're nearing Pierces Pass picnic area, where I'd choose the Rigby Hill walk for a valley view without a long descent. It's one point two kilometres return, about an hour, with a gentle climb, steps and uneven rock.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Blue Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Walls Lookout over the Grose Valley
- One Season for the Antechinus
- Mount Banks: Ridge Views and Monkey Gums
- Anvil Rock and Wind Eroded Cave
- 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 Pierces Pass to Grose River
Down from the passThe track enters bush at the picnic area and drops steeply over steps and dirt for the first…
The track enters bush at the picnic area and drops steeply over steps and dirt for the first 250 m, then eases under shady gum trees. A first valley glimpse opens after about 600 m. A signed spur leads down into the cooler rainforest gully at Pierces Creek; it is brief, but can be muddy and slippery after rain. Back on the main track, you pass a small waterfall before the forest opens into drier country, with sandstone cliffs and valley views appearing between trees.
At the Grose RiverNear the bottom, the track becomes rockier and passes steps and an eroded gully before reaching…
Near the bottom, the track becomes rockier and passes steps and an eroded gully before reaching the river crossing. A deep pool is about 70 m downstream; getting to the rocks beside it is an optional, slippery scramble and adds distance. Treat the crossing as the turnaround for this 4.9 km route. Following the river on toward Blue Gum Forest is a much longer walk, and exploring more pools adds extra walking too.
The way backThe return retraces the same track uphill.
The return retraces the same track uphill. There are some gentler stretches, but the steps and steep climb make the ascent the hard part of the day. Start with enough energy left for it. Pets are not allowed on the national-park track.
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.
