Prince Henry Cliff walk

Prince Henry Cliff walk is a 7 km (about 4.3 mi) point-to-point route from Katoomba Cascades to Gordon Falls near Leura. It follows the Jamison Valley escarpment between Katoomba and Leura, with more than 20 lookouts, three waterfalls, hanging swamps and the Three Sisters at Echo Point. Allow 3 to 4 hours for the one-way walk. If a long succession of cliff views is what you came for, this is one of the Blue Mountains’ best half-day hikes.

The 7 km figure is for the complete walk from Katoomba Cascades to Gordon Falls; it is not a loop. Arrange a pickup or another return plan from the Leura end. You can also start at Echo Point or choose a shorter section from one of the lookouts along Cliff Drive, then walk back the way you came. Those shorter options do not cover the full route.

Some mapping still shows a past landslip closure on the Leura side, while current park information presents the full through-walk. Check park alerts before setting out, and keep a map handy where routes join.

This is a Grade 3 walk on a formed track, with gentle hills and clear signposting. The catch is the number of steps. Expect a stop-start walk rather than a flat promenade, with dirt and hard-surfaced sections and stair climbs between the lookouts. No technical hiking skills are required, but allow the full 3 to 4 hours if you want time to stop along the way.

Echo Point is a highlight, with the Three Sisters rising above the Jamison Valley. Give the view more than a quick pass if the rock formation is a main reason for your visit. For a photo, keep a little of the lookout or track in the frame; the valley alone can make the scale harder to read.

The walk strings together more than twenty lookouts, so the payoff keeps changing as you move between Katoomba and Leura. Three waterfalls are part of the traverse, but their sequence is not clear. Let them come as they do rather than planning the day around a particular named fall.

Several hanging swamps sit along the track, with sedges, rushes and grasses. In summer, yellow and gold Christmas bells may flower there. The blooms are a seasonal possibility, not a guarantee, so the walk still earns its time outside flowering season.

Toilets, picnic facilities, drinking water and a kiosk are listed at Katoomba Cascades, Echo Point and Gordon Falls. These are useful stops at the access points, not a service point halfway along the walk. Bring what you need for several hours on the track; Echo Point is also the place to pick up area maps before continuing.

The route is officially described as clearly signposted, although some walkers have found a few junction choices confusing. Check the map when you reach a junction rather than assuming every branch follows the cliff walk. Pets and domestic animals are prohibited in this national park; certified assistance animals are allowed.