Parking
Govetts Leap lookout at the end of Govetts Leap Road from Blackheath; several designated parking spaces and toilets at the lookout.
Overview
About Pulpit walking track
Why go
- Broad Grose Valley views from several cliff-edge lookouts
- Horseshoe Falls and an isolated sandstone pinnacle on one return walk
Heads up
- Steep stairs and a creek crossing add effort
- The mapped line is much shorter than the published 7 km return distance
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Blue Mountains map
Full mapElevation864–1,007 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 Pulpit walking track, 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
Govetts Leap and Bridal Veil Falls0:00 / 0:31
“Govetts Leap lookout is coming up, with sandstone walls enclosing the Grose Valley and Bridal Veil Falls dropping about a hundred and eighty metres down the cliff.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Blue Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Blue Mountains Heritage Centre
- How Rain Sends Up a Scent
- The Approach to Pulpit Rock Lookout
- Walls Cave and the Creek Gorge
- 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 Pulpit walking track
The full return walkThe Pulpit walking track is a 7 km return walk from Govetts Leap lookout to Pulpit Rock lookout…
The Pulpit walking track is a 7 km return walk from Govetts Leap lookout to Pulpit Rock lookout and back, usually 2–3 hours. This Grade 3 route descends by steps to Popes Glen Creek near Horseshoe Falls, climbs to the lookout above the falls, then follows the cliffline through heath, hanging swamps and eucalypt forest to Pulpit Rock. The destination is an isolated sandstone pinnacle above the Grose Valley.
Distance and routeUse 7 km as the planning distance.
Use 7 km as the planning distance. The route line available here is substantially shorter than that published return figure; check the park’s detailed track map for the complete walk. Pulpit Rock Road provides a separate, shorter access to the lookout and skips the Govetts Leap approach.
Terrain and paceExpect steep stair sections, a creek crossing and exposed cliffline lookouts.
Expect steep stair sections, a creek crossing and exposed cliffline lookouts. Carry water, a hat, sunscreen and a compass, and keep well back from cliff edges. Allow time for stops at the lookouts.
Valley views and wildflowersLookouts open onto the Grose Valley and distant escarpments; the panorama spans about 280…
Lookouts open onto the Grose Valley and distant escarpments; the panorama spans about 280 degrees. November is a good time to look for wildflowers in the heath.
Start and accessStart at Govetts Leap lookout, reached by Govetts Leap Road from Blackheath.
Start at Govetts Leap lookout, reached by Govetts Leap Road from Blackheath. There are several designated parking spaces and toilets at the lookout. Pets are prohibited, except certified assistance animals.
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.
