Parking
Park at the end of Fairlight Road near The Rock Lookout, Mulgoa. The final road section is dirt and gravel; park gates are open only during daylight. A picnic area is at the shared access.
Overview
About Rileys Mountain Trail
Why go
- A short heath-and-forest walk to a broad Nepean gorge view.
- The Rock Lookout makes a separate, very short outing from the same car park.
Heads up
- The destination is an unfenced rock ledge.
- Walkers share the track with mountain bikes and horses.
Rileys Mountain Trail is an easy-to-moderate 5 km (3.1 mi) return walk from Fairlight Road to a rocky lookout. Allow about 1½ hours. The track passes through swampy heath and eucalyptus forest before opening to a wider view over the Nepean River and lower Blue Mountains. The route on the map follows the outward leg; return the same way.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the walk for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Blue Mountains map
Full mapElevation159–247 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 Rileys Mountain Trail, 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 area
Euroka Campground and the Grassy Clearings0:00 / 0:34
“Up ahead is Euroka campground, with five grassy camping areas among the gum trees. Choose it for a simple bush camp, with unmarked tent spots a short walk from parking.”
Plays on the road 2.3 km from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Blue Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Termite’s Tiny Digestive Crew
- The Sandstone Sharpening Stone
- Why the Rainbow Moves
- The Kangaroo's Fifth Foot
- 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 Rileys Mountain Trail
Finding the lookoutFrom the road-end car park, take the right fork for Rileys Mountain and follow the sign where…
From the road-end car park, take the right fork for Rileys Mountain and follow the sign where the track later branches left. The Rock Lookout is a separate short path west of the car park, so return to the lot to start this walk. The track is shared with mountain bikes and horses. The last part of Fairlight Road is dirt and gravel, and park gates open only during daylight. A picnic area is at the shared access. Pets are prohibited in the park except certified assistance animals.
At the rock ledgeThe Rileys viewpoint is higher and broader than The Rock Lookout, with the gorge and river…
The Rileys viewpoint is higher and broader than The Rock Lookout, with the gorge and river below. Its bare sandstone makes a striking foreground, but the edge is unfenced; enjoy the view from well back. This entry ends at Rileys Mountain Lookout. Longer ridge itineraries continue beyond it to other lookouts and are separate, longer walks.
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.
