Two new walking tracks are opening this school holidays for visitors to explore the dramatic sandstone cliff lines and iconic pagoda landscapes in the incredible Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area (SCA) near Lithgow, NSW.
A new family friendly walking track is on offer among the eucalypts and colourful wattles along the new 6-kilometre Broad Swamp Loop Walk.
This new track enables visitors to admire Broad Swamp while also enhancing its protection as an endangered ecological community.
For those more adventurous, the Broad Swamp to Birds Rock Walking Track is a 17.5-kilometre hike showcasing stunning scenery, including previously inaccessible, remote creeks, gorges, clifftop views and pagoda formations.
Starting from Broad Swamp, the walking track traverses intricate gullies, spectacular cliff lines and lookouts with Carne Creek as a backdrop, finishing at Birds Rock carpark.
It is the culmination of 18 months of work transforming an eroded informal trail into a world-class walking track. Part of the $49.5 million Gardens of Stone SCA visitor infrastructure program, the new walks include the first stage of what will eventually become a unique multi-day walk.
The new tracks open today and coincide with the completion of upgrades at the popular Lost City precinct, including a formalised carpark, road enhancements, toilets and visitor information.
Meanwhile, the development of new visitor experiences and precincts is continuing at Gardens of Stone SCA, including Bungleboori Picnic Area and Forest Campground. Works will be staged over the coming two years.
“These new walks will be wonderful to draw visitors to these magnificent locations while safeguarding the area’s largest, yet fragile swamp,” said the Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Trish Doyle.
“The tracks are fantastic news for families, hikers and nature lovers and will be a drawcard for visitors, driving economic and tourism growth and creating new bushwalking routes of international significance in our backyard.”