Explore the Blue Mountains (north)
1-2hr drive west from 📍 Sydney
We acknowledge the traditional owners. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of the lands where we work, and travel through. We pay respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging.
Regional Explorer Reccos 🥾 Michelle Bates
Favourite coffee spot? Grumpy Baker Bilpin or The Hive. To be honest, we get a coffee at Grumpy Baker, then a second one at The Hive.
Favourite places for grab and go lunches? We pack our lunch because the hiking spots at Mount Banks that we like to go to are a fairly long way away from lunch spots. Sambos and snacks for the win. There is an IGA at Kurrajong that we stock up on snacks at, then some fruit at Bilpin Fruit Bowl, and pastries and coffee from our last stop at Grumpy Baker Bilpin.
Favourite place for a dine in dinner? We love stopping off after our day of hiking at the Hillbilly Cider Bilpin, they do woodfired pizzas and they are ELITE. So, so good. I go a whole pizza myself. Go nuts. Enjoy. Great outdoor eating too, and a fire place.
Favourite activities? Hiking at Mount Banks (the 12km out and back, but there are shorter versions), I hear the canyoning at Mt Wilson is also super fun.
Favourite time of year there and why? Winter because I love to get rugged up in my winter hiking clothes. I have a personal preference of hiking in the colder weather, over sweating it out in summer.
How can people best support the region? Stock up on jams, honey, and other locally made things. There are great stops along the way including Bilpin Fruit Bowl (jam heaven), and The Hive (Cafe that also sells their Bilpin Honey).
About Mish Maree
Mish Maree (she/her) is the Founder and Editor of Regional Explorer. She has worked in media for the last 15+ years and has thrown it all in to explore more of our country. She loves trail running and fire cooking. Mish is available for freelance travel writing. For enquiries, reach out to michelle@for-outsiders.com
Itinerary recommendation
Day trip (full day)
Pack a backpack lunch (sambo is a good idea, and I like to take at least 1litre of water for the 12km hike option)
Leave early (We like leaving by 8 so we don’t start our hike too late, and it times up with hike lunch, and post hike pizza times) and drive from Sydney to Grumpy Baker Bilpin (load up on coffee, pastries) (Google Map) PETROL: I would make sure you have at least half a tank of petrol left from Richmond (bottom of the north side of the mountains), or fill up here. There is limited petrol options from here until you get back down off this side of the mountains.
Keep driving to Mount Banks (Google Map) for a hike (allow a couple of hours or so) - enjoy the drive!
Hike the Mount Banks 12km out and back, you can have your lunch when you get to the most EPIC view) then hike back to car
Stop at The Hive on way back toward Sydney for anyone who wants a coffee ☕️ (Google Map)
Stop off at Hillbilly Cider for the most delicious wood fired pizzas 🍕and a great atmosphere to round out your big day (Google Map)
Drive home (allow 1.5hrs drive back)
Top picks for adventure
Accessible adventure | Camp fires at Cathedral Reserve in Mount Wilson, it is seriously so beautiful here, surrounded by nature
Teenager approved | Beginner canyoning through High and Wild Australian Adventures looks fun
Maxo relaxo nature reset (we are not exerting ourselves here but we are out in nature) | Cathedral of Ferns in Mount Wilson (Ten minute walk/stroll) all our Ferntree Gully dreams comes true. Apparently, if you go in summer on dusk there are fireflies.
Beginner adventurer | Mount Banks short hike from the carpark, maybe a 5-10min walk up the open walking track to where you will be rewarded with an amazing expansive view without much effort or danger (it is open, not through trees - you can see things coming)
Canyoning | This looks so fun, we havn’t done it but are keen to. Scared, but keen. Only go with experienced tour guide operators. It is VERY dangerous. People have died. Things can go south very quickly. Never go anywhere near these places before, during or after rain. ONLY go with experienced guides. The rocks are really slippery, the water is very dangerous (deadly) if you are not in safe conditions. Check out High and Wild Adventures for canyoning near Mount Wilson, and the rest of the Blue Mountains.
Hike | If you head to Mount Banks, there are a handful of hikes with different lengths and grades to choose from. Sometimes we just love stopping in and walking just down from the parking spot to get to where the great views are. Sometimes we hit the 12km out and back. A lot of it is fire trail, which we love.
Top picks for accommodation
Our top rated Airbnbs : 1-2 people 👥 | Couples 💕 | Families 👨👧👦👨👨👧👦 👨👩👦👦 👩👧👧 | Groups 👯♀️👯♂️ (TBC) | Accessible 👨🦼🧑🦯 we have been trying to find options here - why is this so hard? :( working on it | Pet friendly 🐶
Camping / van bookings : Camp Grounds (free camp) ⛺️ This is one of our favourite places to camp. There are pit toilets, and no shower facilities so you need to be prepared for that. There are loads of great camp spots here and loads of fire pit areas (please note local fire restriction signs that are located in the middle of Mount Wilson as you drive through). Also pet friendly. Watch for ticks. At night it gets really buggy in the back area where we love - a lesson learned once the hard way and never forgotten!
Quick links for while you are there ⚡️
Regional Explorer loves 🫶
Coffee and breakfast | Grumpy Baker Bilpin and The Hive
Grab and go lunch | We recommend packing your lunch, or Hillbilly Cider has wood fire pizzas but check it is open before you venture out there
Food | Bilpin Fruit Bowl and IGA Kurrajong Heights
Butcher | Kurrajong Heights Butcher
Bakery | Grumpy Baker Bilpin
Dinner spots | Hillbilly Cider Bilpin (Woodfired pizzas, fire place, good vibes) also open for lunch