Credit: Kirsten Cunningham Photography
Please check for closures at present with the National Parks website here.
Cool off in the heat, enjoy the great outdoors and take the kiddos to one of our fave family friendly spots listed below for an unforgettable adventure.
As a designated UNESCO World Heritage Area, the impact on the environment is a huge concern in all natural and protected environments and sunscreen in particular is a hot topic in the Blue Mountains National Park.
If you can avoid wearing sunscreen and wear rashies, long sleeves and hats instead, you’ll reduce your impact and the amount of pollution from sunscreen washing off in the pristine creeks and pools.
As always on nature adventures, be conscious of rubbish and take everything you came with back home. If anyone does need to go to the toilet where there are no facilities, use common sense and move away from waterways (ideally 100m), dig a hole at least 15cm deep and bury number two’s properly!
For more info on leaving no trace check out the NSW National Parks and Wildlife website here.
More of a splash pool, the Pool of Siloam is a great swim spot perfect for younger tiny kids to play around in the water beneath the waterfall and explore the pool easily and safely. The creek that runs from the waterfall is an oasis of rock hopping adventures, crayfish, birds, lizards and crystal clear water shaded by the overhanging bush.
The shortest walking track starts at Gordon Falls Picnic Area where there are toilet facilities and a basic playground and descends 450 metres to the base of the waterfall. For a longer walk look at the options on the Lyrebird Dell Track which has a 4 kilometre option and passes Siloam Pools.
The path is well maintained and sandstone stair blocks make walking in the wet a lot easier and less treacherous than the muddier tracks of Minnehaha Falls. Little legs will tire on the way back up, but the path is wide and there are plenty of little things to look at while you have a break.
Bring food and water and you can easily spend a few hours exploring the base of the falls.
More info and maps here
For more swimming holes in the Blue Mountains see here.
