Grand Canyon from Blackheath: a day out with OZ Outdoors

By Manish · Walked 24 May 2026

Inside Grand Canyon during our walk on 24 May 2026.

On Sunday, 24 May, I led 14 people from OZ Outdoors on a full-day walk in the Blue Mountains. We took the train from Central to Blackheath, walked through Grand Canyon and returned to the station via Evans Lookout, Govetts Leap and Pope’s Glen.

The morning was cloudy, with a grey sky. Autumn was almost finished in Blackheath, although there was still colour in the trees and plenty of fallen leaves along the streets.

Autumn leaves along a Blackheath street under a grey sky — Autumn was almost finished when we arrived in Blackheath.

From Blackheath into Grand Canyon

We had planned a longer day than the Grand Canyon track on its own. Starting and finishing at Blackheath Station let us include the canyon, the lookouts and the connecting tracks in one circuit, all reached by public transport.

From the station, we walked through Blackheath and followed the fire trail towards Neates Glen and Grand Canyon.

Members of our group walking along a tree-lined fire trail near Blackheath — Following the fire trail towards Grand Canyon.

Down in the canyon, the scenery changed. Ferns grew beside the creek and along the sandstone walls, with stepping stones and narrow sections of track taking us through the gorge. The photographs show the light reaching between the cliffs, and our group passing the waterfall along the way.

Walkers beside a waterfall beneath a sandstone overhang in Grand Canyon — The group beside a waterfall along the Grand Canyon walking track.

A walker beneath tall sandstone cliffs and ferns in Grand Canyon — Following the walking track through the gorge.

We completed the canyon loop and climbed out towards Evans Lookout, where we stopped for a break.

A surprise at Evans Lookout

One person had been running late that morning and was behind us. Somehow, he managed to find us and join the group at Evans Lookout. We were quite surprised that he had caught up, because we had been moving at a fairly quick pace.

It was also a reminder of why I’m building TrekMeet. When someone is running late, I want it to be easier to stay in touch with the group and work out where to meet.

Members of our group looking across the valley from Evans Lookout — A break at Evans Lookout after climbing out of the canyon.

After our break, we continued towards Govetts Leap and returned through Pope’s Glen to Blackheath Station. By the time we finished, the grey morning had turned into a bright afternoon. We had a wonderful day together, and it was lovely to read everyone’s comments afterwards.

An early day out with TrekMeet

I was also testing TrekMeet during this walk. The screenshots here are from an early version of the app. There have been many updates since then, and the screens and features are much more refined now.

The route is in the TrekMeet library as Grand Canyon Loop from Blackheath via Govetts Leap. Its library figures are about 17.7 km with 795 m of elevation gain. These describe the reference route, rather than a completed recording of our day.

An early TrekMeet map showing the Grand Canyon route from Blackheath — Early TrekMeet version, May 2026. The map shows the library route and my position, not a completed recording. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

An early TrekMeet event screen for the Grand Canyon Loop from Blackheath — Early TrekMeet version, May 2026. The route figures, duration and finish warning are estimates, not our final recorded result.

For anyone planning something similar, this is a longer outing than the standard Grand Canyon track, which NSW National Parks lists as a 6.3 km loop. Allow for the additional distance and climbs, and check the current track information and park alerts before setting out.