Hanging Rock, Blue Mountains: Walking distance & lookout safety

The Burramoko trail to Hanging Rock in the Blackheath section of the Blue Mountains National Park is 10km return. You can also mountain bike along the trail.

What is Hanging Rock in the Blue Mountains?

Hanging Rock in the Blue Mountains is an instantly recognisable rock bluff that sticks out above the deep valley beneath it.

Where is Hanging Rock?

Hanging Rock is in the Grose Wilderness inside the Blackheath section of the Blue Mountains National Park. It overlooks the Grose Valley.

5 fab ways to explore: Which Blue Mountains tour should I book?

There are dozens of Blue Mountains day tours leaving Sydney every day. The best choice will come down to personal preference and what’s included. Almost all include Echo Point and the Three Sisters – it’s just the rest of the itinerary that varies. These tours are the best bets.

Good value tour including Featherdale Wildlife Park, Scenic World & Parramatta River cruise.
Similar itinerary, but with small group and lunch included.
Wildlife-focused tour including Calmsley Hill City Farm, Govetts Leap lookout & Blue Mountains Botanic Garden.
Small group tour including bushwalks, Featherdale, Glenbrook lookouts and Govetts Leap.
Crowd-avoiding sunset tour including Euroka campground kangaroos & Wentworth Falls bushwalk.

How to get to Hanging Rock: The Burramoko trail

Hanging Rock is at the end of the 10km return Burramoko trail. It’s by no means the toughest rock in the Blue Mountains National Park, but it’s not a leisurely stroll either.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service recommends setting aside two hours for the walk to Hanging Rock.

The 10km Hanging Rock walk starts from by the locked gate on Ridgewell Road in Blackheath. There is parking near the gate, but go early on weekends as the spaces fill up pretty quickly.

7 Blue Mountains experiences you should pre-book

The Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains.

Scenic World tickets – combine dramatic train rides, cable cars & forest walks.
The Blue Mountains hop-on, hop-off bus – get around Katoomba and Leura’s top sites hassle-free.
Guided stargazing with an astrophysicist – learn how to read the clear night skies.
Give canyoning a try – jumping, climbing and sliding through Empress Canyon.
Take a half day abseiling adventure – in the Blue Mountains National Park.
Indulge in a local produce tasting experience – with beers, wines & meats.
Get adventurous – on a 4WD tour to the world’s second largest canyon.

Cycling the Burramoko trail

The Burramoko trail is not reserve solely for walkers. It is also a popular mountain bike track. Again, it’s a medium difficulty trail.

In Blackheath, you can hire an e-bike for half a day – which is perfect from tackling the Burramoko trail to Hanging Rock. Find out more here.

Hanging Rock lookout

The Baltzer Lookout, from where you can take the best photos of Hanging Rock, comes just before Hanging Rock itself. At both the Baltzer Lookout and Hanging Rock, you need to be very careful. There is no fencing around the edge, and it is a long drop down into the Grose Valley. It’s recommended that you stay away from the very edge.

Sun rising over Hanging Rock in the Blue Mountains. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

Other highlights in the Blackheath section of the Blue Mountains National Park include Pulpit Rock, the Evans Lookout, Govetts Leap, Victoria Falls, the Mount Hay summit walk and the Grand Canyon.

Other top Blue Mountains sights include Hassans Walls in Lithgow, plus the Scenic Railway and the Three Sisters at Echo Point in Katoomba. In the Glenbrook section of the Blue Mountains National Park, you can take in the views from the Mount Portal Lookout, swim in Jellybean Pool and see kangaroos at the Euroka campground.