Old Ford Reserve - Cox's River - Dunphy's Campground Loop

[Chamullo]

Hi all,

Looking at the tracks marked on the NSW topo map it looks like it would be possible to do a loop walk from the Old Ford Reserve in the Megalong valley, along the 6ft track to Cox's river campground, along the Cox's river to Breakfast Creek and Carlon Creek to Dunphys campground and along the Megalong Road back to Od Ford Reserve.

Has anyone done this route before?

Gaia link (no account needed)

https://www.gaiagps.com/map/?loc=12.1/1 ... 72c46320ea

[Xplora]

There has been discussion about the track up the Cox's before. Not sure about conditions now but you can stay on the northern side of the river all the way until the Jenolan river then you cross and stay on the southern side until near Breakfast Creek. Breakfast creek is one option and Ironmunger the other to Dunphy's. From there it is a boring and long walk back to Old Ford Reserve along the road (which I have never bothered with). Two cars would be better and do the walk in reverse, leaving one at the carpark where the 6 foot track crosses the road. I guess you could also drop your pack at the carpark then drive to Dunphys to drop the car off then back track to the start with a lighter load.

[johnw]

I've done some of those sections in the past but not recently, and only along part of the Coxs, which wasn't too bad back then.
Don't forget the stinging nettles if going up Carlon Creek. Recent reports have suggested they may be worse these days - wear long pants.
An alternative exit to that or Ironmonger Spur is via Pots and Pans Spur from Breakfast Creek. No track but easy enough walking (at least it was).

[Chamullo]

There has been discussion about the track up the Cox's before. Not sure about conditions now but you can stay on the northern side of the river all the way until the Jenolan river then you cross and stay on the southern side until near Breakfast Creek. Breakfast creek is one option and Ironmunger the other to Dunphy's. From there it is a boring and long walk back to Old Ford Reserve along the road (which I have never bothered with). Two cars would be better and do the walk in reverse, leaving one at the carpark where the 6 foot track crosses the road. I guess you could also drop your pack at the carpark then drive to Dunphys to drop the car off then back track to the start with a lighter load.

Thanks Xplora. The reason I was thinking Breakfast Creek was I was planning on comping at Frying Pan flat. Do you have any idea what those crossings of the Cox's would be like with the rain we've had recently? I'm not familiar with the are and don't know how much of a 'river' the Cox's is along that section.

Cheers!

[Chamullo]

I've done some of those sections in the past but not recently, and only along part of the Coxs, which wasn't too bad back then.
Don't forget the stinging nettles if going up Carlon Creek. Recent reports have suggested they may be worse these days - wear long pants.
An alternative exit to that or Ironmonger Spur is via Pots and Pans Spur from Breakfast Creek. No track but easy enough walking (at least it was).

Thanks John.

[Xplora]

Thanks Xplora. The reason I was thinking Breakfast Creek was I was planning on comping at Frying Pan flat. Do you have any idea what those crossings of the Cox's would be like with the rain we've had recently? I'm not familiar with the are and don't know how much of a 'river' the Cox's is along that section.

Cheers!

Stinging nettles were part of the reason I started using Ironmunger and the 40 plus creek crossings. The nettles used to be worse after Carlon Creek and long pants were not enough. I found Ironmunger also much quicker even with the slog up from Breakfast Creek. It would take me 2 hours from the Cox's to Dunphy's on my own but I was much fitter then. Frying Pan is a nice spot to camp (or at least it used to be) and is not that much further up from the Cox's. Its your trip.

On the question of river crossings, hard to say. If you can't cross the Cox's there are alternatives like Tin Pot. Carlons would come down that way with their horses after they were excluded from Breakfast Creek. That is not a bad loop either but would be shorter than your plan. The advantage would be starting and finishing at the same place. Although I have walked this area many many times, it has been a while since moving away so I am hesitant to give an specific advice and better you get it from someone with more recent experience.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Thanks Xplora. The reason I was thinking Breakfast Creek was I was planning on comping at Frying Pan flat. Do you have any idea what those crossings of the Cox's would be like with the rain we've had recently? I'm not familiar with the are and don't know how much of a 'river' the Cox's is along that section.

Cheers!

Stinging nettles were part of the reason I started using Ironmunger and the 40 plus creek crossings. The nettles used to be worse after Carlon Creek and long pants were not enough. I found Ironmunger also much quicker even with the slog up from Breakfast Creek. It would take me 2 hours from the Cox's to Dunphy's on my own but I was much fitter then. Frying Pan is a nice spot to camp (or at least it used to be) and is not that much further up from the Cox's. Its your trip.

On the question of river crossings, hard to say. If you can't cross the Cox's there are alternatives like Tin Pot. Carlons would come down that way with their horses after they were excluded from Breakfast Creek. That is not a bad loop either but would be shorter than your plan. The advantage would be starting and finishing at the same place. Although I have walked this area many many times, it has been a while since moving away so I am hesitant to give an specific advice and better you get it from someone with more recent experience.

Tinpot/Goolara would be a very good option, great views (and not shortening the trip by too much). Even if the river is crossable it's a good option but could throw in a side trip to lower jenolan gorge (maybe camp at its junction with the cox, instead of frying pan) before backtracking a little and climbing out via tinpot? Another alternative of comparable length... to make a loop without a (bitumen) road bash, and assuming the cox is crossable, you could climb out from the cox via black glen spur on the south side to pick up the cronje mountain trail, then back to the old ford via the 6ft (as with the tinpot option, could throw in a side trip to check out lower jenolan gorge)?

[Tyreless]

Coxs River at Kelpie Point is currently 0.92m. That's pretty high - my understanding is that anything over 0.7m is difficult or dangerous to cross at the bottom of Strongleg / Yellow Pup.

https://www.waterwaysguide.org.au/conte ... lpie-point

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Whichever way you go it would be good to get a report back on scrub on the spurs/ridges

[Chamullo]

Tinpot/Goolara would be a very good option, great views (and not shortening the trip by too much). Even if the river is crossable it's a good option but could throw in a side trip to lower jenolan gorge (maybe camp at its junction with the cox, instead of frying pan) before backtracking a little and climbing out via tinpot? Another alternative of comparable length... to make a loop without a (bitumen) road bash, and assuming the cox is crossable, you could climb out from the cox via black glen spur on the south side to pick up the cronje mountain trail, then back to the old ford via the 6ft (as with the tinpot option, could throw in a side trip to check out lower jenolan gorge)?

Ok,cheers. So is there some sort of track over Tinpot/Goolara? Nothing marked on my map

[Chamullo]

Coxs River at Kelpie Point is currently 0.92m. That's pretty high - my understanding is that anything over 0.7m is difficult or dangerous to cross at the bottom of Strongleg / Yellow Pup.

https://www.waterwaysguide.org.au/conte ... lpie-point

Thanks Tyreless, that’s a good resource that I didn’t realise existed

[Chamullo]

Whichever way you go it would be good to get a report back on scrub on the spurs/ridges

Will do!

[tom_brennan]

Has anyone done this route before?

I've walked all of the east bank from the 6 Foot Track crossing to Breakfast Creek, other than near Jenolan River, where we crossed to the west bank and camped.

Until you get into the National Park near Goolara Peak, you are walking through sections of private property. I don't believe the landholders are particularly precious, as people have been walking those routes for years and I haven't heard of any disagreements, but best to keep a low profile. I don't know about the west side.

The Coxs River would be a challenge to cross at the moment - probably chest deep and flowing, if not a swim.

The banks of the Coxs between Jenolan River and Breakfast Creek have riverside bluffs in places. Sticking to the east side the whole way may be tricky
https://bushwalkingnsw.com/walk.php?nid=1015

There are many options for getting out of that part of the Coxs, mostly on unmarked routes/tracks - that used to be fairly open Pretty much every ridge "goes".

[Chamullo]

Has anyone done this route before?

I've walked all of the east bank from the 6 Foot Track crossing to Breakfast Creek, other than near Jenolan River, where we crossed to the west bank and camped.

The Coxs River would be a challenge to cross at the moment - probably chest deep and flowing, if not a swim.

There are many options for getting out of that part of the Coxs, mostly on unmarked routes/tracks - that used to be fairly open Pretty much every ridge "goes".

Thanks Tom! So assuming that the Cox’s is uncrossable at the moment, are there any nice spots to camp on the east side before the Jenolan river before heading out up one of the ridges?

[Xplora]

Some nice spots just before Jenolan River. Carlon's used to camp there. Lots of Brown snakes too.

[irrgent]

If my attempted trip a few months ago is anything to go by all the ridge tops in that area will be very overgrown and slow, tedious going. Interested to hear any reports to the contrary though.

[Chamullo]

If my attempted trip a few months ago is anything to go by all the ridge tops in that area will be very overgrown and slow, tedious going. Interested to hear any reports to the contrary though.

Attempted?

[irrgent]

Tried to get to Knights Deck but gave up and turned back as the regrowth made the going too slow.

[Chamullo]

Tried to get along the east bank of the Cox's river last weekend but turned back after about 1.5 km. I arrived at Cox's River campground late afternoon and set up camp. Had a couple of hours of light left so crossed back over the swing bridge and started down the east bank of the Cox's without a pack to see what I would be in for the following day. To call it a slog would be an understatement. I'm not sure if it would be more scrambling over boulders when the water is lower but as it is now you are pushed high up onto the steep bank where you're trying to push your way through thick bush and creepers. Took about an hour to do 1km, and that's without a pack. I couldn't imagine doing 7km of that with a 12kg pack on my back so had to change plans and just stayed on the 6ft track.

I might try one of the loops suggested in and back from Dunphey's in these coming weeks, see how that goes.