River Walk (Blue Lake)

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Safer Bushwalks Tips on staying safe on track
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.

Getting There Transport options and directions

Start	(-33.8191096,150.0238181)
Mode	Car (There is free parking available.)
Directions	From Great Western Highway, A32 Turn on to then drive for 105 m Turn slight left onto Jenolan Caves Road, 1 and drive for another 45.7 km

Track Notes Turn by turn instructions & maps

Getting started
From the eastern side of the Grand Arch, the walk heads over the road to the right of the bridge and the lake behind. The walk then tends left around the lake for approximately 40m to an intersection marked by a 'No swimming fishing or throwing stones' sign.....

Terrain Know the Hills, grading & facilities

River Walk (Blue Lake)

Grading

	Class 3/6 Moderate track
Length	2.7 km
Time	1 h 15 min to 1 h 30 min

Quality of track	Clear and well formed track or trail (2/6)
Gradient	Short steep hills (3/6)
Signage	Clearly signposted (1/6)
Infrastructure	Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
Experience Required	No experience required (1/6)
Weather	Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)

Articles Discover more details to thrive on track

Blue Lake
Blue Lake, or Lake Jenolan, is a small lake on the eastern side of the Grand Arch. The lake is fed by the River Styx and the Jenolan River. Blue Lake's intense colour comes from the refraction of light through limestone sediments.

Jenolan Caves Hydroelectric Power Station
Jenolan Cave Hydroelectric Power Station was originally a Leffel Wheel, built in 1889 on the Jenolan River. The building has a glass front with a light switch to show the large machinery which was once used to power Jenolan. Near the hydroelectric building, there is a nice picnic area by the weir.

De Burghs Bridge
The bridge spanning out from the Grand Arch was designed by Mr Ernest M. De Burgh, and built by the Public Works Department in 1896. The bridge allowed greater access to the caves and was built from locally cut limestone.

Get more information
Wildwalks

Weather & Alerts Check forecasts & closures
Weather Forecast
- Jenolan Caves Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed
  
  Thursday 1 May
  
  13°C
  Partly cloudy.
  30% chance of rain
  
  Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers about the Blue Mountains, most likely in the late morning and afternoon. Near zero chance of rain elsewhere. Winds southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h. Daytime maximum temperatures between 12 and 19.
  
  UV Alert: Sun protection 9:50am to 2:10pm, UV Index predicted to reach 5 [Moderate]
  
  Friday 2 May
  
  7°C → 16°C
  Partly cloudy.
  30% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers about the Blue Mountains, most likely in the late morning and afternoon. Near zero chance of rain elsewhere. Winds east to southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h. Overnight temperatures falling to between 4 and 8 with daytime temperatures reaching between 15 and 20.
  
  Saturday 3 May
  
  7°C → 17°C
  Mostly sunny.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Partly cloudy. The chance of morning fog on and east of the ranges. Slight chance of a shower about the Blue Mountains, near zero chance elsewhere. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 25 km/h during the morning. Overnight temperatures falling to between 3 and 8 with daytime temperatures reaching between 16 and 21.
  
  Sunday 4 May
  
  8°C → 18°C
  Mostly sunny.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Mostly sunny. Slight chance of a shower about the Blue Mountains, near zero chance elsewhere. Winds east to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h tending east to northeasterly during the morning then becoming light during the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 4 and 9 with daytime temperatures reaching between 17 and 22.
  
  Monday 5 May
  
  9°C → 20°C
  Mostly sunny.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Mostly sunny.
  
  Tuesday 6 May
  
  9°C → 21°C
  Partly cloudy.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Partly cloudy.
  
  Wednesday 7 May
  
  9°C → 21°C
  Mostly sunny.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Mostly sunny.
  
  Forecast data thanks to © Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Alerts
- Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve alerts
  Other planned events: Notice of ongoing 1080 baiting program
  NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is conducting an ongoing ground baiting program from Thursday 2 May 2024 to Monday 5 May 2025 in the following areas:
  
  Abercrombie River National Park
  
  Abercrombie River State Conservation Area
  
  Kanangra-Boyd National Park
  
  Blue Mountains National Park (southern section)
  
  Wollemi National Park (Wolga)
  
  Gardens of Stone National Park
  
  Jenolan Karst Conservation Area
  
  Turon National Park
  
  Marrangaroo National Park
  
  The operation will use 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) poison for the control of wild dogs and foxes.
  The program is designed to minimise predator impacts on wildlife, especially threatened species, and to minimise impact of wild dogs on neighbouring stock.
  Signs will be placed at the entry to the baiting location. Domestic pets are not permitted in NSW National Parks managed lands. Pets and working dogs may be affected (1080 is lethal to cats and dogs). Pets and working dogs must be restrained or muzzled in the vicinity and must not enter the baiting location. In the event of accidental poisoning seek immediate veterinary assistance.
  For more information, contact the NPWS Kanangra area office at Oberon on 02 6336 6200.
  
  Closed parks: Park closed for major road repairs
  Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve is closed until 2026 while Transport for NSW repairs flood-damaged roads and landslips.
  There is no access to Six Foot track via Jenolan Caves.
  Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, contact the local NPWS office.
  
  Alert kindly provided by © NSW Nataional Parks and Wildlife Service

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