Narrow Neck to Castle Head

From the locked gate on Glenraphael Dr, on Narrow Neck, this walk heads out to Castle Head lookout. From the Lookout, there are fantastic views over the Jamison Valley back to Katoomba and over to Mount Solitary. You get a birds eye view of Ruined Castle, and distant views of the Three Sisters. Much of the walk follows the western escarpment, giving views most of the way. The road out to the gate is dirt, and is generally well maintained. Let us begin by acknowledging the Dharug & Gundungurra people, Traditional Custodians of the land on which we travel today, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

Emergency access gate. | Photo by admin, 2008.

northern Castle Head track. | Photo by admin, 2008.

Castle Head Norther Track. | Photo by admin, 2008.

View from Narrow neck over the Kedumba Valley. | Photo by admin, 2008.

The famous Blue haze of the mountains. | Photo by admin, 2008.

Track on the ridge to Castle Rock. | Photo by admin, 2008.

The Trig point on Castle Head. | Photo by admin, 2008.

View of Mt Solitary from Castle Head. | Photo by admin, 2008.

View from Castle Head. | Photo by admin, 2008.

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Safer Bushwalks
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

Start	(-33.740631,150.2801995)
Mode	Car (There is free parking available.)
Directions	From Cliff Drive, BMD Turn on to Glenraphael Drive then drive for 990 m Keep left onto Glenraphael Drive and drive for another 1.7 km

Track Notes

Getting started
From the emergency access gate, this walk heads south along the management trail. After a while, it comes to the northern Castle Head track (on the left side of the trail), marked with two treated pine posts either side of the bush track. (For emergency access, keys to the National Park gate are available from the local council, police and National Parks services.)....

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start. There is a car park (about 70 m back from the start). After 70 m head through/around the gate. After another 340 m continue straight, to head along Narrow Neck Fire Trail. After another 160 m come to the viewpoint (40 m on your left). At the intersection of Narrow Neck Fire Trail & (overgrown) continue straight, to head along Narrow Neck Fire Trail.
	After another 325 m continue straight.
	After another 290 m continue straight. After another 80 m continue straight. After another 145 m come to the viewpoint. After another 110 m come to the viewpoint.
	Continue another 680 m to find the end. Then turn around here and retrace the main route for 2.1 km to get back to the start. About 105 m past the end is "Castle Head". Castle Head Castle Head Castle Head has an old trig station and sits on a point on the eastern side of Narrow Neck plateau. From this lookout there are great views across the Jamison Valley, and especially good view across the Ruined Castle to Mt Solitary. + - Castle Head has an old trig station and sits on a point on the eastern side of Narrow Neck plateau. From this lookout there are great views across the Jamison Valley, and especially good view across the Ruined Castle to Mt Solitary.

Terrain

Narrow Neck to Castle Head

Grading

	Class 4/6 Hard track
Length	4.2 km
Time	1 h 45 min to 3 h 30 min

Quality of track	Rough track, where fallen trees and other obstacles are likely (4/6)
Gradient	Short steep hills (3/6)
Signage	Minimal directional signs (4/6)
Infrastructure	Limited facilities (such as cliffs not fenced, significant creeks not bridged) (4/6)
Experience Required	Moderate level of bushwalking experience recommended (4/6)
Weather	Storms may impact on navigation and safety (3/6)

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