Broad Swamp to Birds Rock
Broad Swamp to Birds Rock
Uphill, downhill, through dry forest, over creeks, past pagodas, and every view in between. This 17.5km trail wanders through previously hard-to-reach or inaccessible parts of the ever-stunning Gardens of Stone — now open to the public on a new trail. This is Broad Swamp to Birds Rock.
Quick Details
Length: 17.5km to 27.3km
Elevation: Due to a tech glitch, I didn’t record it. There are plenty of hills, but most are short and not too steep.
Grade: Moderate to Hard
Best season: Autumn, Winter, Spring
Suitable for kids: Only if they’re okay with the distance
Starting the Trail
As I get out of the car, the day is already shaping up to be perfect hiking weather for a 17.5km day out. I hadn’t been over to this section of Gardens of Stone before, so I was excited for a new challenge. The trailhead starts right from the new parking area on an old fire track before turning into the bush on a narrow foot track.
The first part of the trail is the same one used for the 6km loop around Broad Swamp and takes you through sclerophyll forest — your typical dry Aussie bushland. The scrub and saplings on either side of the track are high and at times it feels a little like walking through a maze in a cornfield. The trail crosses an old fire trail after about ten minutes before continuing through the bush.
Broad Swamp
Soon the bushland starts to thin out as I near Broad Swamp. Some might raise an eyebrow at the idea of building a track around a swamp. When most of us think of a swamp we picture dark, dank, and dreary pools of thick mud — and maybe a young boy and his horse (if you’ve seen a certain 80’s movie). But Broad Swamp isn’t like that at all.
The Newnes Plateau Shrub Swamps are rare and endangered ecosystems. They filter water through their streams and are home to many threatened species of plants and animals, like the Giant Dragonfly, whose babies are called “nymphs” — a detail I can’t help but find adorable. As the trail nears the edge of the swamp you’ll notice planks of timber to protect the ground beneath your feet.
The swamp itself looks like a beautiful meadow that — if it weren’t for the threat of snakes hiding in long grass — might seem like a fun place to run. But those grasses and shrubs are the cover for the wetland beneath.
The trail reaches a second fire trail; turning right will see you cross the creek and continue up the hill for the loop walk. As I’m hiking out to Birds Rock, however, I go straight ahead, back into the bush after walking down to check out the creek first.
Back to the Trail
The trail continues through the bush with the occasional wooden plank to walk on. Dry bushland may not be dramatic, but it’s good for noticing the small things — termite mounds, weirdly shaped trees, pops of wildflower colour, and odd little things found in the trees.
This trail is the first section of a longer (currently not finished) walk planned to go from Broad Swamp to the Glow Worm Tunnel — around 30km in length. There are plenty of hills, but most are short and not too steep. The day is starting to warm up and the trail offers little shade — which is why I haven’t recommended this trail for year-round hiking. It would be a tough trek in the heat of summer.
NPWS have done a great job installing features along the trail to make hiking just that much easier. Most hill sections are managed by stairs, and there are no sidetracks to confuse anything. As I climb a short hill I’m met with a sign warning of exposed cliff edges nearby, marking the first pagoda section of the hike.
Pagoda Views
The forest falls away and the view stretches as far as the eye can see — I can even see the trail ahead on the distant hills. A large pagoda sits next to the trail, and it seems like a good place to stop for a snack and to reapply sunscreen. Pagodas rise up from the gullies and forest around me, dotting the landscape like a ruined city reclaimed by nature.
The trail wanders down the hill in a roundabout sort of way, down through forest and back up again to the top of the hills. Soon the track heads downhill and brings me to the base of some pagodas, and the path feels like walking through narrow stone corridors as it weaves between the rocky formations.
It’s a nice section of the trail — albeit short. All too soon the track starts climbing back uphill, still wandering past the pagodas in places. The sound of the wind through the trees was so loud I actually checked the map to see if a waterfall was nearby.
Back to the Trail
The next 6 or so kilometres blur into a rhythm: uphill, downhill, forest, creek, pagoda views — repeat. It’s a nice chance to relax in the solitude of the trail. I loved the sections that pass through the bases of the pagodas, and really wish that the trail went through them a bit longer each time before climbing back up the hill.
The first group of pagodas were quite a distance from the track, so could be admired for the full view. As the trail continued through more pagoda areas, each time they were closer to the track and were more impressive than the last — although maybe that’s just because I could see them better.
Around midday I crossed Carne Creek. The water is low but I take the opportunity to splash some cold water on my neck. The day was turning out hotter than I expected and there’s a decent-sized hill in front of me waiting to be climbed, so the creek and the shady ferns nearby were a welcome sight.
The trail crosses a few creek beds. Not all of them had water through them on my visit, but I expect the crossings are purpose-built for seasonal creeks that don’t run in dry spells. Seeing the contrast between the green around the creeks and the way it slowly changed to drier plants the further away from the creeks I got was interesting and I’d really love to see this trail after some decent rain — I think it would look totally different to what it did on this visit.
There are a couple of sections where the trail passes over bare rock, making it hard to see where the trail goes. If you find yourself looking around for the track, just keep stepping in the same direction and it soon reappears. I only dropped the trail once or twice and found it again within a few steps. Most of the trail though is perfectly clear to follow.
As I got closer to the border of Birds Rock Flora Reserve it was mostly uphill — and hard work in the heat. I decided to take my gaiters off, telling myself that the snakes were probably done warming up and were chilling off-track. Two minutes later a small brown snake slithered across the path — so the gaiters went back on my legs!
As I pass over the boundary there’s a side track that’s been blocked off, and I wondered if it might be a future campsite for the planned three-day, 30km walk. I’m about 10km in from the trailhead here, so it would make sense. It would make for a nice camping area though being so remote.
Birds Rock Flora Reserve
I’m not sure what this would look like at other times of the year, but since it’s wildflower season the sides of the trail are covered in blooms. Like much of the track before this section, it’s mostly just a bush track, uphill and downhill, but there were a lot more wildflowers here. At times it was like walking through a sea of green and gold.
As the trail climbs towards the Birds Rock fire trail, I’m met with one last set of pagodas, and by far they’re the best of the day — equally impressive for how large they are and how intricate the erosion patterns are.
They line the other side of the gully like sentinels overlooking the valley. I take the time to rest, snack on a muesli bar, and enjoy the cool breeze and the view before continuing up the hill to the endpoint of my hike.
Carne View Lookout
As I reach the top of the hill I’m met with a fire trail and turn right towards the lookout, just 650m away. The trail leads right up to the edge of the cliff — and at the time of writing is unfenced. The view is incredible. I’ve seen this valley before, just a kilometre or so further up and on the other side.
Peering down into the valley below I catch glimpses of Carne Creek. The valley floor looks incredible. I’m not sure if there are any tracks down there but I’d love to explore it if there were. The cliffs are stunning and it would make an amazing spot to see a sunset. A small flock of birds played in the wind around me, flying up the cliff face before diving back down to the valley.
Hiker String Theory
I head back up the fire trail toward Birds Rock car park — and this is where I made my big blunder of the day. The trail is 17.5km from Broad Swamp to the Birds Rock car park and is advertised as 25km return. I thought I had read somewhere that the return was on the fire trail; also, in my head, I thought 17.5km × 2 = 35km, so it must be a different track.
Earlier in the week I used the very scientific method of measuring the fire trail on the map with a piece of string. I got more than 30km for the total hike — I call it Hiker String Theory. What I should have done (since I was hiking solo and couldn’t do a car shuffle) was return on the same trail. It’s worth noting that this would still make the return hike 27.3km, not the advertised 25km.
It wasn't until I was at the Birds Rock car park (3km past the turnoff to the trail) that I realised my mistake and by then it was too late. I figured the fire trail might be longer, but at least it would be mostly flat or downhill (and easier to walk on in the dark). Thankfully, a couple of very kind bike riders passed me on the trail and offered to come back and collect me in their car.
It was a long day, the views were incredible, the pagodas were beautiful, and the track condition was fantastic. I’m so excited to see the next part of the trail when it’s finished in the next eighteen months — it promises even more amazing views.
Getting There
The Broad Swamp car park is just off Glow Worm Tunnel Road in Gardens of Stone. From Bells Line, turn onto Old Bells Line Road at Zig Zag Railway, drive to the end of the road and turn right. From Lithgow, find your way onto State Mine Gully Road which merges into Glow Worm Tunnel Road. There are signs to the car park; it’s about 2.3km from the Bungleboori picnic area.
Tips and Tricks
You can find more information about this walk on the NPWS website.
If you’re not able to do a car shuffle between the two car parks, return on the hiking trail to Broad Swamp.
I don’t recommend hiking this trail on hot days unless you have experience doing so.
Be sure to stay on the trail, especially around Broad Swamp as it’s a delicate ecosystem that needs our care and protection.
Thank you to Steve and Gemma for showing kindness to a stranger — you guys saved me from hiking back to the car in the dark.