Evans Crown
Evans Crown
There’s nothing quite like the sight of a wide open sky stretching from one horizon to the other. Whether it’s the pale pink of sunrise, the deep blue of midday, or the orange glow of sunset — there’s nothing quite like a wide open sky. This is Evans Crown.
Quick Details
Length: 2.6km
Elevation: 120m
Grade: Easy to Moderate (short but steep)
Best Season: Year round
Suitable for kids: Yes
Starting the Trail
As good as it is to enjoy sunrise from the comfort of bed while fast asleep — there’s just something about the crunch of gravel under tyres in the pre-dawn light that inspires excitement for the day ahead. Stepping out into crisp air, birds stirring in the trees above, and the pale light chasing night from the horizon.
In the quiet of dawn, the short but steep trail up to Evans Crown feels like a peaceful place to be. The path is straightforward — a well-marked set of stairs climbing steadily uphill. At that hour, you’ll likely have the track to yourself, save for a few rock wallabies. We’ve hiked this trail at all times of day, but sunrise is possibly our favourite.
During the day the trail is often still quiet, though you may pass a few other people. The light makes it easier to see the details you’d miss at dawn or dusk. On our last visit, a large tree had been cut up where it had fallen across the path. The little adventurers were pretty happy to find some offcuts, insisting on carrying them because “It smells like trees.” Guys, you’re literally in a nature reserve — everything here smells like trees. “Yeah, but not like this.”
As the stairs bring you higher up the hill you’ll start to notice granite boulders either side of the track. It’s from here that you start to catch views down to the valley below — a brief glimpse of the views to find at the top of the hill from Evans Crown.
At the top of the staircase you’ll reach a signpost: Evans Crown to the left, “Views to the West” to the right. If you take the right-hand track and find yourself walking downhill through a clearing, you’re looping back toward the Crown, not to the lookout. There are quite a few trails that cross over each other at the top of the hill, so it’s best to bring an open mind for a little exploration.
Whether it’s sunrise, sunset, or midday, the tracks can be faint. As a general rule, keep the big granite boulders on your left when walking out toward the Crown and you’ll eventually find a path that leads to a scramble up the granite tors.
What's a Granite Tor?
Evans Crown is made of granite tors — great stacks of stone balanced as if by chance. They were shaped over millions of years, as water found the smallest cracks and slowly pried the rock apart as the land around them fell away. What remains are sculpted towers, boulders, and blocks that look as though a giant carefully stacked them all neatly on top of a hill.
Back to the Trail
The trails winding around the base of the granite towers are a natural playground for little adventurers — perfect for practicing climbing and scrambling. We actually had a hard time convincing the boys to continue on to the Crown itself — they were quite happy scrambling over the smaller rocks.
While the track is little more than an uphill walk, the Crown at the top offers hours of exploring if you’re willing to wander from rock to rock. It’s also common to find local wildlife around, like echidnas and wallabies — though you’ll need to move quietly to spot them.
Evans Crown
Once you find a place to scramble up, the boulders become a world of imagination — squeezing through tunnels, ducking under ledges, and climbing into little hideaways. The kids turned the rocks into their own kingdom: sliding, climbing, and inventing games. It’s the kind of spot where imaginations run wild — every rock face a castle wall, every boulder a lookout tower.
You can climb a fair way up the rocks without ropes, but we’ve never made it all the way to the top. I’m sure rock climbers do, but with two adventurous boys along for the hike, we weren’t keen on giving them ideas. Instead, we chose a wide slab of granite halfway up and called it good.
There’s nothing quite like the sight of a wide open sky stretching from one horizon to the other. From Evans Crown you can see it all. The setting sun washed the rocks in golden light, throwing long shadows across the Crown. The air cooled, the hills turned purple, and the horizon seemed to stretch even further away.
As we settled in to watch the sky turn orange, the air was filled with the sounds of the boys laughing as they slid down the rocks again and again. Their jumpers were torn and dirty from their natural playground, but those can be replaced. The memories of playing with their brother in the fading light of a warm winter afternoon will stay with them far longer.
The natural beauty of Evans Crown is constantly changing through the light of the day — from the pale pink sunrise —
To the deep blue of midday —
To the orange glow of sunset —
There really is nothing quite like the sight of a wide open sky.
Getting There
Evans Crown Nature Reserve is east of the village of Tarana, about 30 minutes from Bathurst or Lithgow. Parking is available at the base of the trailhead, just off Honeysuckle Falls Road. The roads are 2wd accessible, however be aware that at the time of writing there were some decent sized pot holes in the road.
Tips and Tricks
The granite can be slippery if wet, so take care when exploring the rocks.
Give yourself extra time at the top. The walk itself is quick, but it's worth setting aside a good amount of time to explore the top and take in the views.
Visit at different times of day if you can — the changing light is worth it.
If you happen to be in the area around lunch time or dinner time (or even just fancy a cheeky cold one) we recommend the Tarana or O'Connell pubs.