Joe's Canyon
Joe’s Canyon
Mount Wilson always feels like the place that time forgot in the Blue Mountains. With its stately homes and lavish gardens along the roadside, you’d never know that just beyond the hedges and stone fences the land falls away into something entirely different. A wilderness takes over that feels a world away from the clipped lawns above.
Quick Details
Total Length: 5.8km (out and back)
Elevation: 300m
Grade: Moderate
Best season: Warm months
Suitable for kids: Older kids if they're confident
Starting the Trail
Our journey begins where so many Blue Mountains adventures do — the Mount Wilson Fire Station. By the time we pull in, the car park is already full. A few late arrivals are tightening laces and shrugging into packs. Canyoners are long gone, already somewhere deep in the valley below.
We were starting our day a little later than most — the sun high and the day already shaping up to be beautiful. Our boots shuffled over the gravel as we checked over the old map boards, tightened the straps on our backpacks, and headed off the long way to the trail.
A wide grassy fire trail gently winds its way through the forest. Everything about it feels easy — the long stretch of track, the slow rhythm of our steps, the Black Cockatoos gliding lazily between the trees as though the morning belongs entirely to them.
We passed a couple of warning signs — the kind that are there for a reason. Canyons are beautiful, but they’re not harmless. They can catch people out just as quickly as they can impress them — and just as easily, people can do damage to a place that’s taken centuries to shape.
We’d been planning this trip for a while, and it had already been pushed back two or three times thanks to bad weather. This isn’t the kind of place you wander into during or straight after heavy rain. We’re not professional canyoners by any stretch, but we’ve done enough of them to know when to wait. Getting there was the plan. Getting home safely was the priority.
The trail narrows as we start to head down to the intricate river systems below. Strangely, the forest starts to change from that deep, dense greenery to drier, more open sclerophyll forest the further down we go — normally it’s the other way around.
Further down and down we go. The day is getting pretty warm by now, and already we’re not looking forward to the long slog back up this hill later. The trail is alive with baby Mountain Dragons sunning themselves on rocks by the track — and running to hide as soon as they see us.
Pagoda rock formations appear not far from the track as the forest opens right up and we catch views across the tree-covered mountains as far as the eye can see.
The next part of the trail takes us through the rocks. For a moment though it almost took us back to the car when we managed to completely drop the track. “Aaahhh... Sam… I think you’re holding the map upside down.” Oops….
We reach our last turn off onto a narrow trail. It’s been quite a long hike to get down here, so we’re all ready for some shade and cooler temperatures by the water.
Into The Creek
The gentle sound of running water filled the air as we reached the small creek entrance we’d been looking for. A few in the group looked for a dry side track adjacent to the creek, but the only way forward was in the water. So we walked in, shoes and all. I’d happily pay my life savings for a shoe sock system that is comfortable to wear in water.
Walls close in, ferns hang over the cold water, and it just has this feeling of being so peaceful. The group spread out a bit as we were all taking photos of different things. If this was as far as we went, I think it would still feel like a great day out.
The water reached about thigh-deep in a couple of places — which, on such a hot day, was actually really nice. There were also some sections where the water flow was nothing more than a thin ribbon snaking its way over the sandstone.
The ferns on either side of the creek got thicker, and the air seemed to get colder as we reached the entrance to our destination.
Joe’s Canyon
Hiking has brought us to some incredibly beautiful places over the years, but I honestly think the entrance to Joe’s Canyon may just top all of them. A slender corridor curves between tall, moss-covered sandstone walls. Smooth pebbles — every shape and colour — blanket the ground beneath water as clear as glass.
The canyon section is short, and on our visit the water was really only about ankle deep at best. It’s amazing to think that these beautifully twisted stone walls around us were formed by the same creek that now runs through them so gently.
Further downstream the water feeds into the broader Du Faur and Wollangambe catchment — part of a much larger river and sandstone system that stretches far beyond what you can see from the creek bed or any lookout.
As we reach the end of the canyon we have to squeeze through a gap so narrow we needed to take our bags off to fit — others found a way to walk around. The walls open out and we find ourselves in a small kind of glen. We scramble up and clamber down rocks following a faint foot track to the Du Faur Creek Junction.
A Place to Turn Around
We scrambled down the final steep bank to a wide section of Du Faur Creek. It’s not quite deep enough to really swim in, but the water is crystal clear and cold despite the midday sun beating down across the open creek bed.
From here, the best way to leave is to turn around and return the way you came, particularly if you’re inexperienced with canyons. Upstream is Clatterteeth Canyon (otherwise called Du Faur Creek Canyon). Downstream is a long and challenging trek to the Wollangambe — and one that humbled us in more ways than we expected. But for now, we’ll leave that for another story…
Getting There
Joe’s Canyon is part of the Wollangambe river and canyon network found outside of Mount Wilson.
You can reach Mount Wilson by turning onto the Mt Wilson Road off Bells Line of Road around 25km from Lithgow or 17km from Mount Victoria.
Tips and Tricks
Avoid visiting any canyon during or after significant rainfall. Flash flooding is common and can happen quickly.
If you'd like to learn more about travelling through canyons safely we always recommend reaching out to the Blue Mountains Climbing School for training and guided trips.
Always register your trip with NPWS, carry a PLB, and know how to use it. If you don’t have one, NPWS will let you borrow one from certain locations.
Please remember that canyons are fragile environments. Your clothes and shoes should be clean and free from any mud to avoid carrying damaging pathogens into the environment. Always stick to the track. Never leave rubbish behind.
Always follow the canyoning code of ethics.
