On the bottom of the valleys of the Blue Mountains, lie many kilometers of hidden canyons. Most of them are just accessible by rope.

The path leads us past old trees, that grow tall,  trying to catch some sunlight in the deep canyons. — The path leads us past old trees, that grow tall, trying to catch some sunlight in the deep canyons.

On our visit however, we picked one of the only canyons, completely accessible by foot. We decided to hike the historic Grand Canyon Track.

Humans seem tiny, compared to the high walls of the Canyon.

The Grand Canyon Track near Blackheath is a loop track and takes you deep into the heart of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains. Hikers have been adventuring through this Canyon system since 1907, when the Track was established.

Steps are put in place,  helping hikers cross streams. — Steps are put in place, helping hikers cross streams.

We started the hike from the magnificent Evans Lookout just outside of Blackheath. It was early in the day when we descended through Ferns and Golden Wattle, following a little stream deeper and deeper into the canyon. It took a while, until light started to break through the dense vegetation and illuminated the bottom of the canyon. Exactly that made this walk just perfect for the hot summer day we were awaiting.

One of many beautiful waterfalls along the 2.5 - 3hr hike.

Following the Grieves Creek, we got all caught up in counting the sheer infinite amount of yabbies gathering in the stream.

It felt a little like we had discovered a long forgotten paradise.

The track led us deeper into the canyon and we past rock pools and little waterfalls. At some stage the path led up some steep stairs for a while, only to reward us with a pathway along the canyons edge and under overhanging sandstone cliffs. We then slowly descended back into another arm of the canyon, that awaited us with high waterfalls which were lid up by the first light and looked like sun rays falling through the ferns. It was breathtaking and we got held up taking photos for quite a while.

The path leads over Rocks and through dense fern vegetation. — The path leads over Rocks and through dense fern vegetation.

We followed the path and after a good 2.5-3hrs and a lot of climbing we reached the top and were rewarded with another sight of the Grose valley from Evans Lookout.

After a good 3hr hike you get back to the top and are rewarded with a magnificent view over the valleys of the Blue Mountains.

The Grand canyon track really does not disappoint and and is a must do if you visit the Blue Mountains in the state of New South Wales, Australia.

Text and Photography by Niklas Passmann