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Kanangra-Boyd National Park: 10 Attractions You Have to Visit

Kanangra-Boyd National Park: 10 Attractions You Have to Visit

Kanangra-Boyd National Park, located in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area of New South Wales, is a stunning wilderness area. Whether you like chasing waterfalls, wild swimming, bushwalking, exploring caves, mountain biking, canyoning, abseiling or camping, Kanangra-Boyd National Park has something for every outdoor enthusiast. Of course, the national park is remote and takes some time and effort to reach, especially from Sydney. You don’t want to go all that way and miss out on seeing some of the best attractions in the area.

With that said, in this guide, we’ll tell you about the 10 best places to visit in Kanangra-Boyd National Park. For your convenience, we’ll also detail some useful information about visiting Kanangra-Boyd National Park, such as how to get there, facilities such as camping areas and accessibility.

Kanangra-Boyd National Park, Greater Blue Mountains

Known for its wild terrain, deep gorges, cascading waterfalls and diverse flora and fauna, Kanangra-Boyd National Park is one of the most outstanding places in the Greater Blue Mountains area. Well, that’s what Beck and I think anyway. We were blown away by the national park’s rugged beauty, while its remoteness left a lasting impression of tranquillity.

The national park was established in 1969 and named after two prominent features in the area – Kanangra Walls and the Boyd Plateau. Certainly, Kanangra Walls is the star attraction and most iconic feature of the national park. In this guide, we’ll detail how to best enjoy and explore this natural wonder.

Also, the national park covers a large area (approximately 686.6 km²), which features many sandstone cliffs, deep valleys and vast plateaus. These geological features provide the perfect opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy a variety of activities, such as walking, mountain biking and canyoning. For sure, in this guide, we’ll talk about the best places to engage in all of these fun activities.

Kanangra meaning: Kanangra is an Australian Aboriginal word, which means ‘beautiful view’.

Dan stands by the Kanangra-Boyd National Park sign

10 Best Places to Visit at Kanangra-Boyd National Park

Kanangra-Boyd National Park offers you the chance to immerse yourself in pristine wilderness, explore ancient landscapes and discover the natural wonders of the Aussie bush. So, let’s get into it – these are the 10 best places to visit in the national park.

FYI – for your convenience, we’ve made an interactive Kanangra-Boyd National Park map, which shows the exact location of these 10 attractions.

Dan and Beck take a selfie along Kanangra Plateau with views of mountains in Kanangra-Boyd National Park

1. Kanangra Walls Lookout

As mentioned, the main attraction in the national park is the incredible Kanangra Walls. Forming part of Kanangra Canyon, the giant sandstone cliff wall towers over the Kanangra-Boyd wilderness below it. Undoubtedly, one of the best ways to enjoy Kanangra Walls is to visit the main lookout in the national park – Kanangra Walls Lookout. That way, you’ll face directly opposite the natural attraction, ensuring you enjoy one of the best views of the Kanangra Walls.

To get to the Kanangra Walls Lookout, you’ll simply do the Kanangra Walls Lookout Walk. Starting from the Kanangra Walls Car Park, you’ll follow the signposted and well-defined walk to the lookout.

Beck and Dan at a viewpoint called the Kanangra Walls Lookout in Kanangra-Boyd National Park

2. Kalang Falls

Not far from Kanangra Walls Lookout, there is a gorgeous waterfall called Kalang Falls. Cascading along Kanangra Brook, Kalang Falls is the most well-known, visited and easily accessible waterfall in the national park.

Essentially, by extending the Kanangra Walls Lookout Walk to visit Kalang Falls, you’ll complete the Kanangra Waterfall Walk (AKA the Kalang Falls Walk). From the lookout, the stepped trail sharply descends towards Kanangra Brook, passing some large sandstone formations along the way. Eventually, you’ll arrive at a wooden viewing platform for Kalang Falls.

Beck looks at a waterfall called Kalang Falls in Kanangra-Boyd National Park – a great place for camping

3. Kanangra Plateau

Of course, one of the most popular things to do in Kanangra-Boyd National Park is to do the Kanangra Plateau Walk. That way, you can get that classic photo at Kanangra Walls!

In the guide we’ve linked to below, we explain all of the nitty-gritty details about finding the famous photo spot along the Kanangra Plateau. Albeit, the Kanangra Plateau Walk is more than just finding this photo spot. There are other attractions along this walk such as Dance Floor Cave.

Read more: Kanangra Walls Lookout vs Kanangra Plateau Lookout – Insider Tips

Dan along the Kanangra Plateau in Kanangra-Boyd National Park

4. Dance Floor Cave

Dance Floor Cave is an incredible natural attraction with many fascinating geological features. Yet, it’s also a historical place. Can you believe that a dance floor was built in the cave in 1891? That’s because the cave was centrally located along the Oberon-Colong stock route. This was a route that farmers used to run their cattle and sheep from Oberon to the Burragorang Valley. Dance Floor Cave was a place where farmers, travellers and settlers would get together to socialise and rock a few dance moves (pun intended).

Unfortunately, since the dance floor was made of timber, it’s since decayed or been used for campfires. Nevertheless, given the cave’s natural beauty, it’s still worth exploring even without a dance floor!

5. Kanangra Falls

When it comes to the best Kanangra-Boyd National Park waterfalls, we think Kanangra Falls takes the cake. The impressive waterfall has multiple tiers totalling approx. 225 metres in height, with the main fall around 150 metres.

Despite the immensity of the waterfall, not many people visit it or even know about it (except for canyoners and abseilers). To see views of the waterfall, you can follow the Kanangra Falls Access Track. In the guide that we’ve linked to below, we reveal everything you need to know about visiting Kanangra Falls and doing the Kanangra Falls Access Track.

Read more: Kanangra Falls – How to Visit This Hidden Kanangra-Boyd Waterfall

An aerial shot of a waterfall called Kanangra Falls in Kanangra-Boyd National Park.

6. Kanangra Main

For sure, Kanangra-Boyd National Park is a haven for canyoning and abseiling enthusiasts. Without being canyoners or abseilers ourselves, we can’t talk from personal experience about this activity in the national park.

In this section, we won’t exhaustively detail all of the possible canyoning routes in the area. But, we’ll quickly mention the most popular canyoning route in the national park – Kanangra Main, which is a descent of Kanangra Falls.

Having visited the waterfall, we think canyoning down it would be an epic experience. Maybe, we’ll have to give it a go one day! But, for now, if you’re like us, and aren’t planning on canyoning down the waterfall, you can still simply enjoy views of the waterfall by doing the Kanangra Falls Access Track.

An aerial view of a waterfall called Kanangra Falls in Kanangra-Boyd National Park

Want to Try Canyoning in the Blue Mountains?

Person canyoning down Empress Falls

This guided abseiling and canyoning tour at Empress Falls is a great way to introduce yourself to the activity

Read about the best tours in the Blue Mountains

7. Morong Falls

While we’re on the topic of waterfalls – Morong Falls is another lesser-known waterfall in the national park. Morong Falls is an impressive series of cascade waterfalls along a section of Morong Creek called Morong Deep that flows down to the Kowmung River.

By following the Morong Falls Walking Track, you can reach these beautiful hidden cascade waterfalls. In particular, there is one main fall that is fairly easy to reach from the walking track. Undoubtedly, the pool at the base of this main cascade is one of the best wild swimming spots in Kanangra-Boyd National Park.

FYI – the Morong Falls Walking Track starts from an unsealed track (Morong Creek Fire Trail) that’s easiest to navigate with a 4WD. Beck and I drove along the Morong Creek Fire Trail in a 2WD and experienced a fairly nervous drive the whole time. Eventually, we pulled over, before arriving at the crossing at Hanrahans Creek and started the walk from there. Sometimes, the crossing at Hanrahans Creek can be quite full, so this crossing should only be attempted in a 4WD or waded across (if safe to do so).

Dan looks at a waterfall

8. Boyd River Loop

Now, we’ll look at the best mountain bike trails in the area. Certainly, Kanangra-Boyd National Park has excellent trails for mountain bikers. There are two main mountain bike trail loops – Boyd River Loop and Mount Emperor Loop.

The Boyd River Loop is an easy 21km loop, exploring some of the finest fire trails in the national park. Part of the Boyd River Loop follows alongside the Morong Falls Fire Trail. So, you can easily extend your mountain biking adventure to include waterfall chasing and wild swimming at Morong Falls.

A sign says, 'Boyd River Fire Trail' and is surrounded by bushland

9. Mount Emperor Loop

The other main mountain biking route in the national park is the Mount Emperor Loop. Compared with the Boyd River Loop, the Mount Emperor Loop is a shorter route at 12.5km. Yet, the Mount Emperor Loop is considered slightly more difficult than the Boyd River Loop.

The Mount Emperor Loop explores the vast Boyd Plateau, following little-used fire trails to visit well-concealed parts of the national park’s wilderness.

10. Jenolan Caves

Technically speaking, Jenolan Caves isn’t located within the boundaries of Kanangra-Boyd National Park. But, the famous Jenolan Caves are just a stone’s throw away from the national park. So, many people visiting the national park will also go to the nearby Jenolan Caves while in the area.

For sure, the Jenolan Caves are a spectacular natural wonder and one of the highlights of the Greater Blue Mountains. The mesmerising limestone cave system dates back an astonishing 360 million years! By doing a guided tour, you’ll learn all about the geological wonders in the caves.

If you want to do a private full-day tour to the Jenolan Caves from Sydney, consider this highly-rated Jenolan Caves Tour on GetYourGuide.

Dan stands by a Jenolan Caves sign

So, there you have it – the 10 best places to visit in Kanangra-Boyd National Park!

Other Kanangra-Boyd National Park Attractions

Of course, the national park has many more natural attractions spread across its extensive wilderness. Above, we’ve covered the main spots to visit during a day trip or weekend trip. If you have a bit more time up your sleeves or want to really challenge yourself with a hard bushwalk, there are many other hidden gems to explore.

If you want to see more caves, consider heading to Crafts Wall Cave, Coal Seam Cave or explore the Ti Willa Plateau, where you can find the 100 Mans Cave and 1000 Mans Cave. Otherwise, the Kanangra to Katoomba Walk (K2K) is considered one of the most challenging multi-day bushwalks in New South Wales.

Bear in mind, that all of these attractions and walks are truly off the beaten track and very remote. So, you should only attempt visiting these places and doing these walks if you’re an experienced bushwalker or are with experienced bushwalkers.

Kanangra-Boyd National Park Flora and Fauna

Before we look at some useful information to know before visiting the national park, let’s touch on the amazing flora and fauna in the area. Indeed, the Greater Blue Mountains is an area rich in Australian natives and wildlife. That’s one reason why the area is a world heritage site. Below, we’ll briefly overview the flora and fauna that are most prevalent in Kanangra-Boyd National Park.

Flora: banksias, wattles, snow gums and native orchids have adapted to the sandstone terrain and varying altitudes spread across eucalypt forests, woodlands, heathlands and swamps.

Fauna: eastern grey kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, echidnas, and various bird species such as lyrebirds, honeyeaters and wedge-tailed eagles.

Kanangra-Boyd National Park Essential Information

To help plan your trip, we’ll go over the main logistics for visiting the national park. Let’s start by looking at exactly where it’s located.

Read about the best Blue Mountains accommodation

Where Is Kanangra-Boyd National Park?

As mentioned, the national park is located in the Greater Blue Mountains area of New South Wales in Australia. To help get your bearings, feel free to click on the image below to access Google Maps.

Below, we’ll look at how to get there.

A screenshot of a map showing the location of Kanangra-Boyd National Park

How to Get to Kanangra-Boyd National Park

The only way to get to the national park is to drive there. There is no public transport going to this remote area of the Greater Blue Mountains.

From Sydney, it’s around a 3.5 hour drive to get to the national park. Bear in mind, that Jenolan Caves Road has been closed for some time due to landslides. This means you may have to use a longer route, via Duckmaloi, to get to the national park.

To visit the main attractions in the national park, such as the Kanangra Walls Lookout, Kalang Falls and Kanangra Plateau, you’ll need to drive to the Kanangra Walls Car Park. The parking area is located at the end of a roughly 28km unsealed road called Kanangra Walls Road. Thankfully, the road is 2WD accessible. Personally, Beck and I managed fine with a 2WD. We found the road to be in good condition as it was flat and void of potholes, corrugation or severe bumps.

Of course, the drive will be much quicker in a 4WD. Also, one of the best ways to experience Kanangra-Boyd National Park is in a 4WD. That way, you can get off the beaten track and explore fire trails, which lead to untouched corners of the national park. As mentioned, it’s also much easier to reach some attractions, such as the Morong Falls Walking Track, in a 4WD.

A dirt road called Kanangra Walls Road leading to attractions and camping in Kanangra-Boyd National Park

Car Hire

DiscoverCars.com

If you don’t have your own car, you should hire one using Discover Cars. Personally, we use Discover Cars and highly recommend them for finding your ideal car hire at an affordable price. Booking online is super easy and the free cancellation policy is great.

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

Facilities at Kanangra-Boyd National Park

You’ll find some basic yet useful facilities at the Kanangra Walls Car Park. There are drop toilets, plus an information board, detailing the geography and history of the area. Not far from the parking area, you’ll find the only camping area in Kanangra-Boyd National Park – Boyd River Campground.

Dan looks towards an information board in Kanangra-Boyd National Park, not far from a camping ground called Boyd River Campground

Kanangra-Boyd National Park Camping

Boyd River Campground is the only camping area in Kanangra-Boyd National Park. The campground is conveniently located near Kanangra Walls. So, if you want to arrive at the walls early for sunrise or late for sunset, it’s worth setting up base at the campground.

A sign says, 'Boyd River Camping Area' in Kanangra-Boyd National Park

The Boyd River Camping Area at Kanangra-Boyd National Park is a basic campground with toilets, picnic tables and BBQ facilities. Despite the lack of facilities, the campground’s natural setting exudes peacefulness and quietness. So, if you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Sydney and spend a night in pristine wilderness, camping here at Kanangra-Boyd National Park, might just be what you need.

For more information about camping at Boyd River Campground in Kanangra-Boyd National Park, head to the NSW National Parks website.

An empty camping ground called Boyd River Campground

Accessibility at Kanangra-Boyd National Park

The Kanangra Walls Lookout Walking Track is wheelchair-accessible. Otherwise, there are no additional accessible facilities in the national park.

​​​​​​​Kanangra-Boyd National Park Weather

As you may expect, it’s best to visit the national park when the sun is shining! After all, those walks will be more enjoyable and the views even more breathtaking. So, make sure to check the weather before you go. It’s also a good idea to check the local alerts for the national park before you go, just in case there are any closures.

Hiking Gear For Kanangra-Boyd National Park

Below, you’ll find some of the hiking gear that we use when walking in this national park.

Osprey Skarab 30
Osprey Skarab 30

The Osprey Skarab 30 is our go-to hiking backpack for day hikes. This well-designed unisex backpack is comfortable and spacious, so you’ll have plenty of space to pack everything without feeling the strain on your upper back.

Osprey Ultralight Raincover
Osprey Ultralight Raincover

A waterproof backpack cover is an absolute must when you’re adventuring outdoors. The Osprey Ultralight Raincover Medium is a high-quality waterproof cover that’ll keep your backpack bone dry.

GRAYL Reusable Water Bottle
GRAYL Reusable Water Bottle

The GRAYL GeoPress is the best water filter bottle that allows you to purify 710mL (12 ounces) of water. This bottle will make water safe to drink wherever you’re hiking.

BUFF Original Ecostretch
BUFF Original Ecostretch

The BUFF Original Ecostretch is a great option when it comes to multifunctional headwear. We use the Ecostretch as a neck gaiter to keep the sun off our necks and it helps us keep warm in cooler climates.

Sony Cybershot RX100 VII
Sony Cybershot RX100 VII

Capture epic photos and videos with the Sony Cybershot RX100 VII. This is hands-down the best compact camera. We love using this simple point-and-shoot camera when we’re hiking as it’s lightweight and durable.

To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite hiking gear, travel gear and camera gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.

Read about the best things to do in the Blue Mountains National Park.

We acknowledge and respect the First Nations people as the Traditional Custodians of the land/water that we visited and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

Daniel Piggott

Dan is a travel blogger, physiotherapist, hiker, natural wonder seeker and world traveller. He loves writing travel guides to help his readers explore the most beautiful destinations in the world.

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