Folly Point Track, Budawang Update

[Geoff 1958]

I solo-hiked on the Folly Point Track, starting and finishing at the NPWS Sassfras Gate. The hike in to where I camped for two nights took me 3.5 hrs. I left midday and camped at a saddle at 790m, less than 1km from George Mitchell Lookout.
I went out straight after a lengthy rain period, so locating water was not a problem, but the Folly Point Track was very wet underfoot.
Navigation on the singletrack is an issue. There are thankfully many rock cairns. However, you can easily take wrong turns on rock slabs and miss the route as it cuts through small patches of vegetation.
Go prepared with offline and paper maps, and a GPS device. There are also sections in the last half that are fairly overgrown, but nothing like I had experienced on the Mt Tarn Trail earlier in the year. That one has now been thankfully cleared through to Mt Haughton.
There are some technical sections heading out to the point, made more difficult in the wet.
Folly Point is amazing! Seeing that Budawang panarama from the north like that is an incredible sight.
I didn't check out the Folly Pt campsites, but have read that they are still there.

[crollsurf]

About a year ago, I made a failed attempt. The track was lost due to regrowth from the 2020 fires. Sounds like someone has recut part or all of the track. That rock face along the track would have been sketchy in the rain.

Also, if you can, take a bike and ride the first 10klm to the turn-off. That dirt road is boring and copes a lot of sun

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[Geoff 1958]

About a year ago, I made a failed attempt. The track was lost due to regrowth from the 2020 fires. Sounds like someone has recut part or all of the track. That rock face along the track would have been sketchy in the rain.

Also, if you can, take a bike and ride the first 10klm to the turn-off. That dirt road is boring and copes a lot of sun

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There are only a couple of sections that have obviously been cut in again since the fires, one of them being the ascent out of the steep gully, towards the point.
The rock face was sketchy, but I was lucky I didn't have a full pack, because I had camped back before the Mitchell Lookout. However, I did have to try to follow the cracks and knobs to get down, and back up it.
I have ridden in to the Mt Tarn Track turnoff, to hike in and camp near Hidden Valley, but negotiating those large angular rocks that NPWS have laid on the firetrail, and loaded up with nearly 20 kg on your back can make things difficult, and you could get punctures. I agree though, riding in to Newhaven Gap would cut a lot of time off, because that section is easier to ride then the section from Newhaven Gap to The Vines.
Back to Folly Point Track: I took my time to look for the trail, and used offline maps to negotiate any tricky sections.
It's slow going. That's why I warn about time estimates, but if you rode in to Newhaven you would have no issue making camp at Folly Point or even the camping caves down Watson Pass.