River Walk (Blue Lake)

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Safer Bushwalks Tips on staying safe on track
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.

Getting There Transport options and directions

Start	(-33.8191096,150.0238181)
Mode	Car (There is free parking available.)
Directions	From Great Western Highway, A32 Turn on to then drive for 105 m Turn slight left onto Jenolan Caves Road, 1 and drive for another 45.7 km

Track Notes Turn by turn instructions & maps

Getting started
From the eastern side of the Grand Arch, the walk heads over the road to the right of the bridge and the lake behind. The walk then tends left around the lake for approximately 40m to an intersection marked by a 'No swimming fishing or throwing stones' sign.....

Terrain Know the Hills, grading & facilities

River Walk (Blue Lake)

Grading

	Class 3/6 Moderate track
Length	2.7 km
Time	1 h 15 min to 1 h 30 min

Quality of track	Clear and well formed track or trail (2/6)
Gradient	Short steep hills (3/6)
Signage	Clearly signposted (1/6)
Infrastructure	Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
Experience Required	No experience required (1/6)
Weather	Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)

Articles Discover more details to thrive on track

Blue Lake
Blue Lake, or Lake Jenolan, is a small lake on the eastern side of the Grand Arch. The lake is fed by the River Styx and the Jenolan River. Blue Lake's intense colour comes from the refraction of light through limestone sediments.

Jenolan Caves Hydroelectric Power Station
Jenolan Cave Hydroelectric Power Station was originally a Leffel Wheel, built in 1889 on the Jenolan River. The building has a glass front with a light switch to show the large machinery which was once used to power Jenolan. Near the hydroelectric building, there is a nice picnic area by the weir.

De Burghs Bridge
The bridge spanning out from the Grand Arch was designed by Mr Ernest M. De Burgh, and built by the Public Works Department in 1896. The bridge allowed greater access to the caves and was built from locally cut limestone.

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Wildwalks

Weather & Alerts Check forecasts & closures
Weather Forecast
- Jenolan Caves Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed
  
  Wednesday 3 July
  
  Shower or two.
  
  Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers on and east of the ranges, most likely later tonight. Near zero chance of rain elsewhere. Winds southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h.
  
  Thursday 4 July
  
  6°C → 10°C
  Showers.
  90% chance of rain
  1 → 6mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Very high chance of showers about the Blue Mountains, medium chance elsewhere. Winds southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h. Overnight temperatures falling to between 3 and 7 with daytime temperatures reaching between 9 and 16.
  
  UV Alert: Sun protection not recommended, UV Index predicted to reach 2 [Low]
  
  Friday 5 July
  
  7°C → 11°C
  Showers.
  80% chance of rain
  0 → 4mm
  
  Partly cloudy. High chance of showers about the Blue Mountains, medium chance elsewhere. Winds southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h. Overnight temperatures falling to between 4 and 8 with daytime temperatures reaching between 10 and 16.
  
  Saturday 6 July
  
  6°C → 10°C
  Shower or two.
  70% chance of rain
  0 → 3mm
  
  Partly cloudy. High chance of showers about the Blue Mountains, slight chance elsewhere. Winds southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h turning easterly during the morning. Overnight temperatures falling to between 2 and 7 with daytime temperatures reaching between 10 and 16.
  
  Sunday 7 July
  
  5°C → 12°C
  Shower or two.
  50% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers about the Blue Mountains, slight chance elsewhere. Patches of morning frost in the south. Winds easterly 15 to 25 km/h. Overnight temperatures falling to between 2 and 6 with daytime temperatures reaching between 11 and 16.
  
  Monday 8 July
  
  5°C → 13°C
  Shower or two.
  60% chance of rain
  0 → 5mm
  
  Shower or two.
  
  Tuesday 9 July
  
  8°C → 13°C
  Shower or two.
  70% chance of rain
  0 → 8mm
  
  Shower or two.
  
  Wednesday 10 July
  
  7°C → 13°C
  Possible shower.
  40% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Possible shower.
  
  Forecast data thanks to © Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Alerts
- Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve alerts
  Closed parks: Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve is closed until further notice due to heavy rainfall and flooding.
  Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve is closed until further notice due to heavy rainfall and flooding.
  This area will re-open as soon as it is safe.
  Access to Six Foot track is not possible via Jenolan Caves
  Remember, it’s never safe to drive, ride or walk through flood waters, so you’ll need to reschedule your visit and avoid travel through areas in this park. Check Live Traffic NSW for up-to-date information about road closures. For assistance during severe weather visit the NSW SES website. In life-threatening situations call emergency services on Triple Zero (000).
  Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, contact the local NPWS office.
  
  Other planned events: Notice of ongoing 1080 baiting program
  NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is conducting ongoing ground baiting program from Thursday 2 May 2024 to Friday 1 November 2024 in the following areas:
  
  Abercrombie River National Park
  
  Abercrombie River State Conservation Area
  
  Kanangra-Boyd National Park
  
  Blue Mountains National Park (southern section)
  
  Wollemi National Park (Wolga
  
  Gardens of Stone National Park
  
  Jenolan Karst Conservation Area
  
  Turon National Park
  
  Marrangaroo National Park
  
  The operation will use 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) poison for the control of wild dogs and foxes.
  The program is designed to minimise predator impacts on wildlife, especially threatened species, and to minimise impact of wild dogs on neighbouring stock.
  Signs will be placed at the entry to the baiting location. Domestic pets are not permitted in NSW National Parks managed lands. Pets and working dogs may be affected (1080 is lethal to cats and dogs). Pets and working dogs must be restrained or muzzled in the vicinity and must not enter the baiting location. In the event of accidental poisoning seek immediate veterinary assistance.
  For more information, contact the NPWS Kanangra area office at Oberon on 02 6336 6200.
  
  Closed areas: Six Foot Track Part Closure
  Due to Jenolan Caves precinct being closed, this end of the Six Foot track will also remain closed. Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information please refer to the Jenolan Caves website.
  
  Alert kindly provided by © NSW Nataional Parks and Wildlife Service

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