Lost City Walking Track (6km)

The Lost City walking track is a family-friendly 6 kilometre return walk located in the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area, just five kilometres from Lithgow. This short hike offers a rich combination of natural beauty and local history, with unique sandstone pagodas, tranquil creeks, and historic mining relics to explore along the way. The visually striking rock formations give the area its name, and the track provides a chance to experience them up close while enjoying the peaceful bushland setting.

The walk begins at Lost City carpark and quickly reaches Lost City lookout after just 400 metres. From here, the distinctive platy pagodas come into view, their layers of ironstone banding making them instantly recognisable. Picnic tables at the lookout provide a perfect spot to pause, take in the views, and watch Marrangaroo Creek winding through the landscape. Continuing north for 200 metres, the track meets the junction for Miners Pass link track. Families are best to remain on the Grade 3 Lost City walking track, while those seeking a more challenging adventure can follow the steeper Grade 4 Miners Pass track, which climbs a historic mining route. Both options eventually reconnect in the valley and are clearly signposted.

As you follow Lost City walking track, there are opportunities to hop across Marrangaroo Creek and pass two heritage dams built in the 1920s, once supplying water to Lithgow. The surrounding bushland is alive with yellow-flowering wattles, sweet pink boronias, and patches of speedwell, creating a vibrant and colourful backdrop. After reaching the second dam, an 800 metre uphill trek leads to Lost City North lookout, rewarding walkers with sweeping views of the dam, the surrounding bush, and more of the iconic pagodas.

The return journey provides a chance to spot some of the park’s wildlife, including wombats and a variety of birds such as gang gang cockatoos, scarlet robins, and south-eastern glossy black cockatoos. The combination of fascinating geology, open bushland, and glimpses of local wildlife makes Lost City walking track an engaging and memorable experience for visitors of all ages.