Wolgan Valley Rail Trail is a 11km, grade 3 hike located in the Newnes Plateau, New South Wales. The hike should take around 3 hrs to complete.
Hike summary
A spectacular walk following the route of a former standard gauge private railway, which served kerosene shale mines. The railway branched off the main western line at Newnes Junction, near Lithgow, ascended to an altitude of 1200m before dropping down to Newnes (altitude 530m) in the rugged Wolgan River Valley, all in 50km. The railway passed through two tunnels, the second of which (closest to Newnes) now has a large population of glow worms.
Between Newnes Junction and the first tunnel the former railway is mostly a gravel road. After the first tunnel the road ends at a carpark and from here it is walking only through the glow worm tunnel down to the valley floor.
If riding or driving from Lithgow railway station, head out from the north side of the station, turn right and cycle via bitumen road through Lithgow's suburbs to the State Mine Heritage Park and Railway. Continue in a northerly direction past this Heritage Park and you will eventually hit a good gravel road (and a short but very steep climb); this is known as Glow Worm Tunnel Road.
At the top of the hill you reach a plateau; from there it is fairly flat/undulating and you continue on the good gravel road through state forest for about 7km-8km, until you will reach a crossroads and the Bungleboori Picnic Area. Continue straight through the crossroads; the good-quality gravel road continues to travel in a north-north-east direction through state forest.
At approx. 10km-15km or so past the crossroads/Bungleboori Picnic Area is Deane's Siding, where there are some rusty pieces of old railway engines. It is here where the rail-trail proper begins; the road is still a good quality gravel road but it is now obvious that is it running along the former railway. Deane's Siding also marks the beginning of a long downward section - bliss on a bike!
Route and GPX file
This hike is missing a route map and GPX file. If you have one for this hike, please upload your .gpx or .kml file here.
Tips
Glow worm tunnel to Newnes in Sydney and Blue Mountains
Blue Mountains
Coarse gravel
Steep
Photo credit: Rail Trails Australia. For more information and a location map please visit RailTrails Australia.
Gear you might need
As well as including the Ten Essentials, my planning, food and packing checklists provide an summary of things to consider on your day, overnight and multi-day hikes. Every person and every hike is different, so customise your kit according to your needs. Download your free checklists here >>
Location
Sorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again.
Sorry, unable to load the Maps API.
Let someone know before you go
It’s a good idea to let someone know where you’re going. Fill in a trip intention form to send important details about your trip to your emergency contact. If you are lost or require help and have phone reception, call 000 and ask for police. The international standard emergency number is 112, if you dial this number in Australia you will be treated exactly the same as a 000 call. If you believe your life is at risk, activate your personal locator beacon (PLB), then make your position visible to rescue teams and keep warm and dry.
Gallery
If you have any great photos from this hike and are happy to share them, please upload your .jpg files here.
Please note: Uploading photos does not transfer ownership of copyright away from you. If requested, you will be credited for any photos you provide and can ask they be deleted at any time.
Hikes you might like
Let someone know before you go. Register your trip intentions here. Your trip intentions will be emailed to your emergency contact.
Does this hike info need updating? maybe the route, features or access conditions have changed? Suggest an edit here.
Acknowledgement of Country
Trail Hiking Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we hike and pay respects to their Elders, past and present, and we acknowledge the First Nations people of other communities who may be here today.
0 Reviews on “Wolgan Valley Rail Trail (11km)”
Richard Halvorson