Grade 3

• Distance

  1km one-way

• Time

  45min - 1hr 15min

• Quality of markings

  Clearly sign posted

• Experience required

  Some bushwalking experience recommended

• Gradient

  Short steep hills

• Steps

  Many steps

• Quality of path

  Formed track, some obstacles

Get driving directions

Carlotta Arch walking track is in Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve. To get there from Sydney:

• Take M4 Motorway, then Great Western Highway over Blue Mountains to Hartley
• Turn off after Hartley onto Jenolan Caves Road
• It’s around 45 minutes' drive from here to Jenolan Caves.

Road access and closures

Jenolan Caves is located at the bottom of a steep valley.

• The main road to Sydney is closed to uphill (departing) traffic 11.45am to 1.15pm to give more road room for incoming coaches.
• During this 11.45 to 1.15pm period, leave Jenolan Caves via Edith Road to Oberon. This steeper, narrower road is fully sealed and open 24hrs a day.

• Sealed roads

Vehicle access

• 2WD vehicles

Weather restrictions

• All weather

Parking

• Parking is available at any of the 3 main carparks at Jenolan Caves. It can be a busy place on the weekend, so parking might be limited.
• Designated disabled parking spots can be found next to the Guides Office and behind Caves House.
• Bus parking is also available.

• Carlotta Arch walking track factsheet
• Carlotta Arch walking track map (1.5MB pdf)

• Jenolan River walking track Jenolan River walking track takes in amazing Blue Lake, waterfalls, bridges and Jenolan Caves' hydro-electric heritage. Also called Working Waters walk, it's great for bird watching and wildlife spotting.
• McKeown's Valley walking track McKeown's Valley walking track, also known as Healing Waters walk, is a short and easy return walk at Jenolan Caves offering fantastic karst landscapes and wildlife spotting in the Blue Mountains.

Animals

• 

  Eastern bentwing-bat (Miniopterus schreibersii oceanensis)

  In colonies numbering up to 150,000, eastern bentwing-bats congregate in caves across the east and north-west coasts of Australia. These small Australian animals weigh around 13-17g and can reach speeds of up to 50km per hour. Eastern bentwing-bats use both sight and echolocation to catch small insects mid-air.

• 

  Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)

  One of the most fascinating and unusual Australian animals, the duck-billed platypus, along with the echidna, are the only known monotremes, or egg-laying mammals, in existence. The platypus is generally found in permanent river systems and lakes in southern and eastern NSW and east and west of the Great Dividing Range.

• 

  Common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

  One of the most widespread of Australian tree-dwelling marsupials, the common brushtail possum is found across most of NSW in woodlands, rainforests and urban areas. With strong claws, a prehensile tail and opposable digits, these native Australian animals are well-adapted for life amongst the trees.

• 

  Bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus)

  A large, squat marsupial, the Australian bare-nosed wombat is a burrowing mammal found in coastal forests and mountain ranges across NSW and Victoria. The only other remaining species of wombat in NSW, the endangered southern hairy-nosed wombat, was considered extinct until relatively recently.

• 

  Short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

  One of only 2 egg-laying mammals in the world, the short-beaked echidna is one of the most widespread of Australian native animals. Covered in spines, or quills, they’re equipped with a keen sense of smell and a tube-like snout which they use to break apart termite mounds in search of ants.