Walk 52:- Glenbrook Circuit via Blue Pool, Red Hands Cave, Kanuka Brook and Duck Pond exit At A Glance
Route Summary:- This walk starts with an 0.5 km walk along Glenbrook streets, followed by 0.75 km. along fire trail to a walking track that goes down to Blue Pool in Glenbrook Creek, then 200 m. on constructed track and 300 m. along sealed road to cross Glenbrook Causeway and for 3.3 km on good constructed walking track via Red Hands Cave to another public road and car park; then for 0.35 km along public gravel road to an overgrown fire trail and 1.3 km. along this to a steep drop down walker marked track to Kanuka Brook, then for about 1 km. off track along Kanuka Brook to its junction with Glenbrook Creek and a crossing of this on rocks and up towards Glenbrook along faint track on ridge for about 0.6 km to a clear walking track that goes for 1.4 km to Glenbrook houses, with the final 0.5 km again along Glenbrook streets
RQI:- 77
Highlights:- This is one of the best genuine bushwalks in the lower Blue Mountains; Red Hands cave; off track along Kanuka Brook; pristine bush; Duck Pond.
Negatives :- Nil
Length:- 11.2 km.
Grade:- Medium to Hard
Weather:_All weather except when creeks in flood
Continuous walking time with a few 3-4 min. stops:- 3 hrs. 20 mins.
Train Time from Central to Start :-. 1 hr 1 min.; Western Line; every hour
Train Time from finish to Central:-. 1 hr. 1 min.; Western Line; every hour
Total Climb :- 270 m.
Total Descent :- 270 m.
Water:- Glenbrook
Toilets:- Glenbrook
Café/Kiosk :- Glenbrook
Published 1:25,000 Map :- Penrith
Walk No 52 Track Notes
Glenbrook Circuit via Blue Pool, Red Hands Cave, Kanuka Brook and Duck Pond
14/03/13; updated 20/10/15
Km/Hrs.min Kilometers in bold are shown on map
0.00/0.00 Glenbrook Station; after exiting station, turn left and walk along Burfitt Parade to its T junction with Cowdery St, turn left , cross railway on overhead bridge, then turn right at Station St and walk to its end
0.55/0.06 At end of Station St. turn left, follow service trail with metal signage:-‘ Station Street Fire Trail’
0.63/0.07 Ignore gated trail joining from left; go straight
0.84/0.09 Service trail Y junction at tree with blue arrow shield; go left on blue arrow; follow service trail
1.02/0.11 Track junction; service trail continues but bush track starts on left, just behind a large tree with blue arrow shield; note small cairn of stones; go left and follow walking pad downhill.
1.22/0.15 Pleasant winding bush track goes gently downhill, marked by small blue arrows and yellow tags nailed to trees; ignore apparently disused bike track with stone ramps
1.26/0.16 Minor gully crossing; track continues roughly on contour for about 80 meters, then turns left and goes steeply down to a larger creek
1.38/0.19 At larger creek ; turn right and follow creek bed note blue and yellow bunting, yellow shields; track now in creek bed or just left of creek bed through minor gorge
1.43/0.21 Track veers onto right bank for about 20 m before turning sharply left back to cross the creek at right angles
1.45/0.22 At tight creek crossing marked with bunting; care when crossing due to slippery rocks; track veers left away from creek after crossing ; track now along base of cliff on your left.
1.49/0.24 Track junction; go left uphill towards cliff
1.55/0.26 Track heads gently downhill beside cliff; bunting on trees
1.58/0.27 Track leaves cliff line and goes down steeply on earth cover; much bunting
1.61/0.29 Track junction; right track deliberately blocked with branches; go left, follow track down then left briefly along Glenbrook Creek; well marked with bunting
1.63/0.30 Track crosses pristine creek/gully approx. 20 m upstream of Blue Pool in Glenbrook Creek; just after crossing, note large blue arrow shield nailed turpentine tree indicating back track up; track continues on rock ledge on contour parallel to Blue Pool/Glenbrook Creek; note old steps cut into stone
(this is part of the original good access track from the bottom of Wright St., now closed because it started in private property); sporadic yellow bunting.
1.73/0.35 Track emerges at recreation point beside Blue Pool; swim warning signage on metal pole; a good walking track continues from here. Follow this downstream, then up steps to a sealed vehicular road
1.96/0.39 At sealed vehicular road on tight bend; turn right and follow sealed road downhill to causeway over Glenbrook Creek
2.19/0.42 Crossing Glenbrook Causeway; veer right after crossing to signboard:-‘Campfire Creek Track’
2.21/0.43 Start of Red Hand Cave track; note arrowed post:- ‘ Red Hands Cave ; follow this good walking track as it goes along Campfire Creek; veer left at any track split
3.44/0.59 Track split on right to view point; go left
4.05/1.07 Track junction with signage :- ‘Link Track’ straight on and ‘Red Hands Cave’ to the right; go right and immediately cross Camp Fire Creek
5.08/1.24 Red Hands Cave; drink stop
5.50/1.32 At car park with facilities; follow gravel public road gently uphill away from car park
5.85/1.36 Just before left bend in gravel road, go right on overgrown fire trail, now just a walking pad; step over logs intended to stop trail bikes
7.12/1.52 End of almost flat walking pad on overgrown fire trail; last 20 m a little more steeply down to small turning circle; track split- ignore track on right indicated by circle of rocks; look for sap covered blue arrow on burnt tree straight ahead; small cairn of stones; follow this track down.
This track down to Kanuka Brook is marked by strategically placed blue arrow shields nailed to trees, blue paint on rocks and by stone cairns; minor blue bunting; take care not to lose the track above and below cliff lines where it can make sharp turns. If you are more than 30 m from the last blue arrow, bunting or cairn you are off track
7.52/2.09 Track now in minor creek bed; large blue arrow shield nailed to tree with signage:- ‘Red Hands’ indicates track back up; track now follows creek bed past a junction with another minor creek on right, then for about 100 still in creek bed to reach Kanuka Brook and a minor track T junction
7.59/2.12 At Kanuka Brook track junction; note blue arrow shield nailed to tree indicating track back up; turn right here and follow faint walking pad downstream along Kanuka Brook,brook always on left, to its junction with Glenbrook Creek
8.46/2.35 At Glenbrook Creek junction; drink stop
8.46/2.37 Resume walking; go downstream along Glenbrook Creek about 50 m and cross it on rocks
8.54/2.39 At crossing; turn left after crossing and walk upstream, past the junction with Kanuka Brook on left to a sand spit on creek bend where start of walking track up on your right; this track on right edge of sand spit is marked by white painted graffiti on rocks next to sand spit
8.68/2.42 At start of track up; ignore any minor side tracks
9.20/2.54 Track T junction; track on left comes from Duck Pond; go hard right
10.05/3.05 At railway cutting; veer hard right
10.11/3.06 Track split; go right down hill
10.29/3.09 Creek crossing
10.61/3.14 End of Station St; go left
11.21/3.20 Glenbrook Station; end of walk
Route Quality Index
On public vehicular roads:- 2.23 km/ 20%
On locked service/fire trail:- 0.47 km/ 6%
On walking track/off track 8.51 km/ 74%
RQI= 74+3+0=77
Sydneydaywalksbytrain 