Walk 54:- Glenbrook Circuit via Blue Pool, Red Hands Cave, and Crayfish Pool 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 about 1.4 km along public gravel road to a small car park and an unconstructed walking track down for another 1 km. to Crayfish Pool. The return walk is almost along the same route.
RQI:- 71
Highlights:- Blue Pool; Crayfish Pool; red Hands Cave ; Kanuka Brook.
Negatives :- Long, 4 km. walk on public roads; almost the same route there and back
Length:- 16.4 km.
Grade:- Medium
Weather:_All weather except when creeks in flood
Continuous walking time with a few 3-4 min. stops:- 4 hrs. 50 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 :- 335 m.
Total Descent :- 335 m.
Water:- Glenbrook
Toilets:- Glenbrook
Café/Kiosk :- Glenbrook
Published 1:25,000 Map :- Penrith
Walk No 54 Track Notes
Glenbrook Circuit to Crayfish Pool via Blue Pool
11/07/2013
Km/Hrs.min Kilometers in bold are shown on map
0.00/0.00 Glenbrook Station; leave station and turn left into Burfitt Parade to Cowdery St.
0.28/0.04 At T junction with Cowdery St., turn left, cross railway lines on bridge, then turn right at T intersection with Station St. and follow Station St. to its end
0.54/0.06 At end of Station St turn left, walk past locked gate and follow service trail, initially behind houses
0.83/0.10 Service trail split; look for blue arrow shield nailed to large tree; take left hand trail
1.02/0.12 At a smaller blue arrow shield nailed to tree, look for walking pad immediately behind tree; take this, leaving service trail
1.37/0.19 At tributary creek; follow creek bed or along left bank downhill for about 50 meters, then briefly cross to right bank and then cross creek at right angles; there is plenty of blue or yellow bunting on trees to indicate track; rocks very slippery in creek
1.47/0.23 At creek crossing at right angles
1.53/0.25 Track follow base of cliff; plenty of blue or yellow bunting
1.60/0.27 Track turns right, away from cliff and goes steeply downhill
1.63/0.29 At edge of Blue Pool/Glenbrook Creek; ignore faint track on right about 10 m back; turn left and briefly head downstream
1.65/0.30 Just before a tributary entering Blue Pool from left, track veers left, away from Blue Pool through bracken for about 15 m to then turn right and cross the tributary creek/gully at right angles
1.68/0.31 At creek/gully crossing about 15 m upstream of Blue Pool; very beautiful location; cross at right angles
1.72/0.32 Track continues between two low cliff lines along an old now closed access track from Glenbrook to Blue Pool
1.76/0.35 Track emerges at edge of Blue Pool with metal sign on metal pole warning about dangerous swimming; continue to follow track downstream; track soon becomes much better
1.88/0.37 Base of steps; take these uphill to sealed road
1.94/0.40 Track emerges at sharp S bend in sealed road; follow this road down to Glenbrook Causeway
2.22/0.43 Middle of Glenbrook Causeway; after crossing, turn right at signage:- ‘Camp Fire Creek Track’; take this
3.44/1.01 Track joins from right; it goes only a few meters to view point; ignore this, go straight
4.07/1.10 Track junction and signage:- ‘ Link Track’ on left and ‘Red Hands Cave’ track on right; go right and cross creek within 10 m or so; follow this track to red Hands cave
5.11/1.27 At Red Hands Cave; after looking, continue up past Cave on good track to a car park and public vehicular road
5.52/1.35 At car park; follow gravel public road gently uphill away from car park
5.87/1.39 Track junction on bend; indistinct walking track on right goes to Kanuka Brook; continue along public road
6.89/1.50 At small car parking clearing on left and bush track directly opposite on right; go right and take this track to Crayfish Pool
7.15/1.56 Clear track to this point, then scramble down 3 m cliff to a track split at base; look for green painted arrows on rock to indicate track in both directions; ignore track on left, go right; on the way down, this track generally runs parallel to but high on the right valley of a gully, gully on left on way down
7.20/1.57 Track goes steeply down for 10-12 m on rocks
7.55/2.06 Track T junction at base of low cliff; faint track on left; look for green painted arrows on rock indicting correct track up and down; go right
7.62/2.10 Short distance after last junction the track drops very steeply over low cliff; take care here; track arrives at another T junction with Kanuka Brook straight ahead and about 10 m below; the faint track on right probably follows Kanuka Brook downstream; go left
7.64/2.13 Track crosses gully/creek that track followed down ; track indistinct after crossing, but follow faint track upstream along Kanuka Brook to a good camp site next to a high cliff, then a poorly defined track about 25 m down to crayfish Pool
7.69/2.16 At Crayfish Pool; pristine location; pool; waterfall; high cliff.
7.83/2.22 Start back track
7.88/2.26 Re-crossing gully/creek
7.90/2.28 Back at track junction below cliff; note green painted arrow up
7.95/2.30 Back at other track junction; note green arrow
8.37/2.42 Back at base of 3 m cliff; note green arrow up
8.62/2.47 Back at gravel public road; turn left and follow this back to car park.
9.95/3.02 At car park and end of gravel road; 6 minutes morning tea
9.95/3.08 Resume; take ‘ Link Track’ that starts at signage on right hand (toilet side) of car park
11.49/3.30 Creek crossing and track junction with signage immediately after crossing:- ‘Glenbrook causeway’ ;go left and follow track downstream beside Camp Fire Creek
12.32/3.41 Back at Link Track/Red Hands Cave track junction with signage; from here, this walk back tracks all the way to Glenbrook Station via Blue Pool
14.23/4.07 Glenbrook Causeway
14.43/4.10 Leaving sealed road at sharp bend and taking steps down
14.75/4.20 Leaving Blue Pool at right angles to go steeply up
15.14/4.34 Track split on left (not noted on way down); continue straight; follow bunting
15.39/4.39 At service road track junction; go right and follow this to Station St., then on to Glenbrook Station
16.38/4.50 Glenbrook Station; End of walk
Route Quality Index
On public vehicular roads:- 4.34 km/ 26%
On locked service/fire trail:- 0.96 km/ 6%
On walking tracks:- 11.09 km/ 68%
TQI= 68+3+0=71
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