Jellybean Pool is an absolutely gorgeous wild swimming hole with easy access and lots of space for a proper swim. The setting amongst the pristine bushland is so peaceful and relaxing. Most of the year it is one of the best places to go for a swim in the Blue Mountains.
However, I say this with one big caveat.
On a hot summer’s day, especially if that hot summer day is on a weekend or public holiday, it becomes pretty disgusting (something we very rarely say). I’ll do a whole section on the reality of visiting it at this time, plus a couple of nearby alternatives which have not suffered the same fate.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Jellybean Pool.
Jellybean Pool
The walk to Jellybean Pool
If you’re able to get a parking spot at the closest car park to the pool it is just a 100m walk each way. It’s all downhill on the way and there’s a nicely made staircase so you can get there in a flash.
To use this car park you’ll need to pay the daily park entrance fee. If you want to avoid the fee or you just can’t get a space, there is a longer walking trail from a car park which lies outside the fee zone.
That walk is approximately 700m each way. It’s still a good well maintained track, but you will have a bigger climb when you’re finished at the pool.
Swimming at Jellybean Pool
You can see why it’s become so popular, Jellybean Pool really is an idyllic swimming spot. It’s a great size so you can actually have a proper swim, as well as being surrounded by picturesque boulders and lots of gum trees making it feel like a lovely secluded spot. All that and it’s very easy to access too.
It’s also easy to get into the water as you can simply walk down the sand bank and get straight in without having to clamber over any rocks (unless you choose to).
There are some large rocks submerged in the water though, so watch out for those when you’re swimming. I did knock into a couple here and there, but overall could have good long swims without any issues.
The water is cool in winter but in summer it’s actually quite warm, you definitely won’t have any trouble with that shock factor when entering it, and on a really hot day you might even wish it were cooler!
Despite signs advising not to and lots of rocks which you can’t see in the water, people do jump from the cliff edges and from the larger rocks at the furthest end of the pool. Sadly people have died doing this so it really is best to follow the warnings.
Sometimes we think Parks NSW can be overly strict with closing things and it can feel like the fun police, but in this case the amount of accidents speaks for itself. You’ll still see queues of jumpers on a hot summers day but we wouldn’t recommend it!
The best time to visit Jellybean Pool
Our favourite time to come is during the cooler months when you can often get it all to yourself. The water is bracing but you can bring a float if it’s too cold for you.
Obviously the majority of people want to visit on hot days, and if you like peace and serenity and you’re planning a trip on a weekend, public holiday or during the school holidays, you need to come as the gate opens.
We’ve tended to visit on cooler days, but recently we visited during a hot weekend and we were shocked; let’s just say it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Firstly there are the competing boom boxes, smoking and drinking (not that we’re anti drinking but it gets lary).
But worse than that was the trash, the trash was actually pretty heartbreaking. It included, but was not limited to: tampons, cotton buds, crisp packets, cigarette packets, beer bottles, plastic bottles and carrier bags. It was gross. Most of it was around the sandy banks but some of it had made its way into the water.
I will never go on a hot weekend again unless it’s at first opening! Shudder.
I don’t want to totally put you off Jellybean though, we’ve been a number of times and it was only like this on a hot Sunday. At other times it really is bliss!
The alternatives to Jellybean Pool
If that last paragraph has put you off visiting, just hold on. Luckily we’ve found two beautiful spots very close to Jellybean that haven’t suffered the same consequences. One requires more of a walk, but it is well worth it!
Blue Pool
Blue Pool is really close by and has a fractionally longer walk to reach it than Jellybean and that keeps the majority of crowds away.
We visited recently on the same day as Jellybean and whilst I would estimate there were over a hundred people at Jellybean, there were around 10 at Blue Pool.
Blue Pool might be smaller than Jellybean but it’s still a fab swimming spot. The walk is pretty easy, just a little longer and rockier. Access to the water is also easy. It gets deep almost immediately so it might not be as good for very young children, but otherwise it’s a dream.
There weren’t any submerged rocks (or let’s say many, as I swam a lot but didn’t cover the whole area) and the water temperature was great. There are pockets of warm and cold water and you can swim all the way round the corner of the pool you can see in the picture.
One thing to note though is that after heavy rain it loses its blue colour, normally it’s a very pretty deep blue but after rain it is more like green verging on brown.
It’s still perfectly fine to swim in (just leave a couple of days between the end of the rain and your swim so it doesn’t have any urban runoff in there) but it just doesn’t look like its usual beautiful self.
Blue Pool has its own car park and you’re best off using it or you’re adding on more uphill after your swim - and it’s along road which isn’t so nice!
Glenbrook Gorge
Glenbrook Gorge is an idyllic spot to visit at any time (yes, even on hot summer days). This area is characterised by huge cliffs thats tower over a river with plenty of pools to take a dip in. It has real Northern Territory vibes.
When Jellybean Pool is really busy you can head over to Glenbrook Gorge and get the whole river to yourself, it’s incredible!
However, it does require a bit more effort to reach. The track heads fairly steeply downhill so you have to climb back up after your swim. Then there is a little bit of rough terrain to get to the pools, although not much if you want to visit the earliest section of the river.
One major difference between Jellybean Pool and Glenbrook Gorge is the current. When the water level is high in the gorge the current can be very strong. Avoid swimming near any rapids and at these times it won’t be suitable for children (aside from paddling at the edge).
Other essential information about visiting Jellybean Pool
Facilities at Jellybean Pool
Toilets and rubbish bins are located by the top car park for Jellybean Pool. Please use them. I hate having to say this but if you can walk stuff in you can walk it out again. The rubbish situation here recently was heartbreaking. Let’s all do our bit to keep these beautiful places pristine for generations to come.
The park entrance fee
Assuming you want to use the closest car parks to either Jellybean Pool or Blue Pool, you’ll need to pay the $8 parking fee. If you have an NSW parks pass, it covers these car parks.
As mentioned if you don’t mind walking a little further you can park just outside the official car park for free.
Getting to Jellybean Pool by public transport
It is possible to get to Jellybean Pool by train and that’s how we did it the first time we ever visited. You need to to take the train to Glenbrook Station, from Central Station it takes 1 hour 10 minutes and is direct.
You then walk for approximately 1.5km to the first car park for Jellybean Pool (not the closest one). Be warned though - the walk from the train station is steep. It may seem ok going downhill at the start, but it’s a hefty hike back up once you’ve visited the pool!
Jellybean Pool opening times
Unfortunately Jellybean Pool and Blue Pool have opening times so you can’t visit super early which is normally our go to for avoiding the crowds. From the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April the park gates are open between 8.30am and 7pm. During the rest of the year the park gates are open between 8.30am and 6pm.
Other attractions nearby
This area is full of wonderful things to do and one of our favourites is accessed from Jellybean Pool, Red Hands Cave. You’ll want to save this one for a cooler day because it is a longish walk at almost 8km, but Red Hands Cave is one of the best preserved Aboriginal rock art sites close to Sydney. The ochre paintings are on the inside of a large overhang and it’s a very atmospheric spot.
We’ve got full details for the walk to get there in this post.
If you don’t want to do a long walk but want to see the cave you can drive to within a kilometre of it along the Oaks Fire Trail. It’s unsealed and though it’s in fairly good condition, it does take a while to get there (it took us around 30 minutes from Jellybean Pool).
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