This is a canyon like no other. Carved from marble it’s part cave, part canyon, with incredible formations along its ethereal walls. The more closely you look the more delicate features will reveal themselves.
Wherever light touches the water, it shines a luminous blue green, and swimming through the shimmering pools is an experience that will stick with you for many years to come. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, your journey ends at an iridescent blue waterfall pool.
It’s also a pretty easy adventure and a great introductory canyon if you’ve not yet tackled some of the Blue Mountains legendary slots. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Mares Creek Canyon.
Visiting Mares Creek Canyon
Canyon safety
Before we get started on the track notes, it’s worth noting that even though this is an easy, non-technical canyon, there are still some safety considerations to be aware of. You should never enter the canyon after heavy rain or when rain is forecast due to the risk of flash flooding.
There are a couple of swims inside the canyon and the water can be quite cold. Depending on the air temperature and how your body reacts to cold water, you may want to carry a wetsuit.
We visited in April with an air temperature of 23C and overnight temps of 7C in the lead up.
I personally didn’t need a wetsuit, but Joe did. I can’t imagine many people needing one on a hot day in summer, as you aren’t submerged in water for that long, but it’s always better to have one with you just incase.
In my opinion, a lilo is not needed and would actually be more hassle than it’s worth. The swims are relatively short in length and the majority of water is less than ankle high, meaning you’ll spend most of your time carrying it. But if you really don’t like swimming, you may want to have one with you.
There are a couple of rock scrambles inside the canyon, but most of the rock is grippy. There is the odd slippery wet rock, but as canyon scrambling goes, I would say it’s quite easy as long as you have shoes on.
If you go barefoot this is going to be a much harder endeavour, succumb to wet boots and your feet with thank you later.
The walk to Mares Forest Creek Canyon
The stats
Distance: 2.8km each way (1.3km inside the canyon)
Elevation gain: 100m on the hiking trail (minimal in canyon)
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead: Wombeyan Caves Visitor Centre
Summary: The walk to reach the start of the canyon is all on a well formed trail. There’s a little bit of uphill at the start and then a long flat stretch before you descend to the canyon. As soon as you enter the canyon you will be walking in water.
There are a couple of longish swims, but the majority of water in the canyon is shallow. Inbetween the pools you will have dry sections of canyon, which are generally rocky.
Some of this is more like boulder scrambling and some is just negotiating small rocks, which can be a little slippery when damp.
Generally speaking, all the boulders are grippy, including the one large one you need to climb up, which if you’re not used to scrambling may look intimidating, but is actually fine when you see how good the grip is.
Starting the trail: to the water’s edge
From the car park beside the Wombeyan Caves visitor centre, you take the signposted trail over the little bridge and across the grassy area towards the gravel path.
This gravel path will now head relatively steeply up Wattle Hill, the meeting point for most of the cave tours.
After 270m you will pass a lookout on your left which looks down over the picnic area and towards Victoria Arch, there’s usually a roo or two lazing on the lawn.
You’ll reach the top of Wattle Hill after 430m. You now head right at the junction, which is signposted as ‘Limestone Gorge’.
The next section of track is flat and you’ll start to get some great views over the limestone hills.
After this you will begin a gentle descent, it’s a little rocky at first before it smooths out.
After around 720m you will reach some stairs and shortly after there’s a fairly discreet trail heading right, into the stunning Tinted Cave, a very worthy side trip if you have 15 minutes to spare.
The final staircase to the gorge is a lot steeper, but it’s concrete steps and there is a handrail. You’ll then cross a little metal walkway and arrive at the foot of the gorge, 1.5km after leaving the car park.
Into the canyon: the first swim and hidden cave
At this point you will begin walking up through the canyon in the water. As this is a return walk you can leave anything you won’t need at the foot of the gorge, there’s plenty of room on the rocky area to the left to stash your things (just remember to take everything back with you). If you don’t have a dry bag, leave anything you don’t want getting wet here.
The first few steps will be quite shallow and then the water gets much deeper, I swam here, but by sticking to the left (western) wall Joe could walk the whole first pool (albeit in deep water).
We first passed through this section in the morning and it was in shadow, on the way back, it was partially lit by the sun and the water and cave walls looked incredible.
You can look up and see the huge mouth of Tinted Cave as well as a few columns to the left. There’s even a little cave you can swim into, opposite the rocks which mark the first dry section of the canyon.
Swimming into the cave had an eerie feel on the way in as it was so dark, but on our return it glowed with a specular water colour not dissimilar to the stunning Dalpura Canyon in the Blue Mountains.
Swimming through the slot
There’s a little bit of dry walking on rocks next and then a section of shallow water (mainly knee height and below) which is very rocky.
This is the only part of the canyon which is a little tedious as you have to go a bit carefully on the rocks and manoeuvre around some cascades.
It’s not difficult, but it’s less grippy than the dry marble rock. However, it’s not long before you reach the first narrow slot and one of the longer swims.
The canyon walls are seriously impressive here and I loved that you could even see little stalagmites and stalactites in some of the higher reaches.
Unfortunately for us, the slots never received direct sunlight, which I think must be down to time of year as there wasn’t a cloud in the sky on our visit.
Despite this, the water was an exquisite shade of bluey green. The walls were somewhat dark, still beautiful to look at, but perhaps not quite so otherworldly as when they shine a ghostly white.
This swim is both the longest and most spectacular of the canyon.
The boulder scramble and reaching the waterfall pool
At the end of the swim you’ll reach another dry section and roughly 100m in, the most significant boulder scramble of the hike.
There’s a few small rocks to climb and then one huge marble boulder which is quite something to behold.
The boulder is gently slanted and the rock very grippy, so climbing up and down it is easy, even with wet feet. To cross over to the next rocky patch is most easily done using the little log that bridges the gap between the huge boulder and the rocks.
It was very sturdy on our visit and easy enough (it’s really just two steps across). You can then either scramble along the rocks, which is still easy, or hop into the water and swim through the little opening, which meets up with the rock scramble route moments later.
Following the boulder scramble there’s some shallow water to slosh through and then a short swim through another slot, interspersed with some more easy rocky sections (no scrambling).
One of the cliff walls has a very impressive octopus tree climbing up it which you should definitely keep an eye out for.
You will then come to a very blue pool which was simply stunning. You don’t have to swim here as there is a dry route to the left, but who can resist a good blue pool?!
At this point you are a straightforward 200m walk from the waterfall pool and the end of the canyon (which is roughly 1.3km from the point you first entered the water).
We stuck to the left side and it was very easy going, uneven underfoot, but all walking, no scrambling. There is a final deep channel of water that leads into the waterfall pool and plenty of room on a rock wall to the right side where you can sit and soak up some sun.
The grand finale: the Mares Creek Waterfall Pool
This is the adventure I didn’t want to end! Traversing the canyon was a breathtaking experience from beginning to end and the fact it was quite easy made it all the more enjoyable.
That the journey finished at one of the most jaw dropping swimming holes in the Southern Highlands felt almost too good to be true.
I suppose the only thing that could make it better would be if the large boulder in the middle of the pool wasn’t there so that there was more room to swim. As it is, there isn’t a lot of space to swim, but a bob about in the dazzling water really is the most memorable finale.
The waterfall was running really well on our visit which definitely added to the beauty, but the high walls and water colour would make it a wow even in drier times.
There is a rope which you can use to climb up the falls so that you can jump from the rocks into the pool, but we didn’t try it and you should always test the rope first (and depth check the water).
The rope is not maintained by the parks service and may wear over time.
When you can tear yourself away from this magical spot, you simply reverse the canyon, which is surprisingly quick on the way back!
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the national park, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Parking for the Mares Creek Canyon Track
The closest car park to the trailhead is the one beside the visitor centre in the Wombeyan Karst Reserve. Note that this car park has a gate in front of it and at time of writing it shuts at 4.30pm. There are toilets, a picnic area and a vending machine for hot drinks and snacks here.
The reserve has been hit by many flooding and storm events in recent years, so check it’s open here before making the journey out.
Though two roads lead to the reserve, only one is currently open and that is via Taralga. A section of gravel road begins 14km before you reach the reserve, but it doesn’t last the whole way to the parking area. Currently 8.5km of the road is gravel and the rest is sealed. It is suitable for any car at time of writing.
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