Friday 31/10/2025 Ferntree Gully Walking Track – Ferntree Gully – Norm King Lookout – Ted Daniels Lookout – Gully Walk
Ferntree Gully Environmental Reserve, Rylstone, NSW
Wiradjuri Country (Wiradjuri people)
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos, Report), Sue Davies
The Ferntree Gully circuit begins near the Ferntree Gully Environmental Reserve entrance, following the main walking track into the heart of the sandstone gorge. Over 5 km, the walk meanders through shaded gullies, past fern-lined moist slopes, and up to panoramic lookouts on the escarpment rim. Total ascent for the loop is 178 m, with steady climbs out of the gully and onto ridge tops punctuated by well-placed stone steps and graded track.
Max elevation: 749 m
Total climbing: 118 m
Total descent: -112 m
Average speed: 3.22 km/h
Total time: 01:29:50
On 31 October 2025, Rylstone experienced a dry, mostly sunny day. Official forecasts and records confirm minimum and maximum temperatures of 10 °C and 30 °C, with less than 0.2 mm of rain recorded and light westerly winds. Skies were clear for much of the day, with only sparse high-level cloud and no haze, leaving the reserve’s distinctive sandstone and dense forest in sharp definition.
The initial descent passes through open eucalypt woodland, soon entering the cooler and moister microclimate of Ferntree Gully proper. Towering sandstone cliffs shade the narrow trail, with ferns and mosses lining the gully floor. Wooden bridges span several narrow creek crossings, and stone steps aid the steeper sections. The terrain underfoot is firm, shifting from sandy loam to leaf litter near the gully base.
View into Ferntree Gully from Ferntree Gully Walking Track
After traversing the depths of the gully, a steady climb brings the track back to the top of the escarpment. Norm King Lookout and Ted Daniels Lookout each offer expansive views across rolling tablelands and the darker fringe of the reserve bushland. The surrounding forest, seen from above, shifts from open woodland to dense patches of native vegetation as contour lines unfold beneath your gaze.
Completing the circuit, the walk follows the Gully Walk back towards the entry, gradually descending and winding through sandstone outcrops before returning to the start near the car park. All junctions are clearly marked, and the walk is accessible year-round, but unpredictable weather or wet ground may make some steep sections slippery.
Facilities at the trailhead include shaded parking, a picnic area, and informational signage summarising the history and walking routes of the reserve.
Amongst other photographically recorded observations during this walk, we were able to confirm sightings of each of the following species: Eastern Bearded Dragon (Pogona barbata), Lace Monitor (Varanus varius)
Clickable icons on this world map will open the related trip report
A detailed, searchable trip list with links to reports, photo galleries
The local landscape features, geology, scenic highlights, flora, fauna, Indigenous history, white history and other nearby walks in the area (Perplexity AI Model)
Landscape Features and Geology
Ferntree Gully Environmental Reserve is about 17 kilometres north of Rylstone, occupying a steep, forested gully that slices through sandstone and conglomerate ridges of Devonian origin, deposited between 350 and 400 million years ago. The reserve’s terrain transitions sharply from open eucalypt woodland on the ridgelines to a cool, sheltered rainforest microclimate on the gully floor. Moss-covered rocks, boulder piles, overhangs, and shaded gullies provide diverse landforms, while the gully itself is flanked by vertical cliffs topped with eroded rock platforms and lookout points.
Scenic Highlights
The circuit walk descends into the lush depths of Ferntree Gully, passing fern beds, trailing vines, and shaded pools, before ascending steeply to Norm King and Ted Daniels lookouts. These lookouts afford striking views across the valley and gully, revealing the contrast between moist rainforest interiors and the drier woodland above. Gully Walk explores the floor and sides of the ravine, encountering sculpted rock formations, rare plants, and prolific birdlife, with early morning light enhancing the colours and atmosphere.
Local Flora
The reserve conserves a unique assemblage of plant communities, with 25 threatened species of birds, plants and animals recorded. Moister recesses in the gully support tree ferns (Cyathea australis, Dicksonia antarctica), king fern (Todea barbara), and a rich understorey of mosses, liverworts, orchids, and native climbers. Canopy species in the rainforested sections include coachwood (Ceratopetalum apetalum) and lilly pilly (Syzygium smithii), while upper slopes and ridgelines are dominated by yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora), narrow-leafed peppermint (Eucalyptus radiata), and black wattle (Acacia mearnsii). Seasonal fire regeneration brings flushes of new growth and wildflowers to the woodland areas.
Local Fauna
The gully’s microclimates accommodate red-necked wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus), sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps), eastern water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii), and superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae), as well as frogs and skinks in moist pockets. Over 60 bird species occur in the reserve, including eastern whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus), powerful owl (Ninox strenua), crimson rosella (Platycercus elegans), and yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus). Rare moths, butterflies, and aquatic invertebrates thrive in creek sections and among fern cover.
Indigenous History
Ferntree Gully is Wiradjuri Country, with the Bylong Valley and adjacent gorges used for shelter, gathering, water, ceremony, and story transmission for thousands of years. The cavernous overhangs and rock platforms served as ancestral gathering sites. Local Aboriginal language persists in place names and stories linked to local features and broader songlines. Numerous sites in the broader Rylstone area contain rock art, axe grinding grooves, and artefact scatters attesting to the long occupation, ecological knowledge, and spiritual values of the Wiradjuri.
White History
Gazetted as a reserve in 1994 to protect endangered plant communities, Ferntree Gully was previously Crown land and recognised for its environmental and recreational value. A local trust administers conservation management and infrastructure. The area’s open woodlands and rainforest pockets attract bushwalkers and naturalists, and fire regeneration and species recovery demonstrate successful ecological stewardship. Bennetts Gorge and Bylong Valley nearby were first explored by William Lawson in 1822, marking the start of pastoral and settler presence in this region. Conservation of the gully remains a priority for local communities and ecological education.
Clickable icons on this world map will open the related trip report
A detailed, searchable trip list with links to reports, photo galleries
