Carlotta Arch Walk

Length: 1km round trip
Time: 45 minutes return
Difficulty: moderate (grade 3)  This path includes many stairs.

Enjoying Nature

The Carlotta Arch walk allows you to view many scenic and geological wonders.  Starting near the car park, it takes you past the dramatic limestone feature, 'Carlotta Arch', where you will marvel at the view of the distant mountains, and then down the hill, finishing opposite Caves House hotel.  Although our Blue Lake is currently out-of-bounds, you get a good view of its beautiful waters from Carlotta Arch.  

History

Here is something to think about as you walk along this track.  This path is the final section of the famous Six Foot Track, which stretches all the way to Katoomba. By 1878, the zig zag road had been built, giving access to Jenolan from the west.  But people coming from the east, Katoomba and Sydney, wanted an easier way to get to Jenolan.  So in 1884, surveyers blazed a trail from Katoomba to Jenolan. By 1887, the bridle track was finished - just wide enough for 2 horses to pass each other. 

To demonstrate how much quicker it was to get to the caves, the NSW Governor, Lord Carrington, 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire, and his beautiful wife, Cecelia (or Lily), undertook the rough journey on horseback to Jenolan via the track. On arrival, they were given a tour of the caves, and they dined and stayed the night. It was Jenolan’s first major VIP visit.