NOTE: We highly recommend that you look over the profile to understand the climbs and descents of this long and remote gravel ride.
Please note, there is no phone reception for most of this ride.

If you would like to shorten this ride and miss out on the first major climb of the day, you can drive and park ~10km from the original start location. This section of road and gravel is 2WD friendly if there has not been recent rains. There is a car park located at the junction for The Lost City and Glowworm Tunnel Road.

There are many places to start this ride from town, however we have selected the historic Blast Furnace as your departure point. A great central location with good parking, lots of history of Lithgow’s past plus clean bathrooms.

Go down the hill from the Blast Furnace and turn right. Then at ~600m turn left on Atkinson St. There is a small sign for State Mine Gully Road on the pole.

You are still on tarmac as you go over the rarely used train line and then you are officially on State Mine Gully Road. Please use caution as the ‘tarmac’ road surface along this section is full of potholes.

Go past the railway museum then at ~3km you will go past sign which says Newnes Plateau Discovery Trail. At ~3.4km you are finally off tarmac and onto buttery smooth gravel.

To start, there is a steep climb which averages ~5% with sections of +17%. This section is where you will be surrounded by spectacular sandstone rocks, deep green ferns and maybe even a rock climber.

Once you have crested the climb at ~7.2km, you are on a long ridge gravel road. Then you are predominately descending all the way to ~34.5km. The ridge riding offers beautiful views of the Gardens of Stone National Park.

You will enter the Wollemi National Park and then back into the Gardens of Stone National Park area before you reach a fork in the road at ~28km.

To the left, is the Glowworm Tunnel Road and to the right is Old Coach Road.

Continue along Old Coach Road then at ~30.7km you will come to a locked National Park gate. Wheel your bike through the gate and pedal along the fire trail, down to the Glow Worm Coach Track. Please use caution as before you reach the track it gets very steep with sections of -13%.

Along the Glowworm Coach Track you will need to walk your bike down the bush stairs. Feel free to explore the area which was recently upgraded in 2023.

Then it is time to climb. The initial climb out on the Glowworm Tunnel Road is less steep than the Old Coach Road but it still has sections of +10%. As this route is primarily and out and back, you will then ride along the ridge road you came down, predominantly climbing all the way back to ~63km.
Once past ~63km you are on the downward road back to the beginning, please use caution as you leave the Gardens of Stone National Park as it is quite steep before getting back to the township of Lithgow and the area of the Blast Furnace.

Two add-on options on the way back :

Option 1 : at ~60km – you will come to a car park area. There you will see signs to the Lost City, it is a nice out and back section which takes you to tremendous views of sandstone pagodas.

Option 2 : at ~66km – Dobbs Drift Lookout. Please use caution coming into this area as it is on the fast descent back to Lithgow. Once there, ride and walk out to the very end see more impressive sandstone pagodas and great views of the valley.