For those wondering
You might think you don’t know the Seven Valleys, but chances are you have seen it, driven through it, or heard stories from someone who has.
For nature lovers
Gardens of Stone
Gardens of Stone National Park and the adjoining State Conservation Area offer one of the most striking landscapes in the Seven Valleys. Walking here feels like stepping into a landscape shaped slowly by wind, water and time. Photographers, bushwalkers and nature lovers are drawn to the unusual rock formations, wildflowers, lizards warming on stone and the chance to spot koalas in the eastern forests.
Exploring the National Park
Gentle Walks and Scenic Views
Short walks move through open woodland and past yellow pagoda daisies blooming from cracks in the stone. Views stretch across Pantoneys Crown and deep canyons, offering quiet places to pause and take in the scale of the landscape.
Adventure Walking and Canyons
More experienced walkers can venture into the park’s canyons and gorges where cool air, narrow rock walls and shaded ferns reveal the wilder side of the terrain. These areas suit visitors confident in remote and rugged conditions.
Mountain Biking and Riding the National Trail
Crown Creek fire trail is ideal for mountain biking and horse riding. As part of the National Trail, it connects to a 5,330 km route that follows the Great Dividing Range from Queensland to Victoria. Riding here offers long views, open sky and a strong sense of freedom, especially in spring and autumn.
Driving Routes and Lookouts
Baal Bone Gap is a popular choice for drivers, with dramatic pagodas, grass trees and wide valley views. It is also a common starting point for adventures deeper into the park.
Ben Bullen trail is another scenic route, suitable for 4WD touring, mountain biking and horse riding, winding through rugged country and opening to views over the Wolgan and Capertee valleys.
Gardens of Stone is a place that rewards slow exploration
Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area
The Platy Pagodas of the Lost City
The adjoining conservation area protects some of the region’s most fragile geological features. The platy pagodas, with their stacked ironstone bands, can be admired from lookouts along the Lost City walking track.
Families can enjoy the short walk to the main viewpoint, while others may explore heritage dams, creek crossings and quiet bushland further along the valley. Newnes Plateau forms part of this reserve and is the highest sandstone plateau in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, offering long views and a powerful sense of open space.
Unique Plants, Wildlife and Guardianship
The conservation area shelters rare shrubs, endangered swamps and more than eighty threatened animals. Glossy black cockatoos, quolls, wallabies and the Blue Mountains water skink all find refuge here.
Volunteers help care for these environments through weed control, habitat restoration and protection of sensitive species, supporting the long-term health of this remarkable landscape.
Whether you come for the pagodas, the views or the quiet of the bush, the experience creates a strong sense of connection to place.
It is a reminder of how grounding and restorative it can be to spend time in wild spaces shaped by nature, light and time.
Keep exploring
Guides & Itineraries
For coffee lovers
Our cafés are places where good food, friendly faces and a sense of calm come together. These are some of our favourite spots to settle in with a cup and enjoy the moment.
For the Curious Wanderers
Some walks take half an hour. Others take a full day. A few end in darkness, with thousands of tiny lights overhead. We have a track to suit every kind of wander.
For for green thumbs and those that wish they were
Tucked between escarpments, along quiet country roads and behind unassuming gates, the Seven Valleys is home to gardens that reward those who take the time to wander.
For River Seekers
Wild swimming in the Seven Valleys is not something most people come here specifically looking for. It is something you discover along the way.
For the adventurous
The Glow Worm Tunnel is one of the most memorable natural experiences in the Seven Valleys. Set within Wollemi National Park, this former railway tunnel shelters thousands of soft blue lights that cling to the damp stone walls.
Gardens of Stone
· 70 KM
· 1 days
A long gravel ride through open ridgelines and quiet stone country.
For the History Lover
Vertical sandstone cliffs stand guard as you explore the crumbling, vegetation-covered Glen Davis Shale Oil Works structures.
For the Outlook Explorers
If you like your scenery served up without too much effort, the Seven Valleys delivers in spades.
For nature lovers
Towering sandstone pagodas, sheer cliffs, slot canyons and sweeping plateaus give the area a dramatic, sculptural feel. Welcome to Gardens of Stone.
For the explorer
The Bracey Lookout gives a 180° view of the Lithgow Valley, offering one of the best overviews of the city of Lithgow.
For nature lovers
Wolgan Valley is a place of wide horizons, deep stillness and long stories. The valley has been cared for by the Wiradjuri people for tens of thousands of years, and their presence can still be felt in the rock art that lines the sandstone shelters.
Wollemi National Park
· 26 KM
· 2 days
A long gravel ride through open ridgelines and quiet stone country.
Seven Valley's
· 180 KM
· 4 days
A slow camping route through Seven Valleys’ most secluded bush camps.
For the railway enthusiasts
A heritage train ride just outside Lithgow that lets you hop aboard and watch bush, escarpments, and valleys roll by, without needing to be a rail expert to enjoy it.
For lake seekers
Each lake in the Seven Valleys offers its own way of spending a day, shaped by the land around it and the people who know it well.
For the history lover
Built in the 1840's, Eskbank House and Museum showcases a fascinating historical collection of Lithgow's social and industrial heritage.
For the Sky Watchers
Once the sun drops behind the ridgelines, the noise fades, the air cools, and that 7V sky starts to do its thing.
For the Refined Retreaters
Our luxury stays are not about excess, but about quiet beauty, deep rest and experiences shaped by nature.
For the Eccentric Stay Seeker
Staying in the Seven Valleys often means something a little unexpected, with accommodation that reflects the landscape and rewards slowing down.
For the history lover
A heritage-listed 19th century village, Hartley has one of the finest collections of historic buildings in Australia, including its 1837 courthouse.
For the Family Days
Play spaces across the region are practical and easy to use, giving kids freedom to run, climb and explore while the rest of the day unfolds around them.