The Oaks Picnic Area to Woodford Station

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Safer Bushwalks Tips on staying safe on track
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.

Getting There Transport options and directions

Start	(-33.8115412,150.5653831)
Mode	Car (A park entry fee is required for driving into the park.) Train
Directions	From Western Motorway, M4 Turn on to Ross Street then drive for 275 m Turn right onto Euroka Road and drive for another 2.5 km Turn left onto The Oaks Trail and drive for another 6.7 km
Finish	(-33.7357939,150.4821618)
Mode (end)	Car Shuttle Bus Car (There is free parking available.)

Track Notes Turn by turn instructions & maps

Getting started
From the car park, the walk heads along the management trail, with the picnic area on the right and car park to the left. The walk heads down the road for a very short time to the signposted intersection.
From the intersection, the walk heads past the Red Hand Cave intersection and west along the management trail, with the picnic area on the right and car park to the left. The walk heads down the road for a very short time, to the signposted intersection.
From the intersection, the walk does not head in the direction of 'Nepean lookout' but leads to the gate and fence up the other trail.
From the intersection, the walk heads up the slight hill, passing the gate. The trail winds slowly as it climbs the gentle slope for quite some time. The trail then flattens out and leads to a steeper gradient, and at the top, comes to a '15km to Woodford' sign.
From the sign, the walk continues upwards along the trail, winding slowly for some kilometres. The vegetation either side of the trail stays relatively the same, passing some clearings with demolished trees in them. As the trail begins to head north, it continues to wind uphill, passing a large clearing on the left. Soon after the large clearing, the walk comes to an intersection on the right, before the track turns left sharply.....

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start. After another 75 m (at the intersection of Red Hands Firetrail & The Oaks Firetrail) continue straight, to head along The Oaks Firetrail. There is a toilet (about 45 m back from the start). After another 85 m find the "The Oaks Picnic Area" (on your left). The Oaks Picnic Area The Oaks Picnic Area, is an established picnic area with shelter, bench seats and a pit toilet. The picnic area also boasts a water tank and adequate parking. It is a quiet area, just off the road, making it a fantastic spot for a rendezvous with family and friends after a long walk or ride.
	After another 65 m (at the intersection of The Oaks Firetrail & Nepean Lookout Firetrail) continue straight, to head along The Oaks Firetrail. After another 100 m continue straight, to head along The Oaks Firetrail. After another 50 m pass the sign (10 m on your right). Then head through/around the gate.
	After another 4.8 km continue straight, to head along Woodford Oaks Trail.
	The starting point of an optional sidetrip. An optional side trip to Int. in Wheel Gully loop. To start this optional side trip turn right here. On returning from this side trip turn right when you get back to this intersection. Details below. After another 860 m (at the intersection of The Wheel Firefighting Reservoir Access Track & Woodford Oaks Trail) continue straight, to head along Woodford Oaks Trail. After another 2.4 km (at the intersection of Toby's Glen Fire Trail & Woodford Oaks Trail) continue straight, to head along Woodford Oaks Trail.
	After another 4 km (at the intersection of Saint Helena Ridge Trail & Woodford Oaks Trail) continue straight, to head along Woodford Oaks Trail. After another 5 km head through/around the gate.
	At the intersection of Taylor Road & Woodford Oaks Trail turn left, to head along Taylor Road (a residential road). Then pass the water tap (on your right).
	After another 115 m (at the intersection of Parker Street & Taylor Road) turn right, to head along Parker Street.
	After another 150 m (at the intersection of The Appian Way & Parker Street) continue straight, to head along The Appian Way.
	After another 160 m (at the intersection of The Appian Way & Railway Parade) turn left, to head along Railway Parade.
	After another 265 m (at the intersection of Railway Parade & Oakura Avenue) continue straight, to head along Railway Parade.
	After another 50 m come to the end. "Woodford". Woodford Woodford is situated along the Great Western Highway in the Blue Mountains. Woodford boasts one of the Blue Mountains oldest buildings, with the Woodford Academy dating back to 1833 . Access to the academy is made easy by Woodford train station and other public transport connections. Woodford is also the start of the popular Woodford to Glenbrook mountain bike which follows the Oaks Fire trail. Woodford station offers a public telephone and toilets. There are no commercial facilities in the area. About 30 m past the end is a car park.

An optional side trip to Int. in Wheel Gully loop.

Turn map	Directions & comments
	At the intersection of Woodford Oaks Trail & The Wheel Firefighting Reservoir Access Track Start heading along The Wheel Firefighting Reservoir Access Track (a vehicle track). After another 30 m continue straight, to head along The Wheel Firefighting Reservoir Access Track. After another 75 m come to the end. About 45 m past the end is "Wheel Gully". Wheel Gully Wheel Gully has a management trail which loops down to a large dam. It is a nice shady place to stop for a bite to eat along the Oaks Fire Trail. This site is also used as an informal campsite with no facilities. The water in the dam is not suitable for drinking, nor is it reliable. Carry enough water. Turn around and retrace your steps back the 105 m to the main route.

Turn map

Directions & comments

At the intersection of Woodford Oaks Trail & The Wheel Firefighting Reservoir Access Track Start heading along The Wheel Firefighting Reservoir Access Track (a vehicle track).

After another 30 m continue straight, to head along The Wheel Firefighting Reservoir Access Track.

After another 75 m come to the end.

About 45 m past the end is "Wheel Gully".

Wheel Gully

Wheel Gully has a management trail which loops down to a large dam. It is a nice shady place to stop for a bite to eat along the Oaks Fire Trail. This site is also used as an informal campsite with no facilities. The water in the dam is not suitable for drinking, nor is it reliable. Carry enough water.

Turn around and retrace your steps back the 105 m to the main route.

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start.
	After another 80 m come to the end. About 10 m past the end is "Cliff Lookout". Cliff Lookout Cliff lookout, an unofficially-named, informal view point, is a dramatic cliff edge perched just above the trees. The cliff is unfenced. The view across the valley provides a pleasant panorama. Turn around and retrace your steps back the 80 m to the main route.

Terrain Know the Hills, grading & facilities

The Oaks Picnic Area to Woodford Station

Grading

	Class 4/6 Hard track
Length	18 km
Time	6 h 10 min to 7 h

Quality of track	Formed track, with some branches and other obstacles (3/6)
Gradient	Very steep (4/6)
Signage	Minimal directional signs (4/6)
Infrastructure	Limited facilities, not all cliffs are fenced (3/6)
Experience Required	No experience required (1/6)
Weather	Weather generally has little impact on safety (1/6)

Some facilities on route

Toilet: There is one 30 m from the start.

Order of key facilities on route

Item	From Start	Name & link to notes
Toilet	30 m	[toilet]

Articles Discover more details to thrive on track

The Oaks Picnic Area
The Oaks Picnic Area, is an established picnic area with shelter, bench seats and a pit toilet. The picnic area also boasts a water tank and adequate parking. It is a quiet area, just off the road, making it a fantastic spot for a rendezvous with family and friends after a long walk or ride.

Wheel Gully
Wheel Gully has a management trail which loops down to a large dam. It is a nice shady place to stop for a bite to eat along the Oaks Fire Trail. This site is also used as an informal campsite with no facilities. The water in the dam is not suitable for drinking, nor is it reliable. Carry enough water.

Cliff Lookout
Cliff lookout, an unofficially-named, informal view point, is a dramatic cliff edge perched just above the trees. The cliff is unfenced. The view across the valley provides a pleasant panorama.

Get more information
Wildwalks

Weather & Alerts Check forecasts & closures
Weather Forecast
- Springwood Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
  
  Saturday 27 July
  
  17°C
  Showers.
  80% chance of rain
  
  Cloudy. High chance of showers, becoming less likely in the late afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds becoming northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the middle of the day then tending westerly 15 to 25 km/h in the early afternoon. Daytime maximum temperatures between 12 and 17.
  
  UV Alert: Sun protection 10:50am to 1:20pm, UV Index predicted to reach 3 [Moderate]
  
  Sunday 28 July
  
  6°C → 13°C
  Sunny.
  10% chance of rain
  
  Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers in the south, slight chance elsewhere. Snow possible above 700 metres. Winds westerly 25 to 35 km/h turning southwesterly during the morning and early afternoon. Overnight temperatures falling to between zero and 5 with daytime temperatures reaching between 5 and 11.
  
  Monday 29 July
  
  5°C → 14°C
  Sunny.
  10% chance of rain
  
  Sunny. Areas of morning frost. Winds south to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h. Overnight temperatures falling to between minus 3 and 2 above zero with daytime temperatures reaching between 7 and 13.
  
  Tuesday 30 July
  
  4°C → 14°C
  Partly cloudy.
  10% chance of rain
  
  Partly cloudy. Areas of morning frost. Winds south to southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h increasing to 25 km/h before tending south to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the day. Overnight temperatures falling to between minus 3 and 2 above zero with daytime temperatures reaching between 8 and 14.
  
  Wednesday 31 July
  
  5°C → 14°C
  Partly cloudy.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Partly cloudy.
  
  Thursday 1 August
  
  6°C → 15°C
  Partly cloudy.
  20% chance of rain
  
  Partly cloudy.
  
  Friday 2 August
  
  7°C → 16°C
  Partly cloudy.
  30% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Partly cloudy.
  
  Forecast data thanks to © Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Alerts
- Blue Mountains National Park alerts
  Closed areas: Parts of Blue Mountains National Park closed
  Many roads, fire trails and walking tracks within Blue Mountains National Park are closed due to infrastructure upgrades or damage caused by wet weather including subsidence, rockfalls, landslides and fallen trees.
  The following areas are closed:
  Katoomba and Leura
  
  Honeymoon Bridge is closed due to rockfall risk.
  
  Fern Bower track between Prince Henry Cliff walk (Grand Cliff Top walk) and Amphitheatre track is closed due to multiple landslides.
  
  Federal pass between the Cooks Crossing (Kedumba River) and Dardanelles Pass (near the Giant Staircase) is closed due to a landslide. There is no access along Federal Pass from the bottom Giant Stairs to Scenic World. Visitors can access Scenic World bottom stations via Furber Steps only. Fares apply.
  
  Ruined Castle, Golden Stairs, Solitary Loop and Federal Pass west of Scenic World are closed due to multiple landslides.
  
  Lone Lyrebird track is closed between Gordon Road and the War Memorial, due to subsidence. Detour is in place.
  
  Prince Henry Cliff walk (part of Grand Cliff Top walk) is closed between Gordon Falls picnic area and Elysian Rock lookout, due to a landslide. Visit the Blue Mountains City Council website for information.
  
  Part of Lindeman Pass is closed due to a major landslide below Gladstone lookout. Roberts Pass is closed due to rockfall and landslide hazards.
  
  Six Foot track is affected by closures at Jenolan Caves.
  
  Wentworth Falls and Woodford
  
  Valley of Waters track is closed below Sylvia Falls. There is no access to Roberts Pass, Vera Falls, Hippocrene Falls or Wentworth Falls from Valley of the Waters.
  
  Charles Darwin walk (part of the Grand Cliff Top walk) is closed between Fletcher Street and Weeping Rock. Detours are in place to provide directions to Wentworth Falls picnic area. Visit the Blue Mountains City Council website for information.
  
  Part of National Pass (west of Wentworth Falls middle crossing) is closed due to a major landslide and ongoing risks.
  
  Wentworth Pass and Slack Stairs are closed due to multiple landslides.
  
  Bedford Creek and Andersons Fire trail will be closed Monday to Friday until Friday 30th August 2024 due to road repairs. There will be no access from Anderson fire trail or Murphys Road to Ingar campground. There is also no exit to Woodford from Andersons fire trail. Trials and campgrounds will be open on Saturday and Sunday. Ingar campground is open on Saturday night only.
  
  Blackheath, Mount Victoria and Bells Line of Road
  
  Perrys Lookdown Road will be closed to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists from Monday 5 August to Friday 16 August 2024 for roadworks. The road will be open weekends. Alternative access to Acacia flat is available via Horse track (via Grand Canyon track) or Lockley Pylon.
  
  Williams track (Govetts descent) and Rodriguez Pass are closed due to rockfalls and landslides.
  
  Pulpit Rock Reserve, lookouts and walking track are closed. Visit the Blue Mountains City Council website for information. Pulpit Rock walking track from Popes Glen is open as far as the NPWS boundary (as shown on Google maps).
  
  Adventure recreation, canyons, abseiling and rock climbing
  Some adventure recreation areas and routes are specifically closed where the access or exit road/track is mentioned above.
  Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, please contact the local office.
  
  Closed areas: Woodford-Oaks trail closure
  Woodford-Oaks trail is closed on weekdays to all cyclists and pedestrians due to heavy machinery in operation.
  The Oaks and Single tracks will be open to cyclists on weekends, and will fully reopen as soon as works are complete.
  Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, contact the local park office on 02 4720 6200.
  
  Safety alerts: Remote walking track conditions
  Remote routes within the Kanangra Wilderness Area including Kanangra to Katoomba (K2K) trail have been impacted by heavy fire regrowth and flood damage.
  In some places, tracks are no longer visible and are not easy to navigate, taking longer to traverse than expected. Limited to zero water sources are currently available along routes.
  If you plan to walk in the area, please ensure you have an appropriate level of experience, navigation skills and equipment including Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).
  Mobile reception is limited so alternative communication methods are strongly recommended.
  For more information, contact the NPWS Blue Mountains Heritage Centre on 02 4787 8877.
  
  Closed areas: Glenbrook precinct closure
  The Glenbrook precinct will be closed on weekdays for major roadworks, from Monday 29 April to Tuesday 15 October 2024.
  Heavy machinery and vehicles will be in operation from Mondays to Fridays during this period. Access beyond the entry gate will be closed to all vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
  The closed areas (Mondays to Fridays) include:
  
  Woodford - The Oaks trail
  
  The Single track
  
  Euroka campground
  
  Red Hands Cave
  
  Red Hands Cave walking track
  
  Jack Evans track
  
  Nepean lookout
  
  Nepean River walking track
  
  Pisgah Rock
  
  Mount Portal lookout
  
  Tunnel View lookout
  
  Jellybean Pool
  
  Blue Pool
  
  Glenbrook Gorge walking track
  
  The precinct will open on weekends, with most areas accessible.
  The following areas will be open on weekends:
  
  Euroka picnic area
  
  Woodford - The Oaks trail
  
  The Single track
  
  Mt Portal and Tunnel View lookouts
  
  Jellybean Pool
  
  Blue Pool
  
  Glenbrook Gorge walking track
  
  Other sections, including Red Hands Cave and Euroka campground, will remain closed over the weekend. The precinct will fully reopen as soon as works are complete.
  Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, contact the local park office 02 4720 6200.
  
  Other planned events: Notice of ongoing 1080 baiting program
  NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is conducting ongoing ground baiting program from Thursday 2 May 2024 to Friday 1 November 2024 in the following areas:
  
  Abercrombie River National Park
  
  Abercrombie River State Conservation Area
  
  Kanangra-Boyd National Park
  
  Blue Mountains National Park (southern section)
  
  Wollemi National Park (Wolga
  
  Gardens of Stone National Park
  
  Jenolan Karst Conservation Area
  
  Turon National Park
  
  Marrangaroo National Park
  
  The operation will use 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) poison for the control of wild dogs and foxes.
  The program is designed to minimise predator impacts on wildlife, especially threatened species, and to minimise impact of wild dogs on neighbouring stock.
  Signs will be placed at the entry to the baiting location. Domestic pets are not permitted in NSW National Parks managed lands. Pets and working dogs may be affected (1080 is lethal to cats and dogs). Pets and working dogs must be restrained or muzzled in the vicinity and must not enter the baiting location. In the event of accidental poisoning seek immediate veterinary assistance.
  For more information, contact the NPWS Kanangra area office at Oberon on 02 6336 6200.
  
  Closed areas: Waratah Native Gardens picnic area closed
  Waratah Native Gardens picnic area is closed until further notice. This includes Gorge walking track. No access to the area is permitted.
  Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, please contact the NPWS Hawkesbury-Nattai area office on 02 4720 6200.
  
  Closed areas: Six Foot track - Bowtells Bridge closure
  Bowtells swing bridge on Six Foot track is closed to protect public safety. An upgrade is being planned and the bridge is expected to reopen in Mid August 2024. Signs and barriers are in place to prevent access onto the bridge.
  Crown Lands, which manages the bridge, is advising track users not to attempt to cross Coxs River. Any attempts to cross the river are at your own risk and are discouraged due to the potential for slips or falls, rainfall and risk of flash flooding.
  For further information visit the Six Foot track website.
  
  Alert kindly provided by © NSW Nataional Parks and Wildlife Service

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