Baal Bone Point & Baal Bone Ridge - Gardens of Stone NP, NSW
- Iveta
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 19 hours ago
Baal Bone Point and Baal Bone Ridge - Gardens of Stone NP.
Baal Bone Point marks the endpoint of the Baal Bone Ridge plateau in Gardens of Stone National Park. It overlooks the magnificent Capertee Valley, renowned as one of the largest canyons in the world. From the ridge's summit, you are treated to breathtaking views of pagodas and rock cliff formations, with Pantoneys Crown majestically dominating the landscape. The trail to the ridge winds through the bush, following Jews Creek from the Moffitt firetrail.
Overview
Embark on a full-day hiking adventure through the true wilderness of Gardens of Stone National Park, reaching Baal Bone Point via Baal Bone Ridge. Though the distance is relatively short, the journey is challenging due to overgrown terrain and the absence of a marked trail. Nevertheless, the effort is absolutely worthwhile. Walking along Baal Bone Ridge to the endpoint rewards you with stunning views and an unforgettable experience.
Trail Details
Starting Point: Intersection of Moffitt Trail and Jews Creek
Finishing Point: Same as above
Total Distance Covered: 9 km
Total Elevation Gain: 300m
Time Spent: 6 hours including lunch break
Trail Conditions
The hike to the top of Baal Bone Ridge is a challenging bushbash through dense vegetation. The track isn't marked, so you'll need to navigate your own path through the bush. A GPS is essential, as maintaining a straight line is difficult and it's easy to stray off course. At the top of the ridge, you'll be rewarded with stunning pagodas and rock formations to explore. While there are some shrubby areas at the top, they're not as challenging as those on the approach.
Track notes:
On Sunday morning, we kick off our day in Lithgow with a breakfast stop at Hometown Cafe. From Lithgow, we'll drive for another 45 minutes to reach the intersection of Moffitt Trail and Jews Creek, where our track begins.
Moffitt Trail can be access from Ben Bullen via Hutchinson RD. Turn in to Ben Bullen Trail - signage at the turn off. This firetrail is recommended for 4WD. The trail is in pretty good shape - or at least the part from Ben Bullen to the Jews Creek. We didn't drive any further. But there are some up and downs part which might not be ideal for vehicles with low clearance.
Baal Bone Ridge and Baal Bone Point
We parked our car at Jews Creek on Moffitt Trail and headed directly into the bush to begin our approach toward Baal Bone Ridge. Without a defined path to follow, we relied on GPS to maintain our direction as accurately as possible. The track is heavily overgrown, particularly as it leads toward the top, which slows the walking progress significantly.
After approximately after 2.5 km, we bushbahed ourselves through to the Baal Bone plateau. At the top, you are immediately rewarded with views of Pantoneys Crown, a rock formation massif that dominates Capertee Valley. Walking along the ridge towards the endpoint provides stunning views in every direction. The ridge is covered with pagodas and rock formations that you can climb over or navigate around. This section reminds me of Bonnum Pic with its similar terrain. The plateau extends about 2 km to Baal Bone Point. Although the distance is relatively short, make sure to allocate enough time to enjoy and explore the area. Bring plenty of water, as there are no water sources available.
Wow, Baal Bone Point at the end of the plateau boasts some truly impressive rock formations! It's definitely the highlight of the walk. We stopped here for lunch, munching on our sandwiches while soaking in the breathtaking scenery. If you're up for more adventure, there's a path that descends down toward Pantoneys Crown, perfect for extending your trip. Just keep in mind, with the dense bush in the area, tackling this as a day trip and returning the same day might be quite challenging. Camping for a night is always the option.
Head back the same way to return to Moffitt trail, making sure to stay on the path as consistently as possible to avoid getting lost in the bush.
Alltrails link: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/afternoon-hike-at-pantoney-s-crown-summit-b704675?u=m&sh=opzdyt
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