Birdwood Gully – A Family Favourite

Birdwood Gully/ Madolin Glen track is an easy to medium grade 2.6km round bushwalk in Springwood that will take around 1 – 2 hours to complete. It is a sensational track for families to explore and soak up the natural beauty of the Blue Mountains and discover incredible sights along the way.

From little bridges and waterfalls to massive sandstone overhangs, ferns carpeting the ground, huge grass trees, glow worm caves and running creeks – this track is paradise and will leave your most reluctant bushwalkers relishing in the sights in awe and wonder.

What To Expect At Birdwood Gully Round Walk, Springwood

Stairs

Birdwood Gully is a Blue Mountains bushwalk that is not pram friendly or suitable for anyone with mobility difficulties, as there are stairs on this walk. The elevation of this walk is 117 metres.

The path is flat and smooth in some parts and rocky in other parts.

Glowworms

Glowworms live here! There are various dark overhangs that house glow worms along Birdwood Gully track. Your children will enjoy the challenge of trying to spot them, but obviously, in the daytime, it is not easy. It’s possible to see them hanging in some parts, but not glowing.

If you would like to see the glowworms at night, it is only around 1.5km (return) to explore the glowworm caves but you will need to take care on the rocky descent into the gully in the dark and bring plenty of lighting.

If you do find glowworms, please leave them alone. Never touch glowworms, shine a torch directly at them, or use flash photography. If you need light, point your torch towards the ground.

Diverse Flora and Landscapes

Birdwood Gully is a very pretty Blue Mountains bushwalk where you will find gorgeous scenery and unexpected surprises along the way. Expect a sea of ferns in places, lots of caves to explore (in the warmer weather you should stick to the track as snakes live in the bush), little bridges, amazingly tall flowering angophoras, incredible sandstone overhangs (close to Boland Avenue), little creeks to explore and small waterfalls after rain.

Who Is The Birdwood Gully Track Suited For?

Birdwood Gully is an easy to medium difficulty Blue Mountains bushwalk and most people will moderate fitness will manage it well. For young children, Birdwood Gully might be a little long for them at 2.6km. There are stairs down into the gully and at the end, there are stairs back up.

Whether your child will be ok to complete this track depends on their individual level of fitness. For example, a relatively fit three year old may still need assistance towards the end but older children should be fine to complete it (they will still need a good rest afterward though!).

Overall, expect young children (under about 3 or 4 years old) to tire towards the end and likely need some carrying.

Are Dogs Allowed At Birdwood Gully?

Birdwood Gully is one of the best walks for dogs in the Blue Mountains. Dogs must be kept on a lead though. There is plenty for dogs to explore at Birdwood Gully, and, after rainfall, there is water to splash and cool off in the warmer months. Please remember to always clean up after your dog.

Finding The Track

You can access Birdwood Gully/Madolin Glen track from Lucinda Ave, Boland Ave (entrance is to the left of house number 14) or Bednall Road, Springwood. It all loops up together.

It is always recommended that at least two adults bushwalk with children. Towards the end of the walk, little legs will be tired. If you begin at Bednall Road, for example, one adult might like to collect the car while the others wait at Boland Avenue. If you have the stamina though, you can keep walking all the way back to your car.

Please note:
Take care with traffic along Bednall Road, as cars often speed down the winding road. Wait well away from the road.

What To Bring

Print the Birdwood Gully Bushtrackers Map for your children to practise their map reading skills.

Bring plenty of food and drinks for your family to enjoy as you take rest breaks and enjoy the serenity of this majestic track. Bring a jacket each, sturdy, non slip closed shoes, long pants, sun protection and a first aid kit. If your children love to explore, you may also need to bring a change of clothes in case they get wet or muddy.

Also, keep in mind that leeches may be around, so pack some salt in case you pick up an unwanted guest.

You will definitely need your camera too because the sights are amazing!

Bushwalking Safety

Before you grab your little ones, backpacks, drink bottles and walking shoes, ensure that you check all of the relevant safety requirements for any Blue Mountains bushwalk that you are walking. You are in nature’s playground and each walk is different and requires a different level of preparation. Please read our tips for keeping children safe on bushwalks. It’s a good idea to also download the NSW National Parks app and check out the Think before you TREK advice on the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

It is essential that you click on the links above and adhere to the recommendations. Even though it is Winter and spiders and snakes are less of an issue than in the warmer months, please realise that the bush is their home and there is always a chance that you may come across wildlife on your walk. Be alert and prepared, not alarmed.

We hope that you enjoy a safe and memorable family experience bushwalking in the Blue Mountains! Please let us know in the comments about your walk through Birdwood Gully.

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Birdwood Gully Round Walk, Springwood: A Superb 2.6km Blue Mountains Bushwalk for Families

Birdwood Gully Round Walk, Springwood: A Superb 2.6km Blue Mountains Bushwalk for Families

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