Discover Blackheath

As a destination, Blackheath brings together several distinct themes: the Campbell Rhododendron Gardens and the Day Gallery in town, as well as the nearby Grand Canyon Track. If you are looking for a hotel in Blackheath, these highlights can help you choose the town based on your travel interests.

Getting there by train

Regular trains run from Sydney Central Station to Blackheath and Mount Victoria. The journey takes about two hours. As service frequency and journey times may change, check the latest information from Transport for NSW before setting off. This lets you factor the train journey into your plans without treating the approximate travel time as a fixed timetable.

Gardens and seasonal blooms

The Campbell Rhododendron Gardens cover 18.3 hectares. Exotic rhododendrons, azaleas, maples and deciduous trees grow among native eucalypts and bushland. The gardens bring together a variety of plant groups: exotic ornamental plants are set in an environment also shaped by native vegetation. The gardens are especially colourful from late September to mid-November, with blooms in shades of pink, yellow and violet.

The gardens have easy walking paths and a picnic area in the valley. There is also an accessible lookout near the lodge. These features offer different ways to enjoy a visit: seasonal blooms, a walk through the gardens or the view near the lodge. The lookout is a specific accessible location; this does not mean that all paths are accessible.

Easter Gnome Convention

The Gnome Convention is an annual event at the Campbell Rhododendron Gardens. It takes place on Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday and features around 2,500 garden gnomes as well as family activities. If you would like to plan your stay around the event, check the latest details with the garden operator. The recurring public holidays indicate the general timing; the details for that year’s event are what matter when planning.

Art in Blackheath

The Day Gallery showcases works by emerging contemporary artists from the Blue Mountains. It adds a regional art perspective to the garden themes. As current exhibitions may vary, it is worth checking the gallery’s programme before visiting. The gardens and gallery offer different highlights in Blackheath: plant collections and seasonal blooms on the one hand, contemporary art on the other.

The Grand Canyon Track nearby

The Grand Canyon Track is located near Blackheath. Hikers have been using it since 1907. The track follows Greaves Creek and passes through a variety of vegetation, including banksias, Mountain Devil, ferns and rainforest species. This distinguishes it from the Campbell Rhododendron Gardens: while exotic rhododendrons, azaleas and other trees grow in a garden setting there, the track takes you through changing vegetation along the creek. This lets you consider the garden landscape in town and the nearby surroundings as different travel interests.

To decide whether Blackheath suits your trip, you could compare a few specific interests: are you more interested in seasonal blooms and landscaped plantings, contemporary art, or the vegetation along Greaves Creek? The train connection from Sydney, the recurring Easter event and the different nature and cultural attractions give you several objective ways to consider Blackheath as a destination.

Discover more destinations: Springwood, Katoomba, Leura, Medlow Bath, Wentworth Falls

For the broader travel overview: Blue Mountains City Council.