Burralow Creek is best known for its campground, but we were there for the walk to Bulcamatta Falls. It’s an easy and picturesque walk by day and absolutely magical at night. Under the cover of darkness the secrets of Bulcamatta Falls are revealed.
By daylight it’s a small waterfall which cascades over a picturesque fern covered gully. By night it is lit by a thousand tiny blue lights. The lights of one of the biggest glow worm colonies we have ever seen! To say it’s a spectacular sight is an understatement, it’s easily our favourite thing to do in Bilpin.
It really will blow you away. Here’s what to expect from the Burralow Creek walk, by day and by night.
The Bulcamatta Falls walk at Burralow Creek
Finding the trail head
The hardest thing about the Bulcamatta Falls walk is finding the trail head! It’s not signposted until you’ve already started the track. When you drive into the campground keep left and look for the small metal fence which you can walk around.
There are two close together, you want the one on the western side of the campsite, not the nearby one on the northern side (if in doubt you can find it marked on Google Maps as the Bulcamatta Falls Track (see below).
If you’ve picked the right one, within seconds you’ll see the sign post for Bulcamatta Falls. The walk is just 1.3km each way and then is no climbing whatsoever.
Starting the trail: walking through the forest
Since we first walked this track, the beginning of the path has been fixed up so you no longer need to cross the creek on the wobbly log pile. You’ll now have a perfectly manicured metal bridge making for a very easy start to the walk.
Once you’re on the other side of the creek you’ll be walking on a flat, dirt path for the entire way.
It’s the easiest glow worm dell we’ve accessed so far! It makes for an incredibly relaxing walk, I loved just being able to focus on the scenery and the bird song instead of watching my footing.
After 500m, on your left, you’ll spot an old stone pit, this was dug by convicts, although there’s no information board to tell you why.
A couple of hundred metres beyond, also on your left, you’ll see a huge termite mound.
It’s definitely one of the biggest that I’ve seen outside the NT. There’s a little side trail if you want to take a closer look.
Watch out for wildlife!
As you continue along the shady forest path you’ll notice the land becomes swampy to your right. This is apparently the favoured habitat of the endangered giant dragonfly!
We stopped to look for them but only found their smaller relatives. We looked them up online and they are supposed to be as big as your hand so it’s well worth spending a bit of time looking out for them!
There are also supposed to be glossy black cockatoos in the area, but alas we didn’t see those either.
It’s a beautiful place to stop and look out for them though, and I was struct by just how calm and peaceful this area is, despite being in the famous Blue Mountains National Park.
Just 150m beyond the termite mound you’ll see another short path on your left which leads to quite a big overhang.
We checked this spot out to see whether it would be a possible glow worm location, but it was too dry so we wrote it off and continued on through the forest.
Getting to Bulcamatta Falls
From the overhang onwards, the scenery becomes prettier, with lots of craggy rocks to the left which add more atmosphere to the walk. After another 350m the path becomes sandy and you reach the creek.
The vegetation gets more dense and we knew this was going to be prime glow worm territory!
It’s absolutely gorgeous with fern covered cliffs and lots of hanging vines. The air dampens and the temperature noticeably drops.
The falls are just 150m further on. Whilst the waterfall is not particularly impressive in and of itself, the setting is gorgeous, and was a wonderful spot to sit and relax in the cool air.
By this point I couldn’t wait to come back that night because the area where we thought the glow worms could possibly be was so huge, we knew it could be something very special.
Burralow Creek by night
We headed back to the campground around half an hour after sunset. Considering it’s a fairly remote campsite, we were pretty surprised to see there was a huge party going on, you could hear it from over 1km away!
Call us old, but we were so glad to be staying at nearby Bilpin instead! Under normal circumstances the campground is a lovely one though.
Luckily having already done a recce in the day we knew exactly where to head and the walk was really easy.
The stars overhead were incredible and it was amazing just to walk through the forest at night, and listen to all sounds that you don’t get during the day.
Once we got to the sandy path, 150m before the falls, we turned off our torches and sure enough the blue lights began appearing on both sides of the cliffs around us.
We sat with this colony for around 15 minutes and it would have been a fantastic sight alone, but the best was yet to come.
The last bit of the trail to the falls is lined with glow worms on both sides and then you arrive at the falls and you don’t know where the glow worms stop and the stars begin! It’s a truly jaw dropping sight.
It’s easily the most glow worms we’ve seen anywhere but in the glow worm caves of New Zealand. Edit: we’ve since found even more at this spot!
You need to let your eyes adjust for at least five minutes before you realise quite how many they are. The longer you sit with the lights off, the more you see.
For the most dazzling display head to the left overhang (watch for the little puddle and mud patch as you climb over the log). Not only will you be wowed by the sheer number of glow worms in the overhang, but you also get great views to the overhang on the right of the creek too. You will see about ten times the number you can see if you stay further back before crossing the log.
They were also reflected in the pool at the bottom of the falls! I’ll never be able to describe how beautiful it is but it was one of those moments where there’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be.
We sat at the base of the falls for over an hour, just soaking up the atmosphere of this incredible place. I’m already dreaming about returning one day!
If you’re a bit of a glow worm fanatic like me, we have some more hidden spots for you in this post.
Taking care of the glow worms
Please don’t shine light on the glow worms, they don’t like it and will turn their lights out. To find a spot to sit and relax in you can use a torch shone directly at the ground, and then turn it out.
You’ll see so much less if you keep a light on.
Also if you’re keen on getting a photo, bring a tripod which will allow you to pick up the glow worms without shining a light on them.
We do have one or two photos where someone came and shone a torch in the middle of where we were shooting (not for us!) but all others are taken without any light whatsoever.
Getting this spot to yourself
This isn’t a well known site as such but as it’s at a campground you can expect to see a few other people on a weekend. We found that there were people around roughly 30-45 minutes after sunset. We got the whole area to ourselves for an hour afterwards just by waiting them out.
Our recommendation would be to go as late as possible, naturally most people head there straight after sunset so going later will benefit you.
Getting to experience it all to yourself is something that is well worth waiting for!
Getting to Burralow Creek Campground
The nearest town to Burralow Creek is Bilpin, in the Blue Mountains. It’s 13km and roughly a 30 minute drive from Bilpin. It’s just under 100km and 2 hours from Sydney. It’s 75km and 1 hour 20 from Katoomba.
The road to Burralow Campground
As soon as you leave the main road you will hit a dirt road, and then it’s 10km to the campground. On our visit the road was in excellent condition and suitable for all vehicles (the start is a little rough, but it’s not for long). Despite that it does twist and turn at points and has the odd pothole so you’ll want to drive slowly. Edit: on our most recent visit (December 2023) the road was in a little worse shape with some ruts and bumps that some people may not enjoy in a car with low clearance. I wouldn’t attempt the road in anything other than a 4WD if it’s been wet.
There is wildlife on the road after dark too, so you want to be going slowly enough that you don’t hit the wallabies that hop along in front of your car!
Packing suggestions for Burralow Creek
Having the right gear can make a huge difference, especially in the Blue Mountains. It’s an area that can be very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter, so you want to pack the right equipment. You will also want to additional things if you are going looking for glow worms.
Here’s what we pack and have relied upon for years:
Sunscreen: Cancer Council Active. With a high SPF, but not the greasy feel of other sunscreens. Makes a big difference when you’re working up a sweat on a sunny day! Check it out on Amazon
Good Rain Jacket: North Face This is an essential item we always pack in our bag! This jacket from North Face is designed to keep you dry but also comfortably warm (many rain jackets will make you feel like you’re in a sauna). Check it out on Amazon
Head torch with red light: If you’re going on the search for glow worms, a head torch is a must. We recommend this one as it has a red light. Check it out on Amazon
Day Pack: Osprey Talon 22 (we’ve owned this for years). Check on Amazon or direct with Osprey
Hiking Boots: Merrell Moab (for men and women). We’ve both used these for over three years and they just keep going. Check them out on Amazon
Trekking poles: We’ve used Black Diamond for years as they are light, solid and durable. Check them out on Amazon.
Reusable water bottle: To avoid single-use plastic. Check them out on Amazon
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