‘Wow’ is the only possible response to first setting eyes on The Forge. An incredible stretch of the Macquarie River which is squeezed between jagged rocks forming small but powerful waterfalls before gushing out into large, deep swimming holes. A sandy beach backed by the same dramatic rocks looks like it could have been part of the Lord of The Rings film set.
It’s a striking landscape, to be admired and respected. Currents can be strong here and you need relatively low water levels to reach The Forge safely. When the stars align you have one of the most fun and unusual swim spots in the state, or if you’re not a swimmer, a memorable place to sit and watch the majesty of mother nature.
Here’s everything you need to know to find it.
A note on conditions and safety
There is no formed track leading to The Forge, by off-track walking standards it’s easy, but several sections would become impassable if water levels in the river are high and any off-track walk is harder than a maintained path. There is no phone signal anywhere near The Forge or the access road to reach it, it would be wise to carry a PLB in case of emergency.
When it comes to swimming, there are powerful currents in the river due to the force of water being squeezed through the rocks. You can generally see the movement of the water and there is plenty of room to swim, avoiding the current entirely, but you should be mindful of it and know your own limits.
The series of rocks inside the water, between the initial pool entry point and the waterfalls of The Forge have a particularly strong current surrounding them. I would avoid this area entirely by swimming across the first pool, climbing over the rocks onto the beach, cross the beach and re-enter the water away from this strong current.
Although I didn’t encounter any, you should always be wary of submerged logs and other debris that may have been washed in to the pools after heavy rainfall.
There is a large and generally very calm swimming hole just before The Forge cascades which still has a spectacular backdrop if you don’t want to swim in the narrow rocky section which has the stronger current.
The walk to The Forge
The stats
Distance: 2.9km each way
Elevation gain: 145m
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead: End of Forge Road (before horrific rutted part)
Summary: The walk to The Forge has no signposts and no set path. It is however, one of the easier off-track walks we’ve done. Despite that it still involves some rocky terrain and very light scrambling and making your own way along the river bank with no path.
As you are following the river and have our directions, finding it should not be a problem. There are several areas of fallen trees you need to climb over, none are overly challenging, but you’ll need to hoist yourself up and over some of the fatter trunks.
The route is very exposed to the elements and the rocks radiate the heat, so on a hot day you will really feel it.
Despite the short distance of just 3km it took us an hour to reach The Forge, albeit on a 35C day!
Where to start the trail
The road to reach the start of the walk to The Forge is unsealed but suitable for any vehicle in dry conditions. However the last couple of hundred metres are 4WD only and you’d need to be a confident driver too.
For all but the most confident drivers we would recommend parking at the pull-out at these coordinates: -33.201786, 149.485914
You can then walk the couple of hundred metres of rocky road and save yourself what looks like a hectic drive (even if you think it looks ok from above, think about having to ascend it again!).
Full driving details are at the end of the post.
The walk
From the parking area we recommend using, you have 200m of rocky road to descend before it flattens. You’ll then follow a grassy vehicle trail for the next 1.05km making for very easy walking. Roughly 800m in there is a makeshift camping area on the right, by a little beach and shallow river access. However, there are nicer spots beyond!
Roughly 1.25km from the parking area the road runs out and from here you are making your own path, following the river upstream.
After 100m walking along the river it’s easiest to cut briefly uphill onto the rocks before coming back down to river level again.
The next 300m are straightforward and you’ll soon see a set of large cascades, the first of many to come.
Unfortunately following this there is a very brief but dense patch of thistles and you have little choice but to walk through them - I wouldn’t recommend wearing shorts for this reason!
Just 50m beyond the cascades you’ll reach the first more substantial bit of rock hopping. You’ll climb up and over a few grippy (when dry) rocks and then traverse a little bit of slanted rock platform before reaching a worn grassy track.
Apart from one set of trees down that you need to climb over (mercifully it is just tree trunks, not bushy debris) the next few hundred metres are very easy, along the flat grass path.
At the 2km mark you will cross a low tributary (dry crossing) and climb up a couple of rocks before reaching a rocky patch 100m later, which we guess may become impassable during times of high water.
Another bit of tree fall follows, which was nice and stable during our visit, before you reach a little sandy beach. After this you’ll reach a brief rock scramble and I say scramble lightly, you don’t really have to use your hands, so it’s not exactly a scramble, but it’s a bit more of a climb than any of the rest of the route so far. However, it’s grippy, has many good tiers for footing and only takes a minute to cross.
A bit more straightforward riverside walking follows before a final short rocky patch. There is some uneven ground on this section, but nothing that was worrying when dry, just go carefully to avoid rolling an ankle.
Following the final rocky patch there is 150m to go before you reach a vehicle track. This lasts for 200m before it fades away, but you’re now only 150m from the beach before The Forge.
This last 150m is some of the easiest of the whole walk with relatively smooth ground. You’ll reach the beach at the 2.9km mark. If you’re swimming you would stop here, but if not you’ll want to continue for a further 150m climbing up and over the rocks to reach a good viewpoint over The Forge.
Swimming at The Forge pool one
The initial beach you come to is the easiest entry point to the water. You step off the sandy/mud bank and straight into shallow water. It quickly gets deep enough to swim and this first section only has a slight current, with masses of space to swim outside of it.
There are shallow sections of water through the middle with little sandy areas that you can stand up on. Outside of this there is plenty of deep water for swimming and the backdrop is fabulous. There were even kangaroos and wallabies watching us from the riverbank!
The water is surprisingly warm, warm enough in October that I wondered if it wouldn’t be all that refreshing in summer - but we were having a very hot October - so perhaps it was already close to normal summer temperature.
Swimming in the main part of The Forge
To get to the main part of The Forge you need to pass the rocks that line the middle of the pool. As mentioned, the current around these rocks is very strong and I would recommend avoiding it. Instead you can swim to the amazing little beach backed by the dramatic granite rocks and then re-enter the water past the rocks.
It’s at this point that you really get to see and experience the unique beauty of the gorge. It’s lined on both sides with incredible rock formations in shapes and quantities I haven’t seen anywhere else.
The closest I can think of is Googong Cascades just outside of Canberra, but The Forge has more rocks pushing the water in different directions. Some of the rocks appeared to form cracks and boulder caves and the whole place feels wild and exciting.
There is a strong current coming from the small waterfalls just upstream and while there is plenty of room to swim outside of it, you should definitely be aware of the force of the cascades.
You can climb out and exit the water via the rocks and then rock hop 150m back to the main beach you started from, but personally I found it more fun to swim back.
You might want to climb up the rock anyway to get an elevated view of The Forge and the higher waterfalls you can’t see from inside the pool (you can only see the first one).
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Getting to the trailhead for The Forge
To reach the closest parking point for The Forge (or the one we recommend at least) you will turn off the paved road (Bridle Track) and onto Forge Road, which is unsealed. You’ll drive for 5.3km along the unsealed road passing through five gates. Remember to always leave the gates as you found them.
The road is gravel and in very good shape and therefore unless there is any significant change (eg following very heavy rainfall) it can be driven with any vehicle. There are a few minor ups and downs, but no steep bits if you park at this point.
The last few hundred metres are 4WD only and to be honest I wouldn’t drive down it in our 4WD, it’s easy enough to walk and save yourself the hassle.
The land on either side of the road is private property and you will see ‘no trespassing’ signs, however, the road is public, so as long as you stick to the road and then stick to the river banks on route to The Forge there is no problem with you visiting.
The Forge car park is located approximately 30km and a 40 minute drive from Bathurst.
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The Forge is an incredible stretch of the Macquarie River which is squeezed between jagged rocks forming small but powerful waterfalls before gushing out into large deep swimming holes. There are no signposts or set path, we’re sharing how to find it as well as everything you need to know to visit safely.