Mount Wilson is a spectacular place to visit at any time of year but in autumn it really comes alive. The colours are jaw dropping - some of the leaves are such a vivid red that they look like they couldn’t possibly be real! Look up into the treetops and it’s a kaleidoscope of red, yellow, orange, peach and deep purple. It’s honestly one of the most magical places in NSW.
The best way to see the autumn colour is by visiting one of the seven Mount Wilson gardens. They all have different personalities because each is privately owned, so we’d recommend visiting at least two if you can.
This guide is focused on autumn colour specifically, but we will also be writing a general guide to the gardens next! I am no tree or garden expert (please don’t expect specifics) so this guide is more of an overview of what the gardens are like in autumn, and I’ll let the photos do most of the talking!
Mount Wilson in Autumn
The best time to visit for peak colour
It’s quite hard to predict exactly when the colours will be at their peak because it changes a little year to year, and is heavily affected by the weather.
You are also unlikely to catch a time when all the trees will be in colour at once, as they all turn at their own pace. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t have huge numbers of colourful trees at the same time, it’s just that there isn’t a time when all trees in Mount Wilson will be colourful.
Generally speaking the best colour will be between mid April and mid May but it can be early or late within that period.
I knew that I wanted to write this guide, so getting great colour was really important. Before going I rang the gardens a few times to gauge whether it was the right time to visit. The general consensus this year seemed to be somewhere around April 25th onwards.
We visited a few days later and the colour was amazing. If you’re really keen on photography I would recommend giving one of the smaller gardens a call (Breenhold only has an automated phone service) to check how the colour is at that time.
Nooroo and Windyridge were really helpful and happy to give their best estimates and it was spot on.
Another option is to check recent hashtags on Instagram and I would then comment and just make sure it’s not a latergram - watch out for photoshop though as it’s rife on that platform! You can also check the Facebook pages of the gardens for recent photos, although some are more active than others.
Spectacular gardens in Mount Wilson for autumn leaves
Nooroo Garden
The 4.5 hectare Nooroo Garden is absolutely beautiful and the owners are just as delightful. I turned up without a coat and was immediately offered one in case I was cold, which is pretty incredible hospitality in my book.
You know you’re in for a treat when it comes to autumn colour here because there is a fabulous Maple tree right by the gate before you’ve even entered the garden! As you take your first steps into the garden you will be immediately dazzled with a display of colour and it only gets better.
The area just behind the house had the most fabulous canopy of trees in vivid yellow, red, peach and a touch of green to give extra contrast. It’s magnificent.
Continuing on you’ll find a huge number of maples, oaks and copper beeches, which all offer a variety of fabulous colour. As well as the beautiful trees there was also a lovely rose garden in bloom.
Nooroo has a couple of big lawns, which have colourful trees all along the edges, making it a great place to sit, relax and take in just how beautiful and diverse the garden is.
At time of writing entry to Nooroo Garden is $10 and it’s open daily between Friday, 2 April 2021 and Monday, 14 June 2021 from 10am to 4pm. This isn’t a very busy garden, so if you’re worried about the crowds then Nooroo is a good place to go to.
Bebeah Garden
Bebeah Garden is an autumn delight. From that iconic little red gate surrounded by colourful maples, to the hints of colour around the pretty lake.
The walkway towards the garden is long and sweeping and there is a lovely old fashioned lamp post surrounded by red leaves (if you time it right!).
Unlike the other gardens, you follow a specific path that takes you around all the highlights. It’s a big loop that takes you past clusters of vivid colour, but also some patches of tree ferns and Aussie bushland.
The garden is 5 hectares and had some of the most vivid colour we saw in any of the gardens. The maple beside the lake had the most intense red leaves I have ever seen in my life, anywhere in the world!
There is one particular area with a number of maples all very close together which were changing colours at different times, giving a gorgeous array of red, yellow and oranges leaves, as well as a good covering of crunchy leaves on the ground too.
I think overall Bebeah probably had the most colour of all the gardens we visited, but that’s just how it felt rather than a fact, so don’t quote me on it!
At time of writing entry to Bebeah Garden is $10 and it’s open daily from 10am to 5pm. This one is more popular than Nooroo, but is a lot less popular than Breenhold. However, even if there are a few people here, there are so many corners to explore than you won’t feel crowded.
Windyridge Garden
Windyridge is a stunning garden with one of my favourite views in the whole area, which is from the small lake looking back onto the colourful trees. On a sunny day the reflection is just sensational.
It might be a smaller garden than the others, but there’s still some fabulous colour on offer, although it felt more subtle than at Bebeah and Nooroo.
It’s a garden that flies under the radar, and you can see the hands-on care from its passionate owner who created Windyridge from scratch 26 years ago, and still works all the daylight hours to care for it.
The Japanese maples are gorgeous and we could sit staring at one as we enjoyed the complimentary tea and biscuits, which was a pretty wonderful way to spend half an hour in the late afternoon.
They also had one of the most special picnic areas, a large table under a canopy of leaves which shone gold in the sunshine. The view is out to an array of trees, including several in various shades of red and yellow.
This garden is slightly off the main avenue and is one of the quietest in Mount Wilson, which made for a really peaceful experience - you could admire each of the colourful trees all by yourself.
At time of writing Windyridge is open daily between 9am and 4.30pm and entry is $10.
Breenhold Gardens
Breenhold is the biggest garden of them all by quite a way, and definitely the most famous.
There’s no doubt it’s a beautiful place, and there was plenty of autumn colour scattered throughout the garden. However, due to its size and the amount of native evergreen trees, it doesn’t have quite the same autumnal feel as the other gardens.
That’s not to say you won’t find beautiful colours here, just that it’s a different experience. You will still have the chance to see some spectacular maples, including the ones beside those famous Laburnum steps - although you need a good dose of luck to catch the scene as it is in that famous photo (if you haven’t seen it, google the steps and you’ll know the one immediately).
We chatted to the person working there and he said it was exceptional circumstances. For us, one maple had turned a brilliant red but the other was still green. Even so, it’s undeniably pretty and one of our favourite spots in the garden.
You will also find yellows, peaches and purples dotted throughout different parts of the garden.
It does get very, very busy though, so you’ll want to factor that in if you’re keen on photography, or you simply don’t like crowds. If you can, visit midweek, that’s what we were lucky enough to do and it wasn’t too bad.
If you visit mid week though, you won’t be able to visit the parklands opposite, which are only open on weekends (although it’s always worth asking nicely and seeing if you can slip in!). The parklands are vast, and more lawn than garden, but do have some rather lovely maples.
In honesty though, I would still pick visiting on a weekday and forgoing the parklands in order to have a more peaceful visit.
At time of writing Breenhold Gardens is $15 to visit and open daily 2nd April – 30th May between 10am and 4pm.
5. Merry Garth
At 2.5 hectares, Merry Garth is slightly smaller than the other gardens, but there is still plenty to explore. We visited towards the end of the autumn colour, so the photos won't really do it justice. If we'd have been a little earlier, it would have been a riot of colour!
There are many beautiful maples and other colourful trees, some of which were interspersed in the native rainforest, which created a wonderful contrast.
The paths through the forest had a delightful secret garden feel to them, and occasionally you even got the odd peek out to the mountains in the distance.
There were lots of little picturesque benches scattered amongst the garden and despite visiting on a weekend, we were wandering almost entirely alone. It is definitely one of the lesser known gardens in the area.
At time of writing the entry fee is $10 for adults and it’s open every weekend in April and the first two Sundays in May between 8am and 3pm. Additionally it's open every Wednesday throughout the year.
Tips for visiting Mount Wilson
Places you can see autumn colours for free
I feel like visiting Mount Wilson and not seeing at least one garden would be a real shame, but I also know sometimes the budget just doesn’t allow. Luckily you can still see some beautiful autumn scenes for free.
Just walking down the quiet country lanes will provide some beautiful colour and photo ops. There are also a few gorgeous colourful trees in the little garden beside St Georges Anglican Church.
The campground at Cathedral of Ferns also has some pretty red trees.
If you have time we’d highly recommend stopping by the Mount Tomah Botanic Garden which is free of charge and directly on route to Mount Wilson if driving from Sydney via Bilpin. Although the garden is mainly evergreen there is a small but spectacular area for fall foliage, which is located in the Residence Garden.
It's just a couple of minutes walk from the main entrance (to the left) and has one of the most beautiful spots in all the gardens we've visited in the area for autumn colour - the little bench underneath the huge maple trees. Along with several vibrant gold trees it's an absolute delight.
Other gardens in Mount Wilson for autumn colour
There are a couple of other gardens we were hoping to visit which were closed when we were in the area. Although we are planning to return and then update this post next season, we thought we’d mention the two we missed; Yengo Sculpture Gardens and Sefton Cottage. If you manage to check them out before we do, please let us know how they are!
Bring a picnic!
Not only is it wonderful to take a picnic into the gardens, but it’s also very practical as there are no cafes in Mount Wilson. You do get complimentary tea and biscuits if you visit Windyridge Garden, and you can buy coffee and biscuits from Nooroo on weekends, but otherwise you will need to bring everything with you.
Our favourite picnic area at Windyridge
Facilities at Mount Wilson
Mount Wilson is not really equipped to deal with huge numbers of visitors and it is best to treat a visit here like you would a remote walk, ie take all your rubbish with you. They do not have enough bins for everyone’s rubbish and it ends up being the locals that pick up leftover trash.
If the bins are full please take rubbish home with you, and ideally don’t even use the bins so that people who are less thoughtful will be able to use them instead.
We hate to sound patronising and know that 99% of people would never leave litter, but sadly some do and they are more likely to do so if the bins are full, so therefore just taking it home is best.
Getting to Mount Wilson
Mount Wilson is located in the Blue Mountains, 125km and roughly a two hour drive from Sydney. It is 34km and just over half an hour from Bilpin and half an hour from Lithgow.
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