The gorgeous swimming hole at Hyde Park Reserve is like a little taste of Kananagra National Park without the long drive. The pool is nestled between granite rocks and the series of small cascades add an extra touch of serenity.
The easy climb up the rocks at the side of the pool give access to extra plunge pools and a lovely stretch of gorge which is perfect for a picnic, or simply lazing around in the sun. Just keep an eye on your things as there are plenty of resident water dragons looking for any opportunity to sneak a feed!
Though the closest parking area requires a 4WD, the walk is short and easy from a 2WD parking area too.
Here’s what to expect from the River Lett swimming hole at Hyde Park Reserve.
Visiting the River Lett swimming hole
The access road
Hyde Park Reserve is located just outside the village of Little Hartley in the Blue Mountains. The last 2.2km of the road to the reserve is gravel, with the last 1.6km requiring a 4WD if the large deep puddles remain (they may dry out at some point and you could then get closer).
The first part of the gravel road is in good condition and suitable for any vehicle.
Technically you can drive all the way to the swimming hole if you have a 4WD and some skills - well, within a 30 second walk at any rate. However, the road is not in good condition and though we met someone who made it all the way down, we also met someone that got bogged and had to back track.
The issue is some seriously large, deep puddles with muddy bottoms, as well as some deep ruts.
Even though we have a 4WD, we weren’t comfortable attempting the full drive, so we parked at a point at which a 2WD can easily get to and walked. The coordinates for this lay-by are: -33.5437222, 150.1883619.
There are multiple other spots nearby you can park fully off the road and walk from there with no issues.
The walk from the 2WD parking area and what to expect if driving the road
The stats
Distance: 3.2km return with a 2WD
Elevation gain: 40m
Difficulty: Easy
The walk to the swimming hole from the 2WD parking area is almost entirely flat and follows the road for the majority of the way.
Even at the point (1.2km in) at which you can turn onto a walking path, it’s only a short time before you pop out back at the road again. However, it’s a pretty road with fields on one side and mountain views on the other.
The point at which we recommend parking is just before a large deep puddle (it’s possible this may dry up over time, but it’s been there a long while).
There is always a way for walkers to skirt this puddle and all the other smaller (but still deep) puddles that you’ll find along the road.
At the 1km mark you’ll reach a deeply rutted, almost crater like road, as well as a sign welcoming you to the reserve. There’s a decent path to the right of this and a couple of hundred metres beyond you’ll see another little sign indicating the walking track. The path descends very gently from here.
The narrow track has a couple of trees down over it at time of writing, but you can walk around them with no problems.
Another 200m later, or 1.4km from the 2WD parking point, there is more parking and if you’re still driving, this avoids the last 150m down to the pool which is heavily rutted and stony.
For walkers the next 150m is downhill on the stony road and you’ll come out to a clearing and some large rocks beside the river.
The River Lett swimming hole
The swimming hole is really picturesque, surrounded by a huge jumble of granite rocks and the pretty little cascades. It’s large enough for a proper swim and accessing the water is easy.
You do have a small amount of shallow water on a rock shelf to negotiate when getting in, but it’s really just a few steps. There is a fine layer of mud on the rock shelf which can be slippery, but it’s very minimal.
It quickly becomes deep enough to swim off and I personally didn’t encounter any submerged rocks inside the water, so it was a really relaxing swim.
I did swim very early in the season so the water was pretty cold, but still warmer than many other pools in the mountains at that same time, so I imagine in summer the water is probably not too cold for the majority of people.
Beside the waterhole there are large boulders which warm up nicely in the sun (I guess it could be scorching in summer!) and are a good place to stretch out between dips.
The pools above
The main swimming hole is by far the best for swimming and though we didn’t explore too far above it, the pools we found were relatively shallow. It’s still worth going up though as it’s very quick and easy and the views are gorgeous.
You can climb up either side of the small waterfall, but if you want to stay dry it has to be on the right side. I think the left side is even easier, but it requires swimming across the pool.
If you’re swimming anyway, it’s very straightforward as the water becomes shallow just by the point at which you’d climb up and there’s a rock shelf creating easy tiers to climb up.
Once you get onto the main granite rock shelf it slopes uphill, but it’s very grippy (when dry) and you’re at the next pool within 30 seconds.
If you want to take the dry route on the right, you have to climb over a few more rocks, but despite being narrow in places, it’s also pretty easy and again, not slippery unless it’s wet.
The first pool isn’t deep enough to swim, but is deep enough to sit in. There are rocks inside the pool which is another reason it doesn’t work for swimming, but it’s fine for relaxing.
You can then continue a few steps further and you’ll come to the start of what feels like a gorge. The pools here were very shallow, but the setting is just stunning.
The rock walls are more dramatic and there is plenty of room to sit and relax and it feels perfectly sheltered from the pool below, so if it is busy down there you can retreat to your own little hidden spot.
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.
