Asgard Kiln & Mine is an often forgotten about walking track here in the Blue Mountains. At 5.6km return it’s a good walk which should take you a couple of hours. Unlike many of the other walks in the Blue Mountains, this walk will take you through some swamp environments rather than rainforest.

The walk starts off Victoria Falls Road; parking near the ‘Asgard Swamp’ sign, follow the signed track across a creek crossing, until you come to a fork in the track where you’ll take the left track. This short track will take you down to the Pyramid Rock camping area, a small pyramid shaped rocky outcrop where plenty of walkers and photographers have enjoyed a night out under the stars. The site does provide some views over the swamp. Once you’ve taken a look around, retrace your steps back up the track and then turn left.

The next stop will be Asgard Mine. Continue to follow the track until you come to a signed intersection; here you will turn left, following the “Asgard Swamp Coal Mine’ sign. You’ll cross another creek, and then find a small waterfall not too far along the track. You will find yourself following the cliff line for a short distance, and then coming across the mine entrance in the cliff.

Asgard mine is an old coal mine and unfortunately, other than the mine and the kiln, there isn’t too much left in terms of links to the industrial periods between the 1860’s and 1920’s here in the Blue Mountains and in NSW. We wouldn’t recommend walking into the mine, however bring a torch along so you can get a peek. The mine have been driven about 36 metres into the coal seam, or the Katoomba Seam, however it has been discovered that the seam would not provide coking coal, and that the kiln has never been fired.

From the mine, you can continue along the cliff line for another 20 metres or so, across the creek, to the kiln. The kiln was to be used to process the coal, but the bricks on the inside are clean, as are the sandstone blocks on the outside. Although overgrown, the entrance to the kiln is still visible.

The kiln is the end of the track and from here you just need to retrace your steps back to the start of the track. This walk is a great example of the industrial history of the Blue Mountains, and its well worth the walk. At approximately a 40 minute drive from our Mountain Whispers properties, if you are looking for somewhere different and somewhere slightly off the beaten track to discover this summer, the walk to Asgard Mine and Kiln is a great day out.

Book your Blue Mountains accommodation at Mountain Whispers today, and get out and experience the history of the Blue Mountains region.

Main Photo: Asgard Swamp. Sardaka. Wiki Commons