Penrith's natural environment

As well as being a busy commercial and entertainment centre, Penrith has a great range of natural, heritage and outdoor experiences, including two new emerging attractions, the Great River Walk and Penrith Lakes.

NEW! THE GREATER BLUE MOUNTAINS DRIVE
Penrith is working with Blue Mountains tourism to incorporate its natural, heritage and outdoor experiences into the new Greater Blue Mountains Drive, an exciting new touring journey that links a vast and spectacular world heritage landscape to the regions that surround it, including Penrith Valley.
Covering 1200 km of major connecting roads, the drive offers one of Australia’s greatest touring experiences, linking Sydney with its own world heritage backyard and the diverse landscapes and experiences of outer western Sydney and inland New South Wales.
Penrith with its river, mountains and lakes offers many of the drive’s experiences, including the Great River Walk, Penrith Lakes and the Nepean River.
Branching off the core loop of the Greater Blue Mountains Drive are its 18 Discovery Trails – each one unique. These back roads are the heart and soul of the drive, taking you right in amongst the mountains and valleys, the national parks and all the regional attractions.
The Greater Blue Mountains Drive has something for everyone: walking tracks, quiet country drives and picnics, relaxing holidays, bicycle rides, sightseeing or a myriad of other experiences that lie beyond the carpark.
One of the best things about the drive is the many different ways it can be enjoyed – day journeys, short breaks and extended tours. Keen travellers can spend two or three weeks exploring the lot, or each of the Discovery Trails is a superb daytrip.
A ‘stepping-stone’ approach will work really well for many people. Choose your region and base yourself in a handy local town, like Penrith. Spend a few days exploring in different directions, then move on to a new centre, then another – until you run out of time!
More information about the Blue Mountains Heritage Drive can be found at
www.greaterbluemountains.com.au
and follow the links.