Bells Line of Road

The road

Bells Line of Road is the alternative Blue Mountains crossing that Sydney drivers prefer over the Great Western Highway. Where the highway follows the main ridge through Katoomba with its tourist traffic and traffic lights, Bells Line takes the northern route from Richmond through Bilpin and Mount Tomah to Bell - 59 kilometres of sealed road through orchards, tall eucalypt forest and the kind of rolling terrain that keeps a driver engaged without ever being intimidating. The road starts in the Hawkesbury flats at Richmond and climbs gradually through the Kurrajong Hills before entering the orchard country around Bilpin. Bilpin is famous for its apples and the cideries that have sprung up around the orchards in recent years. Beyond Bilpin the road climbs more steeply through tall eucalypt forest to Mount Tomah, where the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden occupies a basalt-capped ridge with views across the Grose Valley. This is the best lookout on the route and worth the stop. From Mount Tomah the road continues west to Bell, where it connects to the Darling Causeway and eventually the Great Western Highway near Lithgow. The road is hillier and more winding than the Great Western Highway and carries significantly less traffic. Sydney motorcyclists have used it as a weekend ride for decades.

The region

The northern Blue Mountains are quieter and more agricultural than the southern tourist corridor around Katoomba. The Hawkesbury River valley at the eastern end is one of the oldest agricultural regions in Australia. Bilpin sits in a fertile basin at about 600 metres, surrounded by apple and stone fruit orchards planted since the 1920s. Mount Tomah at 1,000 metres has the cool-climate botanic garden that complements the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. Bell at the western end is a small settlement at the junction with the Darling Causeway - the transition point from the mountains to the western slopes.

Before you go

Fuel at Richmond and Bell. Bilpin has a service station but check opening hours on weekends. The road is fully sealed and open year-round. Fog is common above 800 metres in winter mornings. The road carries some truck traffic but significantly less than the Great Western Highway. The Bilpin to Mount Tomah section is the most engaging for driving. Allow 65-75 minutes end to end. The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden at Mount Tomah is free entry and worth at least 30 minutes.

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