The Six Foot Track: Route, Marathon and Running Guide

Routes | Published 2026-10-03 | By OUTRN Team

Six Foot Track, Katoomba to Megalong Valley and Coxs River, New South Wales, Australia

The Six Foot Track from Katoomba: distance, the route in order, the current Jenolan closure, camping, and how to enter the Six Foot Track Marathon.

Source: NPWS alert, finishes at Binda Bush Cabins, Australasian Leisure Management reported.

You park at the Explorers Tree, or walk 2.6km from Katoomba station. Within two kilometres you are dropping down the steps into Nellies Glen. By 15.5km you are standing at the Coxs River, 270m above sea level on the marathon organisers' measurements, with the biggest climb of the day still ahead of you.

The Six Foot Track is a historic horse track across the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, running from Katoomba through the Megalong Valley and across the Coxs River. National Parks and Wildlife Service NSW (NPWS) lists it as 42km one-way, grade Hard, and NPWS calls it a 3-day hike. Each March more than 1,100 runners finish the Six Foot Track Marathon, 45km of the same ground inside a seven-hour cut-off.

What is the Six Foot Track?

It follows an 1884 horse track. The Six Foot Track Heritage Trust's history says a government-funded expedition began marking the route from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves in March 1884, the government then spent 2,500 pounds building it, and the finished ride to the caves took less than eight hours. Once cars arrived, sections turned into roads, fire trails and farmland, and by the 1930s the track was mostly unused. A 1960s proposal to fill in Nellies Glen for a fire trail failed. The track was re-established in 1984 and 1985 by the Orange Lands Office for its centenary. The Trust says it now manages the walk, and NPWS lists the track as managed by Crown Lands.

It crosses what NSW Crown Lands describes as the traditional Country of the Darug, Gundungurra and Wiradjuri peoples.

How long is the Six Foot Track?

The Six Foot Track is 42km one-way according to NPWS, but sources disagree. VisitNSW says 44km, and NSW Crown Lands has published both 46km and 45km. The Heritage Trust's track notes run to 44.75km at Jenolan Caves House, which is past the current closure. The Six Foot Track Marathon course is 45km, which includes a 4km loop at the Deviation added to hold the distance at 45km now that the finish is Binda Bush Cabins.

Plan on 42 to 45km, and treat the NPWS figure as the official one.

The route in order

Distances and altitudes below come from the organisers' measurements of the marathon course, which follows the same track. The Heritage Trust's track notes supply the rest.

Explorers Tree to Nellies Glen (0 to 1.7km)

The start is the Explorers Tree. The Trust's notes say the explorers of 1813 reportedly engraved their names in it, that the engravings are no longer visible, and that their authenticity has been debated for more than a century. The marathon start line sits 235m along from the tree at 1,050m. A narrow, rocky track takes you down Nellies Glen, a drop to 725m at the 1.7km mark.

Megalong Valley (to 15.5km)

Meadows, sandy gravel and dirt fire trail. This is where Megalong Village used to be, a kerosene shale mining settlement. The Trust's notes say mining began in 1885, about 40 families lived there, and the mines closed in 1904. Megalong Cemetery, by the same notes, holds at least 14 people who died between 1894 and 1931. The course drops from 725m at the bottom of Nellies Glen to 570m at the Megalong Valley Road cattle grid (8.1km), then to 270m at the river.

Coxs River (15.5km, 270m)

The lowest point on the organisers' measurements. There are two ways over. The track itself fords the river: the Trust's notes describe crossing "smooth and slippery rocks", say "the river is normally only shin deep", and warn that it "becomes impassable when in flood". Upstream is the Bowtells Swing Bridge, a 100m suspension bridge that NSW Crown Lands says was rebuilt and reopened on 13 September 2024, and now takes up to five people at a time. If the river is up, use the bridge.

Fenced Yards to the Pluviometer (18.6 to 26km)

On race day a drink station sits at Fenced Yards at 18.6km. The Trust's track notes record 354m of climbing in the 3.1km up from the Coxs River campsite. The course tops Mini Mini Saddle (740m) at 20km, drops to a creek crossing at 550m at 22.5km, then climbs to the Pluviometer (990m) at 26km. The Trust's notes put that last climb, from Alum Creek to the top of the Black Range, at 468m over 4.2km. A pluviometer is a rain gauge. This is the second marathon cut-off.

Black Range and the Deviation (34.7 to 39km)

From the Pluviometer the course follows the Black Range road, rising a net 205m over 8.7km. Black Range campground sits at 1,195m, 34.7km in, with a toilet, a water tank and a sheltered picnic table, according to the Trust's campsite list. The Deviation checkpoint, the third marathon cut-off in the race rules, is at 39km.

Finish at Binda Bush Cabins (45km on the marathon course)

The finish is currently Binda Bush Cabins. NPWS says there is no public transport to or from the cabins, so arrange your own lift.

On paper this is a downhill run. The organisers' course page says it "climbs a total of 1,528m and drops a total 1,788m giving a net drop of 260m (it's a downhill course!!)". The joke is in the order. By the same measurements you lose 780m by the Coxs River at 15.5km, and most of the climbing comes after it. The race does not use the bridge either: the course page lists the Swing Bridge at 14.36km as "not crossed as part of the race", and the first cut-off in the race rules is the river crossing itself.

The Six Foot Track Marathon

The Six Foot Track Marathon started in 1984. It is organised by a race committee with 250 to 300 volunteers each year. All profits go to the Blue Mountains Rural Fire Service, whose crews staff the aid stations. The 2027 race is on Saturday 13 March and starts near the Explorers Tree.

• Distance: 45km, 1,528m of climbing and 1,788m of descent (course page).
• Cut-offs: Coxs River 2 hours 10, Pluviometer 4 hours 10, Deviation 6 hours 5, finish 7 hours (race rules).
• Field: over 1,100 finishers a year (race home page).
• Entry fee: $240 (2027 entry guide).
• Qualifier: required. The window runs from 1 July 2025 to 15 November 2026. The qualification page lists any standard marathon under 4 hours 20, or a 2025 or 2026 Six Foot Track Marathon under 7 hours, among others. As of 4 October 2026 the same page says the committee is still reviewing the 2027 criteria, so check it before you bank on a result.
• Entry dates (2027): preferred entry, for runners who meet the organisers' preferred-entry criteria, opens 9am on 30 November 2026 and closes 9am on 2 December. The lottery runs from 9am on 2 December to 5pm on 4 December, with results on 7 December. Remaining places are drawn by a 50/50 male and female random lottery, and there is no waitlist.

The race rules list the finish at Binda Bush Cabins, where the course page says it has been since the 2023 event. The Jenolan reserve is closed until 31 December 2026 and no reopening date has been announced, so check the race site for the 2027 finish before you book a bed.

Can you run the Six Foot Track outside the marathon?

Yes, you can run the Six Foot Track outside the marathon. The Trust's track notes say individuals and family groups do not need to book for the walk, though large groups should register with Crown Lands. What changes is that nobody is crewing it for you. NPWS says mobile reception is limited, that you need reception to call Triple Zero (000), and that you should download the Emergency Plus app before you go. It also suggests filling in a trip intention form and says you can hire a personal locator beacon for free at the Blue Mountains Heritage Centre in Blackheath. The Trust says to treat water from the river and the campsite tanks before drinking it, and NPWS warns the track can become boggy when it rains. Carry your own food, a map, a way to treat water and a way to call for help.

Where can you camp?

You can camp on the Six Foot Track at campsites the Heritage Trust lists at Old Ford Reserve, Coxs River, Alum Creek and Black Range, plus the Six Foot Track Eco Lodge. The Trust says campsite spaces are first-come and the lodge needs to be booked, but VisitNSW says you need to register or book before you set out, so confirm before you go. NPWS lists toilets at Old Ford, Coxs River and Black Range, and none at Alum Creek.

A park fire ban covers Blue Mountains National Park from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027: no campfires and no solid fuel barbecues or stoves. Gas and electric cookers are allowed under an adult's direct control, with the ground cleared for 2m around and at least a bucket of water on hand. The Trust's track notes mark the Coxs River and Black Range campsites as fuel stove only at any time of year.

When is the best time to go?

The best time to walk or run the Six Foot Track is outside high summer and mid-winter, according to the Heritage Trust. The Trust says January and February can be very hot and dry, that fire danger is significant through summer, and that it is best to stay out of the bush on Total Fire Ban days. It says to expect winter nights below zero, with ice. The marathon is held in March.

How do you get to the Six Foot Track?

The Six Foot Track trackhead is a 2.6km walk, about 30 minutes, from Katoomba station, according to the Trust's transport page. NPWS says parking is available at the Explorers Tree. The Trust lists no public transport at Megalong, Coxs River or Black Range, and NPWS says there is none to or from Binda Bush Cabins, so plan your own lift from the finish. Shuttle details published before the Jenolan closure may be out of date. NPWS directs questions about the track and closures to Crown Lands on 1300 886 235.

Are you fit enough for the Six Foot Track?

The Six Foot Track is not a first long run. NPWS grades it Hard, it is 42 to 45km with more than 1,500m of climbing on the marathon course, and the marathon asks for a qualifying result before you can enter. The organisers' qualification page is blunt about why: the race "is not suitable for a person's first ever marathon. It is roughly the equivalent of a 60km road race." Walkers do it over three days for a reason.

OUTRN's own bar for running is a comfortable 10km. On our Blue Mountains trip we do not run the whole track in one go: the Sunday run goes from the Explorers Tree down Nellies Glen to the Coxs River and back, about 30km out and back, with a net climb of about 780m from the river back to the top of Nellies Glen on the marathon organisers' measurements, and a shorter 15 to 16km turnaround for runners who want it. Plan your own attempt the same way: build to it, and turn around if the day goes wrong. Our first ultra marathon training guide covers how to build.

We have not raced it, so take the bad hour from someone who has. Blue Mountains physiotherapist Jason Wheeler ran the Six Foot Track Marathon for the first time in 2011, and told the Blue Mountains Gazette in March 2024: "I pushed too hard down to the Cox's River and blew up massively with cramps in the last 20km. It's fair to say that the race starts on the Black Range." The last 20km begins just before the Pluviometer. He was about to start the race for the sixth time when he said it.

Inspired? Run it with a crew

We are building a four-day trip around the Blue Mountains: one house near Katoomba and Wentworth Falls, a different run each day, and the Six Foot Track on the Sunday. Dates are still to be confirmed and the price is an estimate of about $1,650 per person, covering the house, meals and transfers. Booking is not open yet, so register your interest and we will contact you first.

Register interest in Run the Blue Mountains

Also read the Ultra-Trail Australia guide, which finishes in the same town.

Sources

All checked on 4 October 2026.

• NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service: Six Foot track, visitor info and local alerts
• Six Foot Track Heritage Trust: track notes, track history, campsites, when to walk and transport options
• Six Foot Track Marathon: home page, the course, race rules, 2027 entry guide, 2027 qualification criteria and about the committee
• NSW Crown Lands: New Bowtells swing bridge completed, 13 September 2024, and the earlier bridge tender announcement
• VisitNSW: Six Foot Track
• Australasian Leisure Management: Jenolan Caves targets early 2027 reopening, 8 August 2026
• Blue Mountains Gazette: Jason Wheeler takes on the Six Foot Track marathon for the sixth time, B C Lewis, 7 March 2024

Register interest in Run the Blue Mountains