The hike out to Hanging Rock is a fire trail. Worth knowing before you make the drive up from Sydney. Wide track, easy to follow, nothing technical underfoot. And then you reach the end.
The Trail
The Burramoko Ridge fire trail starts at the end of Ridgewell Road in Blackheath. Easy to navigate, no route-finding required. The bush is pleasant with glimpses of the valley as you get further along the ridge, but this section isn't the main event. Comfortable walking the whole way out, and then the vegetation starts to thin as you approach the end and you know you're close.
Hanging Rock
The views over the Grose Valley are some of the best in the Blue Mountains for a walk that isn't too hard. The valley drops away below you, ranges in every direction, and on a clear day the scale of it catches you off guard. Worth every step of the fire trail to get there.
The rock itself juts out from the cliff edge with a significant drop on all sides. Getting onto it involves a jump across a gap with real exposure below. I looked at it and decided against it, and I don't think skipping it took anything away from the experience. The views from just before the jump are still spectacular. The exposure is real though, so don't attempt the jump in wet or windy conditions, and don't feel pressured into it.
How Hard Is It Really
Easy to moderate. The fire trail is wide and well-maintained with a gradual climb on the way out and an easy descent back. Navigation is simple the whole way. The only thing to watch is wind at the exposed end, it's genuinely unpleasant up there in bad conditions so check the forecast before you go.
Worth doing for the views alone. If you need constant terrain variation this one might feel like a long walk for a payoff, but the payoff is genuinely good.
