Blue Mountains City Council has decided to temporarily close an iconic clifftop due to safety and environmental damage.

 

Lincoln’s Rock, a popular clifftop and lookout at Wentworth Falls within the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, will be closed from Thursday the 22nd of January, 2026 for a minimum of three months.

The Blue Mountains City Council has cited escalating safety issues and environment degradation as the cause.

‘Despite Council’s efforts to improve safety measures and manage increasing visitation, too many people continue to disregard warning signs and put themselves, and the fragile environment, at serious risk’, said Blue Mountains Mayor, Mark Greenhill.

‘While we understand how much locals and tourists value this site, we cannot in good conscience keep it open while people ignore basic safety precautions at an unfenced cliff edge’, he said.

The site has had an exponential growth in visitors over recent years due to social media. In particular, a 2023 Instagram post by K-pop star Jennie from Blackpink at the lookout caused a surge in visitors keen to replicate the shot.

Council’s Efforts to Manage Tourists

Blue Mountains City Council has taken multiple measures over the last five years to control traffic and congestion at Lincoln’s Rock.

In 2021 a formal car park and walking path were built and a Plan of Management was adopted.

Last year, a citywide Visitor Bus Management Plan was created to help alleviate the impacts of tourists on residents, and a Stakeholder Advisory Group was established to allow the community to provide input on the management plan of the site.

During the closure, the council will develop a locality plan for the area to address the issues of environmental degradation, traffic congestion, illegal parking, litter management, and user safety. This plan will be made available for community consultation in April.

Mayor Greenhill says the council aims to reopen the lookout as soon as possible, ‘but only when it can be done safely and sustainably’.

The closure of Lincoln’s Rock will be reviewed at the end of April, 2026.

 

Feature photo by @theocrazzolara on Flickr | Licence

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