If the end of Vivid has left a sparkly hole in your life, this news may be music to your ears. An eerie railway tunnel in Wollemi National Park (around two-and-a-half hours west of Sydney in the Greater Blue Mountains area) is home to its very own Dark Spectrum-style subterranean experience: but this time, the tunnel is illuminated not by lights, but by real-life glow worms. After a $4.3 million upgrade, the Glow Worm Tunnel walking track has just reopened to the public – with new paths allowing for a safe and magical underground experience for everyone involved (including the glow worms). Intrigued? Read on.
What is the Lithgow Glow Worm Tunnel?
As with those that house Dark Spectrum, the 387-metre-long stretch of tunnel was once used for trains – built in the early 1900s as part of a railway line for the mining industry in the Wolgan Valley. Now un-used and with a stream running through it, the tunnel’s high humidity provides the perfect conditions for a permanent glow worm colony to thrive and, well, glow.
Where is the Glow Worm Tunnel in NSW?
Glow Worm Tunnel is located within NSW's Wollemi National Park – part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage area.
There is also another glow worm hot spot in the Blue Mountains – at Horseshoe Falls. And another south of Sydney, in Helensburgh.
What can I see at the Glow Worm Tunnel?
As the name suggests, the main attraction here is the glow worms. Thousands of Blue Mountains Glow Worms (Arachnocampa richardsae) occupy the tunnel – they're one of eight known species of glow worms endemic to Australia. The tiny creatures are in fact not worms, but a type of insect. The luminous worm-like shapes that line the walls of the tunnel are glow worms in the larval stage of their life cycle.
If you're not keen on insects, you can spend your day in the open air while your glow worm-loving friends explore underground. Wollemi National Park is an area of outstanding natural beauty – home to dense forests of native plants, and some of Australia’s most iconic animals (including goannas and lyrebirds).
Things to do at the Glow Worm Tunnel
The best way to experience the tunnel is by following the 6km return walk that will take you through the tunnel and along a beautiful route through the national park.
Starting at the carpark at the end of Glow Worm Tunnel Road, you’ll follow a 1.5km path through awe-inspiring rock formations and towering trees to the tunnel entrance. Once you’re inside the tunnel, keep sound and artificial light to a minimum so as not to disturb the luminous larvae. Thanks to recent upgrades, the tunnel is now equipped with a new path and hand rails to ensure visitors stay stable without disrupting the colony of insects.
On the other side, you’ll follow another 1.5km track through Penrose Gorge and the lush eucalypt forests, and will be rewarded with expansive views of Donkey Mountain and Wolgan Valley. The Grade-3 walk should take around two to three hours to complete, and the recent upgrades have seen the installation of 5.7km of upgraded walking tracks, new picnic tables and a new toilet block to make your day out a little easier.
Soon you'll also be able to take a longer walk, connected to this shorter one – with a new four-day hike with forest gullies and huts slated for this Blue Mountains conservation area.
How do I get to Glow Worm Tunnel?
The journey from Sydney takes around two-and-a-half hours by car. Take the B59 through the Mountains, then head north through the Gardens of Stone Conservation area. The route to the Glow Worm Tunnel walking track car park is signposted from the corner of Bridge Street to Inch Street – once you’ve reached State Mine Gully Road you’re on the right track (this road becomes Glow Worm Tunnel Road, and will take you to exactly where you need to be).
When is Lithgow Glow Worm Tunnel open?
After a recent closure to carry out the $4.3 million upgrade, the tunnel has just re-opened to the public. Now, it’s open from 9am to 4.30pm every day apart from Christmas Day.
How much does it cost to go to Lithgow Glow Worm Tunnel?
Travel costs aside, the tunnel is free to visit. If you do want to book a guided day tour (with meals, transfers and local knowledge included), it will set you back around $270 per person (or $667 for a family of four).
Is Lithgow Glow Worm Tunnel accessible?
Unfortunately, the Glow Worm Tunnel walking track is not suitable for prams or wheelchairs, and with narrow sections of paths, over 80 steps without handrails and uneven ground underfoot, the path may be challenging for people with reduced mobility.
When is the best time to visit Lithgow Glow Worm Tunnel?
Although the tunnel is now open to visitors, the best time to see the colony in full glow mode is during the warmer months, especially later in summer from December to March. While visiting in summer means your path through the park will be dotted with pagoda daisies, the cooler months provide the perfect conditions for banksias to bloom and the area will be less crowded with visitors, so choose your own adventure.
Do you need a ticket to access Lithgow Glow Worm Tunnel?
There’s no need to book a ticket if you want to go along for a self-guided hike, but if you’re keen to get educated with a guided tour of the tunnel, you’ll need to book – you can do that over here.
Love walking in the Blue Mountains? Then you might like the fact that a new 4-day hike with forest gullies and huts is slated for this conservation area.
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