Mountains of Sydney - Mount Airly

A huge block of rock with a flat top. The twin brother to Genowlan to the east. Mount Airly was mined till recent times. There are some very interesting Depression era ruins around the base of the mountain.

Driving directions

Drive north from Lithgow along Castlereagh Highway. At Capertee, turn off Castlereagh Highway and head east along Glen Davis Road for about 6.5km. The turnoff to the left is small and not well signposted. It is a steep dirt road suitable for 2WD cars. At the top, drive past the campsite until you reach a house on your right. Park near here.

Directions to the summit

1. Follow "The Tramway" north from the house.

2. After 300m, there is a steep fire trail heading up the mountain to the left. You can ride a mountain bike or walk up the steep fire trail.

3. Half way up the mountain there are some rock pagoda formations with great views.

4. At the top of the climb, take the left fork.

5. The top of Mount Airly is very flat and there is no obvious summit. I thought the highest point was near the south end of the mountain.

6. If you climb down to the south end of the mountain, there are some great views to be had looking south.

7. Backtracking, take the right fork at the top of the climb and follow the firetrail north. There are some interesting rock formations and views at the end of the firetrail.

8. After returning to the bottom of the mountain, take the time to explore The Tramway track. There are some very interesting stone ruins, built by miners during the Depression years.