Jenolan Caves (Wikipedia entry) is a large network of remarkable limestone caverns which attracts over 200,000 visitors each year. The official website and a personal website on the caves gives information about accommodation, food and cave tours. The scenery at the caves is simply spectacular. Cycle tourists should note the following points.

• The road into Jenolan Caves is much steeper from Oberon than from Hampton. Both roads are narrow and winding. Traffic is heaviest on weekends and public holidays, heading to the Caves from Hampton in the morning and heading out of the Caves toward Hampton in the late afternoon.
• There is no longer any campsite down near the caves. Accommodation at the Caves is expensive. Cheaper accommodation (cabin-style) can be found about 10km from the Caves off the Hampton and Oberon Roads. Some camping options are discussed here. Please note that secluded clearings suitable for pitching a tent are very difficult to find in the Jenolan River Gorge. And if you find one, camping there is most likely prohibited.
• When I visited Jenolan Caves, the gentleman at the information office allowed me to store my panniers and tent out the back so that I could wander around without fear of my possessions being stolen.
• Even if you do not pay to see an underground cave, the bushwalks around the caves are definitely worth doing. They are signposted well and the scenery is magnificent.
• Oberon and Lithgow are the nearest towns with a supermarket.

Jenolan Caves to Hampton    25.7km - 675m climb - 431m descent - sealed - map
From Jenolan Caves it is a long but steady climb out of the Jenolan River Gorge to the top of the range. Avoid cycling this road on weekend and public holiday afternoons (or mornings, if heading in the opposite direction), when tourist traffic peaks. About 10km from the Caves, there is a campground in Jenolan State Forest. About 13km from the Caves, one reaches the intersection with Black Range Road (unsealed). The Black Range Camping Area is located about half a kilometre down Black Range Road and is popular with hikers walking the Six Foot Track. This well-maintained campsite has table, shelter, toilets, rainwater tank (treat water before use) and information boards. For more privacy, one could find a secluded tent site almost much anywhere in the state forest (stretching 8km to 23km from Jenolan Caves) - provided that it has not be logged recently. At the intersection with Duckmaloi Road (21km from the caves) lies Millionth Acre Picnic Area, a rest area among the pine trees with picnic tables, bins, toilets and water.

Oberon to Jenolan Caves (via Edith)    29km - 439m climb - 731m descent - sealed - map
As one of the highest in the central tablelands, this road undulates on the plateau at around 1100m above sea level, climbs to 1360m and then plunges into the Jenolan River gorge 550m below. The road is now fully sealed. About 23.5km from Oberon is the turn-off to Kanangra Walls, which would make an excellent side trip if you have a spare day. About half a kilometre before this intersection, a firetrail heads south from the Oberon-Jenolan Road into Kanangra-Boyd National Park, where one may be able to find a clearing for a tent. Also in the vicinity of this intersection are several B&B and cabin lodges, providing accommodation for visitors to Jenolan Caves. The descent to Jenolan Caves is very steep with sharp bends, but the scenery is truly spectacular.

Kanangra Walls (Side Trip)    27.4km one way - 306m climb - 515m descent - unsealed - map
An undulating cycle along a well-graded dirt road leads to the spectacular Kanangra Walls (photos) within the Kanangra-Boyd National Park. The car park at the end of the road has picnic shelters, tank water, walking information and pit toilets. One could easily spend a day here, exploring Kanangra Tops and Maxwell Tops by foot. Be warned, however, that apart from a couple of very short walks beginning at the car park, tracks at the edge of this wilderness area are not signposted or suitable for inexperienced bushwalkers. Walkers venturing further afield should be armed with appropriate topographic maps. Some multi-day bushwalks in the area are outlined here. For a day walk, I would recommend either the track to Crafts Wall (which is the first section of the Kanangra to Katoomba Track) or the track to Cottage Rock. These walks can easily be extended if time permits.

Camping is not permitted at Kanangra Walls. Instead, use Boyd River Campground (wood barbecues, pit toilets, creek water), which lies within the national park about 7km from the end of Kanangra Road. Camping here is free, though one must pay an entry fee of $7 per vehicle per day to enter the park. This obviously does not apply to cyclists. Ideally, one would camp here for two nights, allowing a full day to explore Kanangra Walls and the surrounding area by foot.