Lithgow (Wikipedia entry, tourism website, second tourism website) is a town of over 11,000 people supported by the coal mining and electricity industry. It is serviced by Cityrail and Countrylink trains. Lithgow has a good shopping centre, caravan park, bicycle shop (Ph: 02 6351 3171) and tourist information centre (Ph: 1300 76 02 76).

Lithgow to Tarana    30.4km - 455m climb - 594m descent - sealed - map
This picturesque route coincides with one of the Greater Blue Mountains Discovery Trails. One mid-winter morning I travelled through here the green valley pastures were surrounded by forested ranges dusted with snow.

From Lithgow train station, cycle west along Main Street and turn left onto the Great Western Highway. The highway has a good shoulder here. About 5km from the railway station, turn right onto Magpie Hollow Road. After a small climb, the road descends quickly to Lake Lyell (photo). There is a camping area ($10/night, showers, barbecues, amenities, drinking water) by the lake shortly after you cross the dam wall. Previously, I have camped just off the road for free (no amenities), a kilometre or so past the campground, where there are several clearings. However, this free improvised campsite is really only suitable for those arriving late in the day and leaving early in the morning. Try to avoid drinking lake water - there a couple of power stations and coal mines upstream, while algal blooms are not infrequent.

From Lake Lyell, a steep 200 vertical metre climb takes one to the crest of the Great Dividing Range watershed, where there is a four-way intersection. The road to Tarana, which descends the other side, is sealed by quite patchy in places. It passes through the small village of Sodwalls (no facilities or shops) and, a few kilometres before arriving at Tarana, passes the turn-off (Honeysuckle Falls Road, unsealed) to Evans Crown Nature Reserve. A 30 minute walk to Evans Crown gives good views of the area. While camping is not permitted in the nature reserve, some barely adequate sites for pitching a two-man tent can be located beside Honeysuckle Falls Road. Cycling a few more kilometres down Honeysuckle Falls Road rewards the traveller with superb views of Evans Crown and Fish River (photo).

Hampton to Lithgow    27.4km - 376m climb - 527m descent - sealed - map
This route follows Caves Road (can be busy on weekends/holidays with tourist traffic to Jenolan Caves, but has a small shoulder), McKanes Falls Road (quieter, with a descent to the Coxs River and ascent up the other side) and the Great Western Highway (good shoulder) into Lithgow. There are great views of the Kanimbla Valley from Caves Road near Lowther. For a quieter but longer route, take the Rydal-Hampton Road (sealed but patchy) for about 15km before turning right into Magpie Hollow Road, which leads to Lithgow.

Mount Victoria to Lithgow    26.1km - 455m climb - 570m descent - 7km unsealed - map
This is a challenging ride with spectacular escarpment and valley views (especially at Hassans Walls) along quiet roads. For a less demanding but busier route, cycle along The Causeway and then take Bells Line of Road into Lithgow, passing the Zig Zag Railway along the way.