Central Coast Bushwalk

Ritcher's Cave Short Walk (5km)

A 5km bushwalk to Ritcher's Cave through rainforest with scrambling and cliff base exploration on the Central Coast.

At a glance

Distance: 5km
Ascent: 70m
Access: 4WD needed to reach the start

This is the short walk option to get to the cave, driving there is a bit longer though so if you would like more walking time and more elevation gain, try the long Ritcher's Cave Walk. This is really best for 4wds so you might consider the longer walk or there is a carpark 2km before the start of this walk with a parking area where you can start from instead (track shown in yellow below).

This has plenty of lovely rainforest and elevation gain so its great for getting fit. Finding the caves themselves can be a bit challenging so we advise if you are going to find the caves let someone know where you are going and when you are expected back. Allow a full day for this walk.

It is a lot of fun scrambling over the rocks at the base of the cliff, be very careful of your footing as this is not a well travelled walk and there are large sections of honeycombed rock that have fallen and may be thinner than you think. It is not so much a walk as a bushbash.

What Should you bring on the rither's cave Walk?

Brind a daypack with 2l of water, snacks, lunch, a first aid kit and also 3m length of climbing tape.

Walk directions

Start at Red Hill Road that continues on from Forest Road, google may try to take you in from the south, change it to the "longer option" from the north that comes off Bumble Hill Road to minimise the your 4wd driving: -33.27849, 151.30778 Google Maps Link
You have arrived at the campsite, head to the back of the campsite to the east until you see the path, slightly south east: -33.27509, 151.31211 Google Maps Link
Continue along the track until you get to a large rock platform, the path down to the caves is just before this in the empty riverbed/ ravine, that looks too steep to be a path, some bum shuffling is called for. Once down continue along the cliff line, just below the 250m contour, there is a bit of climbing involved occasionally: -33.27565, 151.3145 Google Maps Link
Head back up another ravine after the caves end to the road: -33.27629, 151.31168 Google Maps Link
Turn left onto the road and head back to the start: -33.27579, 151.31147 Google Maps Link

Hiker climbs under a massive honeycombed overhang near Ritcher's Cave

Topographic map showing five waypoints along Red Hill Road to the walk start

Narrow bush track winding through dense green shrubs near the campsite

Rocky path squeezed between two mossy boulders leading toward the cave — This is the campsite. The path is behind and slightly to the right of here.

Cloudy sky above a moss patched sandstone lookout over the forest

Mossy gorge track lined with tree ferns and a tall trunk — Path behind campsite

Carved sandstone inscription reading these caves were found by J E Richter in 1870

Bush track through dense saplings and thick leaf litter — Path down the ravine

Swirled honeycombed cave wall above a fallen tree trunk

Pale mushroom with brown gills growing low among grass — If you reach this rock platform you have gone a bit to far, the path down if is the very steep ravine just before this.

Skink lizard peering out from a dark rock crevice — This is part of the very steep path down.

Honeycombed sandstone ceiling with swirled patterns seen from below

Hiker picks a route along a mossy ledge past a leaning trunk

Hiker smiles at the mouth of a sandstone cave wearing gaiters

Gnarled tree trunk wedged between two mossy sandstone boulders

Honeycombed cave ceiling seen from further along the cliff line

Red topped mushroom with white gills pushing through leaf litter

Gap between two gnarled tree trunks growing from one base

Hiker walks away along a mossy ledge lined with tree ferns

Honeycombed cave ceiling glowing where daylight reaches the dark interior — This is the path back up at the end after the caves

Close up of moss covering a dark red sandstone rock face

Staghorn fern clinging to a mossy rock face beside a tree

Bright yellow puffball mushroom emerging from rotting bark

Close up of moss and lichen patchwork on a boulder

Dense green moss carpet covering the ground near the cave

Hiker climbs past a honeycombed overhang on a mossy cliff face

Tall gum tree trunk rising between two sandstone cliff walls

Mossy rock ledge beside a gnarled trunk above a shaded gully

Hiker smiles on a narrow ledge below a honeycombed overhang

Staghorn fern with rust brown fronds growing on a fallen log

Narrow gap between boulders with a fallen branch wedged across it

Gravel fire trail lined with tall tree ferns near the caves

Wide view of an intricately honeycombed sandstone cave ceiling

Layered swirled sandstone ledge beside grey boulders inside the cave

Honeycombed cave ceiling seen from further back in the chamber

Swirled sandstone ledge and grey boulders deeper inside the cave

Another angle on the honeycombed cave ceiling's intricate lattice

Staghorn fern with dead brown fronds clinging to a mossy rock

Dog Walks

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The book

42 secret walks in the book

A Cornucopia of Central Coast Walks has a secret walks section with 42 walks most locals have never heard of, from loops under a kilometre to full days out over 10km. Each one has a map and numbered directions.

See the book

A picture book

A picture book for when there is no toilet for miles

The quieter tracks have no toilets. The Bush Wee is my read aloud picture book for children aged 2 to 7 that turns needing to go in the bush into the funniest part of the day, and teaches which leaves to use and which stinging ones to avoid.

See the picture book

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This walk is on Darkinung country. Good Architect acknowledges the Darkinung people as the Traditional Custodians of this land and we pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging. Darkinjung Land Council.