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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
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Drive to 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

  1. 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: -33.267469898574355, 151.33615493774414 Google Maps Link
  2. You have arrived at the campsite, head to the back of the campsite to the east until you see the path, slightly south east: -33.27565, 151.3145 Google Maps Link
  3. 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
  4. Head back up another ravine after the caves end to the road: -33.27629, 151.31168 Google Maps Link
  5. 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

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