Is it possible to find a secluded camping cave just a short walk from the road? Perched on the edge of Narrow Neck escarpment lies the elusive Upper Psyn Cave. Some also call it Psyn Cave or SUBW Overhang. It is one of Katoomba’s easiest to access camping caves.
The views from Upper Psyn Cave are incredible. The cave is sheltered from the elements. It is a fun spot to check out by day. It is also a pretty atmospheric place to spend the night. The location seems like it’s only reachable by rock climbing. But it is an easy walk from the road. Please remember to take all rubbish with you. Leave Upper Psyn Cave exactly as you found it or better.
Upper Psyn Cave is only 100m from Narrow Neck Road. It is so well hidden that you’d never know it was there. To find the cave, head along Narrow Neck Road. Park at the large lay-by. Remember never to block the fire trail.
Walk back down the road for 20m. Look for the small fence. You’ll find a faint path to the left of the nearest end of the fence to the lay-by. The path is not very obvious. It remains indistinct until you reach a small gully. Walk downhill towards the rock shelf for 60m. Look for the rocky outcrop. Be very careful when walking down to the outcrop. There are quite a lot of spiky trees. These trees were charred in the bushfires of 2020. It would be easy to get a nasty scratch. Though you won’t see a defined path you can pick your way downhill easily enough.
Once you’ve got to the rocky outcrop, head to the right. Look for a shallow gully. If there’s a steep drop, you’ve gone to the wrong point. Carefully climb down the rock gully. It is essentially only two steps. Use the wall on the right to lower yourself down.
From here continue very briefly downhill. It’s a worn trail and you can’t go wrong. You are now just 20m from Upper Psyn Cave. The path will curve left. You’ll see the first overhang. You’ll pass along this overhang and then reach the cave. The path along this stretch is all in good condition. There isn’t any tricky terrain.
Upper Psyn Cave is a fairly large overhang. It is sheltered from the elements by the cave wall and fairly dense bush. Inbetween the trees you get some great views out over the mountains. There is a small waterfall at the far end. The cave has a small table. There is also a metal trunk for storing food. You will find a small rack with a few bowls and a pan. There’s also a campfire area. It’s an atmospheric spot in a wild setting. You’re really just a little speck on the edge of a cliff here.
There’s room for a number of tents. They would be largely sheltered from the elements. Just remember to look after Upper Psyn Cave. Take out all rubbish with you. Please leave the cave exactly as you found it.
The name Psyn Cave is of unusual origin. It is pronounced “sin”. In SUBW folklore, certain past members of the club would entertain young fresherettes in the cave. This happened on a Friday night, on walks to Mt Solitary or the Wild Dog Mountains. It wouldn’t do to have “Sin Cave” on the club walks program. Especially if it was looked at by concerned mothers.
Narrow Neck is a peninsula shaped plateau. It juts south from Katoomba. It separates the Jamison and Megalong Valleys. For many years it has been a natural avenue for bushwalkers. They want to venture south into the Wild Dog Mountains and Coxs River country. It is called Narrow Neck because it has a narrow isthmus near the start. This connects it to the main Katoomba Plateau.