Lithgow No. 2 Dam
| Address | 2790, Sanctuary Pl, Warwick Farm NSW, Australia |
| Website | www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx |
| Categories | Scenic Spot, Tourist Attraction |
| Rating | 5 2 reviews |
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Lithgow No. 2 Dam reviews
2 The original town dam now dear commissioned, good spot to walk and explore. There is eaven a small waterfall you can find if you look.
Also if you are more adventurous you can walk up to the new dam, be carefully though and do at your own risk.
This is a special place that depending on the season can look rather mystical. Especially so when the short grass is thickly blanketing the sandy base of the former dam and the thinly trunked tall scrub creates a full canopy above. Within the dam hides a plaque in remembrance of a bush walker that once frequented this beautiful location.
There are 2 tracks leading up to the newer and larger dam currently in use upstream, one is through the base of the old dam as described above and the other is via the pipeline carrying water to the Lithgow water treatment plant.
The second option skirts slightly higher than the old dam's waterline and so is not for everyone as it can get a little tricky around the cliff edges. Also there are leaks in the pipe which can make for slippery conditions, the hardest part is where the pipe leaks the most and creates a small waterfall. This is also where the pipe bridges a gap and so walkers need to carefully cross along the pipe to continue, thankfully a safety grab wire has been placed along this section for extra stability.
The dam wall itself is also an interesting example of a high stress type construction and can be walked across easily by those that have confidence, approaching the downstream side of the wall requires more persistence but is not at all impossible.
Access to the dam can be achieved by any soft off-road or 4wd vehicle with reasonable to good underbody clearance. There are 5 water crossings, these were once paved fords with large sandstone blocks but some have now failed, hence the need for clearance. Visitors with standard 2wd vehicles will often park near the water treatment plant and continue on foot - roughly half an hour or so each way. Note there are no facilities anywhere along the route or at either dam and mobile phone coverage is limited.
Overall this is a special area to explore and is an ideal place for a picnic.