The Mount Banks Summit Walk is a 1 mi out-and-back trail that starts and ends at the Mount Banks Picnic Area within the breathtaking Blue Mountains National Park in New South Wales, Australia. A dramatic and steep ascent from the picnic area, which offers toilet facilities, will lead you on a dirt track to the summit of Mount Banks at 1062 metres. Whilst the peak of Mount Banks itself is fairly densely covered by bush and Monkey Gum trees (named after early explorers who mistook the native greater gliders for monkeys) the trail on the way up and down overlooks the Grose Gorge, the vast wilderness below and the surrounding mountain peaks of this stunning Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. This well-signposted trail is graded as Medium difficulty and can be completed in around 1 – 2 hrs. For information on how we grade trails, please click here. Caution is advised on trail times as this depends on multiple variables. For more info, click here. A longer but less steep route to the summit is available for those looking for a longer hike, check your route planner or a hiking map to see other trail options. The ‘Blue Mountains National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger’ and dogs are not allowed in the national park for the protection and conservation of the park and its wildlife.