Blue Mountains lookout to close after social media surge sparks safety fears

A popular Blue Mountains lookout will be temporarily closed after a surge in visitors sparked by a viral photo.

Blue Mountains City Council has announced it will shut Lincoln’s Rock at Wentworth Falls for three months, citing fears the unfenced cliff-top site is being “loved to death”.

Once largely known only to locals, the lookout has become a major tourist draw after South Korean K-pop star Jennie Kim from Blackpink posted photos of herself sitting on the rock overhang during the group’s 2023 Australian tour. The images were shared with her tens of millions of Instagram followers, triggering a dramatic spike in visitation.

The council says up to 3,000 people have visited the site in a single day, far exceeding what the location and surrounding infrastructure were designed to handle.

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said the council had acted to prevent a potential tragedy.

“I don’t wait for someone to be killed before I act on concerns about safety,” Cr Greenhill said, speaking to the ABC.

“It’s too much, it’s too unsafe, and it’s degrading the environment.”