Some of the most beautiful waterfalls in all of NSW can be found in the Southern Highlands. It has something for everyone, from huge falls that thunder into gorgeous valleys, to smaller waterfalls you can swim under. While many of the bigger falls can get quite busy, there are still lots of hidden gems to be found that you’ll probably get all to yourself.
Like all waterfalls in NSW, they are best visited after some decent rainfall - or at least not after a long dry spell.
Here are the best waterfalls in the Southern Highlands.
The Best Waterfalls in the Southern Highlands
1. Carrington Falls
Area: Robertson
Carrington Falls definitely has the wow factor.
This 90m drop waterfall cascades down a huge cliff and into the picturesque valley below. It’s a truly incredible sight. You can view it from one of three different lookouts on an easy 1km walking trail.
The first lookout offers the best overall view of the whole waterfall, the second a closer up look at the upper section and the third allows you to see the very top of the falls, but there are no barriers so it’s best to be cautious.
We’ve seen people swimming on the very top of the falls which looks incredibly hairy!
Carrington Falls tends to have good year round flow and really gushes after heavy rain. As well as the waterfall, there are several great walking tracks and pools to swim in very close by, we detail them all in this post.
2. Gerringong Falls
Area: Robertson
Gerringong Falls is another of the Southern Highlands grand giants which cascades over the mountain top and into the deep valley below. Despite its size and beauty, it's one of the lesser visited waterfalls in the area. And that's down to one reason, accessing it requires a bit of an investment.
The bottom of Gerringong Falls
Although the trail to reach the top of the falls is largely flat, it is just under 9km each way! If you want to speed it up a little you can get there by bicycle as the fire trails are in very good condition. Only the final 600m needs to be done on foot. The view from both the top of the falls and the main viewpoint of the whole waterfall is incredible.
If you want to head down to the bottom and swim beneath the falls, it's a completely different story. Gone are the well maintained fire trails and instead you'll face a steep 1km walk along an unmarked 'trail’.
Some of the trail to the bottom
The view from the top
It's not easy and you'll want a good head for heights as well as being comfortable taking on some rough scrambles and route finding. The reward is great, but the strenuous and precarious nature of the walk means it is definitely not going to be for everyone.
You can read the full low down in our guide to Gerringong Falls.
3. Nellies Glen
Area: Robertson
Nellies Glen is just minutes away from Carrington Falls and is an absolute delight. It might be small, but it’s perfectly formed and has a sublime swimming hole at the base.
It’s probably one of the best wild swimming spots in NSW for effort to reward ratio - it’s just a 150m flat walk from the car park! You have to climb over a couple of rocks to get into the water, but nothing difficult by any means.
It’s got an absolutely beautiful feel to it, it reminded us of some of the swimming holes in the NT, with an almost fairytale like quality!
That is, if you get it to yourself, in the middle of the day on a sunny weekend it can get really busy!
4. Belmore Falls
Area: Robertson
Belmore Falls is spectacular, there’s no doubt about it. This two tiered waterfall is huge and just like Carrington, thunders into a beautiful valley. It’s close to Robertson but also easily visited from Kangaroo Valley.
There are several viewpoints you can enjoy it from, but sadly all are quite far away. It’s a real shame because they also closed the trail to the bottom of the falls, so you can never get close.
But before you get too disappointed, we found an incredible secret waterfall you can swim under right by Belmore Falls and it’s a beauty. It definitely made us feel a bit better about not being able to get down to the base.
And on that note, many people do still go down but they periodically hand out $450 fines which makes it quite a risk!
Everything you need to know about Belmore Falls and the secret swimming spot is in this post.
5. Fitzroy Falls
Area: Robertson
Fitzroy Falls is the most famous waterfall in the Southern Highlands and it’s easy to see why. It’s a truly beautiful 80m multi-tiered waterfall and surrounded by mountains which always remind us of the Blue Mountains.
It’s one of those waterfalls that looks great in any weather, and in fact our favourite visit was when it was raining and the mist was swirling around the valley, it’s incredibly atmospheric.
There are so many different viewpoints, each offering a unique perspective on the falls. The most popular walking track is the West Rim Trail which is 3.5km long and gives you a series of great views.
The East Rim Track has one good view near the beginning (pictured below) but it doesn’t compare to the West Rim.
We have a full guide to all the walking trails and best viewpoints here.
6. Manning Valley Waterfall
Area: Robertson
Manning Valley Waterfall is hidden away down an unmarked track and as a result sees very few visitors.
It's a real beauty, especially if you visit after some decent rainfall (which we highly recommend or the falls can reduce to a trickle). The setting of the falls is incredibly atmospheric, with tall fern covered cliff walls and an impressive overhang to the right.
To top off the already gorgeous scene there is an old stone staircase to the right of the falls leading up to the overhang. It has a real fairytale like quality.
The walk to reach the waterfall is 2km return and though there is a little climb on the way back up, the track is in good condition. It's not a signposted walk, but we have you covered with directions in this post. Lovers of bioluminescence may want to return at night!
7. Fairy Bower Falls
Area: Bundanoon
Fairy Bower Falls is a very pretty waterfall in a fantastic setting. It might not be on the scale of Fitzroy, but the way it flows over the cliff side is gorgeous and the surrounding scenery is enchanting.
It’s so green, and the ferns and moss give it that story book feel. There are lots of huge rocks at the base of the falls which offer the perfect place to sit and be in total serenity.
The 2.2km walk to get there is quite steep, virtually all downhill on the way and then a fairly big climb back up (180m elevation).
It’s worth every step to reach such a wonderful spot and truly take in the waterfall though. The viewpoint at the top only offers a look at a small cascade so it’s not really worth it in isolation.
You can read more about the trail, including its secret glow worm colony in this post.
8. Forty Foot Falls
Area: Bowral
Forty Foot Falls is a pictresque waterfall which is quite wide and would be particularly stunning after some good rain. We visited during a fairly dry patch so there wasn’t huge flow, but it was still lovely. You can walk right the way behind the waterfall or enjoy it from the huge boulders in front of the falls.
If you walk behind it, you do have to climb over a big pile of logs which I thought looked like they’d collapse under my weight, but they didn’t so you should be fine!
The quickest route to reach the falls is roughly 7km return and is mainly on fire trail until the end when it becomes a bush track and requires climbing down one short, easy ladder.
However, the most beautiful route involves taking in the fabulous Boxvale Track, through beautiful forest and along paths carved between the cliffs. It’s one of our favourite walks in the Southern Highlands and by far our preferred route to reach Forty Foot Falls.
9. Sixty Foot Falls
Area: Bowral
Sixty Foot Falls is another great waterfall in the Bowral area, and feels nicely off the beaten track. As with Forty Foot Falls we didn’t visit after much rains so you can expect it to be much fuller if you do!
Either way, it’s a lovely spot and you can dip your toes in the shallow pool at the base, or swim in the deeper water opposite the falls.
Whilst other waterfalls in the area can get quite busy, we got this one to ourselves on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
The walk to get there is 3.3km return and does have a steep climb back up afterwards. Signposting can be very sporadic so we’ve written a detailed guide on how to get there here.
10. Erith Coal Mine Falls
Area: Bundanoon
Erith Coal Mine Falls is a pretty waterfall that trickles (unless there has been a lot of rain) over a fern covered cliff. You can walk to the base of the falls and there’s a great log seat to perch on, which makes for a peaceful spot to relax in the cool shady gully.
The quickest route to get there is 900m each way, predominantly along a fire trail, but rather than walk that route as a return, you are better off making a circuit via the Coal Mine Track, which will be 2.5km.
It’s mainly all downhill on the way. The final part to the base of the falls is not on a maintained track and requires climbing over a few rocks and tree roots, it’s not difficult though.
Kids will enjoy having a splash about in the pool at the base, but it’s definitely not deep enough to swim.
11. See Thru Pool
Area: Bargo
See Thru Pool is a small but striking waterfall on the way to Bowral. It’s a lovely place to go for a dip with a deep swimming hole at the base. Unlike nearby Mermaid Pool, it’s easy to get in and out of the water.
The walk to get there is 3km return and the path is easy and smooth until the last bit down to the falls when it becomes rocky. It’s not signposted as such but you can follow the yellow splashes of paint on the trees and rocks until you reach the bit that says ‘ST’.
If you love this spot and are happy to walk a little further, there is another great waterfall along the Tahmoor Gorge Trail (as well as plenty of cascades all the way along the track). The walk gets rougher, but it’s absolutely worth it, with really fabulous scenery throughout.
You can read more about it in our guide to Tahmoor Gorge.
12. Mermaid Pool
Area: Bargo
Mermaid Pool is breathtaking. The waterfall cascades into a huge waterhole and is surrounded by tall sandstone cliffs. If only there was safe access into the water, it would be one of the best swimming spots in all of NSW. As it is, it’s still a spectacular sight to enjoy from the cliff tops.
The walk to get there is 3.7km return and easy. It’s 750m beyond See Thru Pool, so it’s easy to see them both in one go. As with See Thru Pool you follow the yellow paint splashes and it’s virtually all flat until you have to walk down a couple of rocks at the end.
However, this doesn’t give you the best view of the whole scene, for that you need to walk an extra 800m to Mermaids Lookdown Viewpoint (pictured above). It’s still on good path and very much worth the extra distance.
13. Cascade Falls
Area: Robertson
Cascade Falls is so easy to get to, yet it still manages to feel wild. It sits beside a dense mass of tree roots which creep all the way up the cliff side. There is a shallow plunge pool at the base, not big enough to swim in, but deep enough to cool off in.
The only waterfall currently open along the Cascades Trail
You used to be able to carry on up the path to a series of additional waterfalls but the trail is now closed.
The walk to get to Cascade Falls is on a well-maintained path through spectacular rainforest. It's mainly flat and a very easy stroll, allowing you to fully take in the beautiful surroundings.
We have a full guide to Cascades Falls which lets you in on a little nighttime secret here.
The ones that got away
There are a few other great and less well known waterfalls in the Southern Highlands but they are currently closed. We’ll update this post if and when they open again!
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