Girrakool Falls is one of the prettiest waterfalls on the Central Coast, yet few people realise you can walk to the base, which is where you’ll find the best view. The view of the falls from the main walking track is fairly obscured and relatively distant. To reach the bottom of the falls you will follow the remains of the old walking track and from here you can walk behind the falls, or take a dip in the shallow pool at the base.
Here’s how to find the path to the bottom of Girrakool Falls.
The walk to Girrakool Falls
The stats
Distance: 360m each way
Elevation gain: 40m
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
Trailhead: Girrakool Loop Track, Somersby
The trail
Girrakool Falls is located on the Girrakool/Piles Creek Circuit Tracks, but if you aren’t looking to do the full trail you want to follow the track that heads south from the car park (to the right of the toilet block).
You will almost immediately pass the BBQ area and then follow the signpost right, heading downhill into the bush.
You’ll begin on well maintained stone steps before the path becomes a gentle concrete slope.
At the 220m mark you need to keep straight at the fork and you’re then just 100m from Illoura Lookout (320m from the car park).
At the lookout, follow the track right, to the end of the fence line and then look for the old trail leading downhill on the left. The bottom of the falls is just 30m away.
There are rocky stairs here, but it’s unmaintained and relatively steep. It’s not difficult, and not a scramble, but it’s not in keeping with the rest of the track, which is in excellent condition.
Follow the steps downhill and you’ll come to the creek. There’s a worn narrow path which continues straight on to the waterfall, which is a few metres away.
Swimming at Girrakool Falls
Girrakool Falls is gorgeous, flowing over a weathered sandstone wall which wouldn’t look out of place in the Blue Mountains. As with all waterfalls in the area, they are best visited after rain, or at least not during a long dry spell.
You can walk behind the waterfall, which is always a novelty, though watch out for any slippery rocks. If you’re not planning to enter the water, but still want to get a good view of the falls head on you’ll have to do a little light scrambling.
There are some rocks and a little bit of shallow creek to the right of the last little section of track to the falls. You’ll need to head down to the large rocks and then make your way around the edge of the creek (you’ll need to remove your boots unless you’re ok with them getting fully submerged) otherwise you’ll find the bush entirely obscures the falls from view.
When it comes to swimming, it’s not a great spot, but it is possible to have a refreshing dip. The water is very shallow throughout much of the pool and though there is deeper water beyond the extensive rock shelf, it’s quite minimal for proper swimming.
However, if you don’t mind not being able to swim properly, it is a beautiful place to sit and relax and the water is pretty warm.
However, it’s worth noting that much of the area around the waterfall and rock shelf is covered in a fine layer of mud which can be very slippery.
This makes entering and moving around the rock shelf a real slip risk. There are also lots of little potholes which could catch you out.
For this reason I recommend the bum shuffle method, which though inelegant, is very effective and ensures you won’t slip.
Entering the water can be done in any number of places, but all require negotiating some slippery bits in the water and some (though this is minimal) clambering over big rocks to get to the water’s edge.
Viewing the falls from above
Though the best view of Girrakool Falls is from the base, it’s not much further to the main viewpoint (less than 200m away).
To do this keep heading right from Illoura Lookout and you’ll come to a junction 50m later. Follow the track left, signed as Piles Creek Loop.
The path gets a little less well manicured now, but it’s still pretty good. Just over 100m after leaving the junction you’ll see a path on the left leading down to the railed lookout.
This is the Bundilla Lookout which is the official viewpoint for the falls. As mentioned, it’s somewhat distant and more a view of the bush than the falls, but it’s still pretty.
If you want to complete the full Piles Creek Circuit Track, we have you covered on the details here.
Getting to the Girrakool Falls car park
The Girrakool Falls walk begins at the Girrakool Picnic Area, close to Somersby. It’s 74km and roughly a one hour drive from Sydney. There are no suitable public transport options.
Gate opening times
The area is open from 7am to 8pm during daylight savings and 7am to 6pm at other times. Please check the sign on the way in to make sure this remains the same.
Parking fee
To park at the picnic area costs $8 per day unless you have a NSW parks pass ($65 a year for all parks except Kosciuszko). If you don’t want to pay the fee you can park outside the gates 600m down the road which is free with no time limit.
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