Magdala Falls is a picturesque waterfall with a large swimming hole that has a canyon-esque feel. Though the popular Sassafras Gully Track passes above the falls, there is no official trail to the bottom. This gives it a hidden away feel, almost like you’ve been let into a well kept secret. You can see the walking track above, yet few people realise you can actually get to the base of the falls.
Despite the fact the last couple of hundred metres to the bottom of the falls is off track, it’s not difficult as long as you don’t mind walking over a few boulders.
Here’s how to find the bottom of Magdala Falls.
The walk to Magdala Falls
The stats
Distance: 3.6km return
Elevation gain: 180m
Difficulty: Moderate
Summary: There are a few different ways of reaching Magdala Falls, the most popular, but longest route is via the Sassafras Gully Track. If you haven’t done this walk before we’d highly recommend it and we’ve covered the whole circuit in this guide. If you’re only interested in visiting Magdala Falls there is a shorter route and that’s the one we’re covering in this article.
The short version of the walk is on a maintained track until the last few hundred metres. It’s a mix of flat and downhill on the way and then you’ll have a bit of a climb back up out of the gully after visiting the falls.
There is one short steep section, but the terrain is generally good. You’ll encounter some rocks and tree roots, but when dry none of the trail was slippery.
The final couple of hundred metres to the falls are rough and uneven, but not difficult. You’ll have to climb over some boulders, which requires care, but as far as off track sections of trail go, it’s a pretty easy one.
A quick note on conditions at Magdala Falls
Magdala Falls can run dry or reduce to a trickle without recent rainfall. Even after a lot of rain it’s still not a hugely powerful waterfall - though that makes it better for swimming.
We have visited three times and two of the three times have been a trickle and needless to say it’s not very impressive! It’s best to visit after a decent bout of recent rain.
Starting the trail
The walk begins on Batman Crescent in Springwood (full parking details below). You’ll head along the short section of road next to Batman Park before skirting round the edge of the communal gardens beside the units to reach the start of the Batman Track - the first of the uniquely named trails you need to take to reach the falls (this trail joins the Fairy Dell Track and the Victory Track before you reach Magdala Falls).
Just 60m from where you parked you’ll head into the bush on the obvious worn path. There is a short section of steep dirt track to kick off with, but it’s not long before the gradient slackens.
There are plenty of trees along the steeper section of track which are handy if you want a bit of extra stability. After a couple of hundred metres you’ll reach a junction and head left.
You’ll pass a small cascade and there are a couple of wet steps here, which weren’t overly slippery, but require care.
The path then flattens and heads through denser bushland.
Through the rainforest
Roughly 80m beyond the small cascade there’s a turn off on the right for another small waterfall. It’s a pretty spot and just 30 seconds off the main trail. The path is a touch slippery, but it’s a very quick detour.
The track is now mainly flat and when it does descend, it is gentle. You’ll pass a series of picturesque overhangs on one side and the pretty creek on the other.
We were walking on a 37C day and when we hit the rainforest gully the temperature noticeably dropped. It’s a great track for a hot day as you also have almost full shade from the forest canopy.
At the 750m mark you’ll turn right, beside an overhang which is marked by a pink ribbon.
The track can be narrow at points but it’s in great condition - it was actually far easier to walk than the Sassafras Gully track was the last time we did it, as it was suffering from extensive debris.
The next 300m are all flat or have the tiniest ups and downs before you’ll arrive at a junction (1.05km into the trail).
Reaching the off track route to Magdala Falls
The junction is well signposted and you’ll take the path heading uphill on the left, towards Perch Ponds (another good swimming spot if you wanted a longer walk). The uphill section soon gives way to flatter track and comes to a creek crossing after 400m.
Despite the fact there was a decent amount of water around on our visit the crossing was easy. You’ll walk across a rock platform and it was possible to step over the section where the creek was flowing without getting wet boots - just watch out for the wet rock which can be slippery.
Just 50m after the crossing you’ll see a small waterfall and pool on the left. It’s very pretty and though we didn’t have time for a dip here, it looked like it would make for a good spot, especially as it gets a lot of sun and the water had a lovely blue tint to it.
From here the track continues for a further 150m, which brings you to the railed lookout over Magdala Falls. The viewpoint isn't great as there are quite a few trees obscuring the majority of the waterfall, but that just makes arriving at the bottom all the more special.
Reaching the bottom of Magdala Falls
From the lookout it seems as if there’s no way to the base of the falls as the steep cliffs appear impenetrable. To reach the falls you need to continue along the main walking track for a further 100m.
At this point you’ll see an overhang and take the faint social trail on the left that heads directly into the gully.
After 50m heading downhill you’ll reach the creek. It’s a touch steep and there are a couple of vines to get through, but with care it’s not difficult to descend.
From here you need to turn left, heading upstream. The bottom of the falls is 50m away. There are a few rocks and boulders to climb over, but it wasn’t too slippery - though treat it like it is just incase!
You won’t get wet boots heading up the creek unless recent rain has been especially heavy, in which case it’s probably not a great time to visit the falls as it will be slippery and the water would probably be running brown.
The very last couple of metres to the bottom of the falls is the most challenging as you have to either slither down a large boulder or a log.
It’s easier than it looks, but still slightly awkward. The base of the falls is littered with debris, but there are a few rocks and logs you can sit on to take in the view.
Swimming at Magdala Falls
Magdala Falls has a fantastic swimming hole, it’s much bigger than it appears from above and as it’s enclosed by high rock walls it has a canyon like feel to it. I’m so glad we finally got to see it with some flow as it really is a gorgeous spot.
The pool at Magdala Falls is known as the Blue Pool, though I have never seen it blue. It had a stunning blue tint around the edges of the pool, but the main waterhole was definitely green.
It’s hard to say if it’s ever blue inside the pool, but even when green, it’s beautiful. It really did feel like a canyon pool, which was really unexpected in the bush setting.
Entering the pool is not as easy as it used to be due to the large amount of debris, however, it’s less difficult than it might appear at first. You have to climb over several logs, but you can then step into shallow water.
There are many logs inside the water in the shallow area of the pool, so move carefully around those and then you’ll reach the deep unobstructed part of the main pool.
I loved swimming here, it’s much more stunning looking at the falls and grotto walls from inside the pool than it is from outside. The water colour is more of a shimmery green than the dark colour it appears from the outside.
Most of the pool was great for swimming, but I would avoid the far left side which had some logs and rocks which you could easily bump into. The right side and middle area was clear on our visit.
The water is pretty cold, but perfect for a hot day.
The water colour as seen from inside the pool
Continuing to Martins Falls
If you haven’t walked the Sassafras Gully track before then it’s worth continuing along the main trail for another 200m to see Martins Falls.
It’s not as pretty as Magdala by any stretch, but it’s an easy walk and if Magdala is flowing nicely then it’s worth a look at Martins Falls too.
The track has been improved since our last visit and there are now nice new steps leading down to the falls.
Sadly there is a huge amount of debris sitting in front of the falls, though you can still get a good view if you head to the water’s edge.
When you’re ready to leave the waterfall you simply retrace your steps back to the car park. The way back is quite easy, but for the last little steep section, which was a bit of a puff on a hot day - but it’s honestly so short that even though it was 37C it was very doable.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Where to park for Magdala Falls
To reach Magdala Falls via the quickest route you need to park on Batman Crescent (beside the western end of Batman Park) in Springwood in the lower Blue Mountains. This is a residential street and parking is not restricted, but please park respectfully.
Batman Crescent is 33km and a 30 minute drive from Katoomba and 73km and a 1 hour drive from Sydney CBD.
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