A short walk along Micalong Creek brings you to a series of gorgeous swimming holes and it’s an easy day trip from Canberra. Normally I think of the drive to a place as a bit of a commute, but the road to the reserve is absolutely stunning from the moment you leave the city.
When you reach the creek you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to where to take a dip. There’s the shallow family friendly pool with cascade and epic mountain backdrop, a gorge pool with stunning high rock walls and then the Micalong Falls pool, which has a dramatic setting.
Here’s what to expect from all the swimming holes along Micalong Creek.
The Micalong Creek swimming holes
A quick note on visiting
Before we get started, it’s worth noting that the reserve is private, it’s run by Reflections Holidays. If you’re camping at one of the four designated campsites admission to the reserve is included. If not, it’s $3 per person, which is a bargain for a whole day’s use.
Just before you reach the first of the campgrounds there’s a big signpost advising you to turn left to register at the check in office. This is where you can pay the entry fee and pick up a map of the site.
The Micalong Creek Walk
The stats
Distance: 400m each way to Micalong Falls
Elevation gain: 33m
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Micalong Creek Day Use Area
To pool one: the family friendly pool
From the parking area (full details below) you head along the well maintained gravel path which runs alongside the pretty creek. It’s a flat track and the surrounds are just beautiful. After 80m there are a few minor rocks and tree roots on the path, but it’s still very easy.
Just 240m from the car park you’ll arrive at the first pool.
This is the nicest one to get into because you can walk off the river bank into shallow water and it’s not rocky. There’s a pretty little cascade and the surrounds are stunning, with the forested mountains and huge boulders.
The pool is relatively shallow, but there’s enough depth to have a little swim across the middle. It’s a nice one to laze around in on a hot day and a great spot for families.
Pool two: the gorge pool
The next pool is 90m further along the trail. The track is still in good condition, but rockier and there’s a minor bit of uphill. You’ll come to the pool 335m after leaving the car park. It’s beside a large boulder and you’ll see some via ferrata style metal rungs in the wall to the right, which lead to Micalong Falls.
The gorge pool has a deep uninterrupted stretch of water to swim in through the middle. The far side of the pool has rocks, so you need to be wary. Entering the pool is easy, though a touch rocky at the beginning.
I really liked this one for the fantastic jagged rock wall on one side, which made it feel like a gorge. There’s also a cascade at one end, tucked away from sight, which is a nice spot to relax.
Pool three: Micalong Falls pool
Micalong Falls is 65m from the gorge pool. Reaching it is slightly trickier than the first two pools as there’s a couple of metres of rock wall you need to climb up. Several metal rungs have been installed on the wall to help you get up, or you could climb up using the fixed rope on the left side if preferred. We opted for the rungs which I think is probably easier than the rope.
You’ll then head along a narrow path and bear left 30m later. You then have to climb down a few rocks which lead to the edge of the pool.
The pool is large, but shallow and full of rocks. It’s not somewhere to swim, but you can have a dip. You can see part of the waterfall, but the view is somewhat obscured by giant boulders.
You could scramble up the boulders into the small pool beside the waterfall, but that’s only doable by crossing the water and as Joe wasn’t swimming, I decided not to go it alone.
The scrambles (there were a few possible routes) didn’t look easy enough that I felt confident to try on my own.
It’s still worth going up to look at the falls regardless though, because the view here is the most dramatic of all the pools. The cliffs and mountains behind the pool feel even grander than they do from the first pool.
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 reserve, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
The campgrounds
If you want to spend the night in this idyllic location, there are four possible campsites, all run by Reflections Holidays. We passed Swinging Bridge Campground and Micalong Creek Campground and both had sites along the water which looked lovely.
Getting to Micalong Creek
Micalong Creek Reserve is located in Wee Jasper, around a one hour 25 minute drive from Canberra. The last 5.7km of the road to the reserve is gravel, but well graded and suitable for any vehicle at time of writing.
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