The Snowy Mountains are one of the best destinations in NSW for outdoor lovers and there’s a lot to do when the ski season finishes. From hiking up Australia’s tallest mountain, to glorious wild swimming spots, stunning caves and wildlife watching, there’s something for everyone.
We spent a couple of weeks slowly making our way around all the hiking trails and other amazing things to do in the area to bring you this list.
Here are the best things to do in the Snowy Mountains.
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1: Hike to the top of Australia’s tallest mountain
2: Check out one of NSW’s best waterfalls
3: Relax at the thermal pool
4: Have a picnic at Lake Jindabyne
5: Indulge in a local gin or schnapps tasting
6: Take on one of NSW’s most adventurous hikes - Clarke Gorge
7: Catch a sunset at Charlotte Pass
8: Hike up to Mount Stilwell for sunset
9: Marvel at Yarrangobilly Caves
10: Take a dip in the Snowy River
11: Spot wild brumbies
12: Hit the trails on a mountain bike
13: Go wild platypus spotting
14: Admire the wildflowers
15: Say hi to the local roos
16: Visit the Snowys best winery
Snowy Mountains orientation
The Snowy Mountains cover a vast area, and quite a few of the best things to do there are several hours apart. Thredbo and JIndabyne are just 30 minutes apart and basing yourself in either of these places will work for many of activities.
The bit that is trickier is the area around Yarrangobilly Caves, which is 2 hours 20 from Thredbo (and the amazing gorge walk is further away still) and 2 hours from Jindabyne. Paddy’s River Falls are even further away.
If you just want to see the caves you could do a long day trip. If you’re keen on seeing more we’d recommend booking at least one night of your trip in this area, we stayed in Talbingo for a few nights which worked well for us. You could also camp in the national park close to the gorge walks.
16 Best things to do in the Snowy Mountains
These are the 16 best things to do in the Snowy Mountains:
1. Hike up Mount Kosciuszko
Of course we had to start the list with the most popular reason that people visit after the ski season, to climb up Mount Kosciuszko. As well as being the tallest mountain in Australia, it’s actually one of the seven summits, which seems a bit crazy given how easy it is to reach the top!
The relative ease of reaching the summit doesn’t mean the views are lacking in wow factor. It really is an incredible mountain panorama from up there.
You can reach the top in a few different ways. Our personal favourite is via the 22km Main Range Circuit, which is one of our favourite walks in all of NSW.
If you want to make it as easy as possible, take the chairlift from Thredbo, from the top it’s just a 13km return walk on a good trail, which isn’t too steep.
Getting to the top of Mount Kosciuszko is definitely not just for hikers and we know lots of young kids that make it up with no problems, so definitely put it at the top of your Snowys bucket list!
2. Check out one of NSW’s best waterfalls
Paddy’s River Falls is one of NSW’s most beautiful waterfalls, particularly if you can visit after recent rain. It roars over the cliff side into a small pool at the base. We could feel the spray from metres away!
It’s an easy five minute walk to get down to the falls and the path will get you quite close.
It is downhill on the way with a mainly sloped path and just a few steps. It’s obviously all uphill on the way back, but it doesn’t take long at all.
There is a viewpoint part way along the trail which offers a good look at the falls from above.
Unfortunately there is now a rail put up to discourage you from walking behind the falls, or going for a dip in the pool at the base, which looks like a perfect swimming spot for a hot day.
It didn’t stop people from going under the railing and enjoying the incredible falls up close though.
3. Soothe your soul in the picturesque thermal pool
The natural thermal pool at Yarrangobilly Caves is in a gorgeous spot, in the Rules Creek Valley. The mineral water comes from a spring located beneath the surface and feels great on your skin. Before you get any ideas about this being a hot spring though, we’re sorry to say it isn’t.
It’s warmish at a consistent 27C, but not hot like you might expect. It’s great for a visit in the warmer months, when it would be too hot outside if the water was like a hot spring.
The pool is 20m long so you can even have a proper swim if you want. There’s a small childrens pool beside the main one too.
It does get wildly popular during the holidays though, so if you’re keen for a quiet visit you will want to visit early or late in the day. The walk down to the pool is 600m on a well maintained path. It’s easy on the way down and then a very steep climb back up afterwards. There are changing rooms down at the pool if you need.
To access the pool you’ll need to park at the Thermal pool car park which falls under the Kosciuszko National Park fee zone. Mercifully it doesn’t have the same entry price as the rest of the park, and $4 will get you 24 hour parking in the Yarrangobilly Caves area.
4. Have a picnic at Lake Jindabyne
Lake Jindabyne, or Jindy as its known to locals is a real beauty. It’s a huge lake and the first time we saw it as we drove into the area, we were wowed.
If you don’t mind the cold you can go for a bracing dip in the crystal clear water, but if you’re looking for something more sedate bring a picnic down instead.
There are so many lovely secluded spots to choose from, and you can walk it off afterwards along the easy, flat trail. If you want to walk the whole path it’s 7km return.
5. Indulge in a gin or schnapps tasting
Toast your Kosi summit ascent with a few locals gins at the Wiildbrumby Distillery. If the weather’s good you can sit on the terrace and enjoy the picturesque views over the mountains and sculpture garden, otherwise there’s an atmospheric indoor area too.
If gin isn’t your thing you can also try a variety of schnapps, or simply pop in for coffee and cake, or lunch.
We can vouch for the gin being great and it’s a lovely informal atmosphere. We also tried the coffee and cake which was our favourite in the area.
Note that the cafe and distillery are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
6. Take on one of NSW’s most adventurous hikes at Clarke Gorge
Clarke Gorge is spectacular. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the towering gorge walls and the electric blue water running inbetween them - photos do not do the water colour justice!
The whole scene is truly dramatic and one of our favourite spots in all the Snowy Mountains.
The walk takes you along the banks of the gorge and through the river itself until you reach a breathtaking waterfall. If you don’t like the idea of a water walk, we’ve heard that if there hasn’t been much recent rain the first couple of river crossings can be made using the rocks as stepping stones. Whilst you wouldn’t be able to see the waterfall, you would still get to see an incredible part of the gorge.
If you love the idea of hiking through the water, you’ll make seven river crossings before you reach the falls, in what is one of the most fun trails in all of NSW.
The waterfall at the end is the cherry on top, and has the wow factor.
You can read about the trail conditions and what it’s like to walk in the river in our detailed guide to Clarke Gorge.
7. Catch a sunset from Charlotte Pass
Although our favourite sunset spots lie along the hiking trails, if you’re looking for an easy access spot then Charlotte Pass Lookout is a great choice.
It’s just a minutes walk to get there and offers a fabulous view of the sun going down over Mount Kosciuszko and the Main Range.
It’s incredible that a view this good can be so easy to get to, and better yet, it doesn’t seem to be very well known as a sunset spot. There wasn’t anyone else there on our visit, despite in being during the busy Christmas holidays!
Whilst you can only park for 20 minutes at the official car park, if you’d like longer you can park along the road, and at sunset you won’t have trouble parking very close by.
8. …or the sensational Mount Stilwell
We watched the sunset many times during our Snowys trip and from the top of Mount Stilwell was our favourite spot of all! It’s a spectacular panoramic view over Mount Kosciuszko and the Snowy Mountains and there are lots of big rocks to sit on and enjoy the show.
It has a wild and remote feeling despite being just a 5.6km return walk. Although it is uphill, it’s not overly steep and the path is in good condition for the vast majority of the walk.
Just watch out for the weather, as with anywhere in the mountains, it can change fast. We had a perfect forecast but a storm rolled in part way through the sunset and we were grateful for all our layers - and this was the height of summer!
You can read more on the track in our detailed guide to Mount Stilwell.
9. Marvel at the delicate formations at Yarrangobilly Caves
There are quite a few caves to choose from at Yarrangobilly (although not all were open on our visit) and you can visit as part of a guided tour or head to the one cave that is self guided.
I took a tour of Jillabenan Cave because I heard it was more beautiful than the self guided South Glory Cave. It was also only a few dollars more for a guided tour which I felt was better value.
Jillabenan Cave is beautiful. It’s only small - probably the smallest cave I have ever taken a tour in - but what it lacks in size it makes up for in sheer number of delicate formations. It was absolutely dripping in stalactites, cave coral and an abundance of other pretty formations which I don’t know the name of. I found it quite mesmerising.
The tour lasted just under an hour and was easy, with very little walking required (just 150m to get into the cave and then a few metres inside). The guide was very friendly and knowledgable, and was great at interacting with kids and making it a lot of fun for them.
The only negative I have to say is that it felt very expensive at $26 per adult and $22 per child, especially as you must also pay for the parking fee even if you have an NSW parks pass.
That said, I am glad I did it and would visit another cave in the area, but probably one of the more adventurous ones when they re-open.
Personally I think you should get a big discount on the self guided cave if you take a guided tour, but alas that’s not how it works!
10. Take a dip in the Snowy River
You can reach an absolutely gorgeous wild swimming spot in the Snowy River along the beautiful and easy Illawong Track.
The water is really cold year round but it will leave you invigorated for the rest of the day! It’s not hard to reach the water, you can walk down the bank just beside the start of the bridge and there are lots of rocks to sit on if you just want a paddle.
You’ll also get to walk over the picturesque swing bridge which crosses the river right beside where you can go for a dip. It’s one of those swaying bridges that only one person can cross at a time and is loved by children and adults alike.
The scenery along the walk is also stunning, and you’ll pass one of the oldest huts in the area too.
You can read all the details in our guide to the Illawong Track.
11. Look out for wild brumbies
There’s nothing like seeing a herd of wild brumbies gallop across the plains, it’s such a beautiful sight, especially in a landscape as breathtaking as the Snowys. Whilst we know that brumbies are not native to the area and are actually a pest, as long as they are there, we will still enjoy watching them.
It seems that everyone else feels the same, because every car stops and slows to take some pictures!
Although you can see them closer to Thredbo and Jindabyne, by far the best place for sightings is on the Long Plains Road, very close to Yarrangobilly Caves. You’re likely to see some as soon as you turn onto the road, and as it’s a quiet dirt road, there is usually a place you can safely pull over to admire them.
Keep driving further along the road and you’ll see hundreds and hundreds, we couldn’t believe how many there were! We’ve seen brumbies in the outback, but they tend to be in twos and threes, here they are in giant herds!
They are feisty wild horses so I wouldn’t go anywhere near them, but to watch them from beside your car is truly memorable. Long Plains Road is also the route you’ll take if you want to hike Clarke or Nichols Gorge but if you’re not planning on that it easily combines with a visit to Yarrangobilly Caves.
12. Hit the trails on a mountain biking adventure
We very rarely mention anything we didn’t do personally, but since every other car we saw had multiple bikes strapped to the back, we thought it would be remiss not to mention cycling! Known as some of the best mountain biking in the country, there are multiple trails which you can take depending on how much of a challenge you’re looking for.
There are easy bike rides along trails like the Bullocks Track or full blown adventures which start at the top of the Kosciuszko Express Chairlift. The chairlift passes ($45 at time of writing) are based on a day rate so it’s more economical to do several trails in a day if you’re feeling energetic!
You can check out some of the trails on offer here. This website also lists the pricing for daily bike rental if you don’t have your own.
13. Go wild platypus spotting
There are lots of areas in the Snowys where the elusive platypus are known to inhabit. The one where sightings are most numerous is the Bombala Platypus Reserve.
There’s a large viewing platform over the river and it’s just a one minute walk from the car park to reach it. The best time to go is at dawn or dusk when platypus are most active. Now full disclaimer, we did not get lucky when we visited, but so many other people do, so it’s definitely worth a shot!
We saw this cute platypus in Berrima!
If you’re staying at Thredbo or Jindabyne it is a fair drive (although it’s very scenic) so I would recommend bringing a brekkie or evening picnic to enjoy at the reserve, so you’re making an event of it in case you don’t spot one!
Other places you may get lucky if you want to be closer to the main hubs are the Thredbo picnic area and the river beside the Bullocks Hut.
If you’re interested in other great platypus viewing locations around the country we have you covered in this post.
14. Admire the wildflowers
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting the Snowys in the summertime you are going to be in for a treat when it comes to wildflowers! We spent a good month going round various wildflower spots in Sydney during the spring, but none could compare to those we saw around Kosciuszko National Park, they were simply sensational.
They were abundant along so many of the walking trails we took and there was such a great variety; from giant Snow daisies to Billy buttons and Purple eyebrights.
It adds so much magic to an already beautiful area and it’s something I’ll never forget about walking in the Snowys. You’ll see them in so many places, but the trails where we found the most were the Mount Stilwell walk, the Main Range Circuit and the Dead Horse Gap Track.
15. Say hi to the local roos
Kangaroos and wallabies are everywhere in the region and you’re bound to come across them in many areas. However if you’re looking for them in huge numbers then you can’t go past the Island Bend Campground.
It rivalled places around Canberra for the most roos we’ve ever seen in our lives! We saw around 60 in our first ten minutes there and it’s a great place to come to take photos.
It’s best to go very early in the morning or around sunset (we chose sunset), that’s when they will be out in force grazing alongside the car park and campsite. If you sit quietly they are generally happy to let you observe them for as long as you want.
Just don’t feed them because it makes them very sick.
16. Visit the Snowys best winery
Unfortunately for us, we arrived at Courabyra Wines to find that it had closed for the Christmas holidays! We still wanted to include it here because it was recommended to us by so many people. The setting is gorgeous and it’s renowned for its incredible food, wine (particularly sparkling) and service.
You can wine and dine at the restaurant, visit the cellar door for a tasting, or take a private vineyard tour.
We’d recommend calling in advance to book for any of the above.
It’s easy to combine a visit to Courabyra Wines with Paddys River Falls if you want to make a day of it.
Getting to the Snowy Mountains
Sydney - Thredbo: just under 500km and roughly a 5 hour 20 minute drive.
Canberra - Thredbo: 215km and roughly a 2 and a half hour drive.
Sydney - Jindabyne: 460km and just under a 5 hour drive.
Canberra - Jindabyne: 175km and just over a 2 hour drive.
Sydney - Talbingo: 450km and roughly a 4 hour 45 minute drive.
Canberra - Talbingo: 240km and roughly a 2 hour 45 minute drive.
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