Tucked away off a little frequented trail in Valley Heights lies a picturesque waterfall and swimming hole. The waterfall is small, but very pretty and the pool is secluded and tranquil. The walk to reach the falls is short and easy (albeit with a couple of little climbs) so it’s the perfect place to head on a hot day.
Neither the trail nor waterfall is signposted, but we have you covered with the directions below.
Here’s how to find Valley Heights Waterfall.
The walk to Valley Heights Waterfall
The stats
Distance: 2.8km return
Elevation gain: 100m
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
Summary: There are a couple of different ways you could reach the falls and we’re sharing a quick and easy return route. Longer circuit options are possible if you fancy more of a walk, but as we were visiting on a 37C day we were more keen on swimming than walking!
The walk is all on a well maintained track until the final descent to the falls. This last 20m stretch is a rough bush track, but not difficult in dry conditions (it could be a little slippery if wet).
We visited the falls around five days after very heavy rain and the flow was not massive, so I would recommend coming after some decent rainfall or they may dry up or reduce to a trickle.
Starting the trail
We began the hike on Waratah Road (parking details below) and walked around the gate which marks the start of the fire trail.
Generally speaking, I am not a fan of fire trail walking, but this one is very pretty and felt like a proper walking track.
The trail initials runs alongside a house, but in less than 100m you’re in dense bushland. There is a short steep section early on, but it’s on a concrete track, so it’s not slippery and only lasts a couple of minutes.
There are intermittent little steep bits as you descend to the falls, but they are so short that even walking back up on a hot day was not too taxing. The good conditions underfoot make it easier too.
Though at first you can hear a little road noise it soon melts away and is over shadowed by the buzz of cicadas and the resident birdlife.
Descending through the bush and finding the waterfall turnoff
The descent through the bush is broken up by plenty of flat track and the path is always in good condition. There is one tree down over the trail, but it’s tall enough that you can duck under it with ease. The scenery gets prettier as you descend.
You’ll cross the creek twice, at 400m and 570m, both of which in times of normal water flow only involves stepping over the thin sliver of water. The path is a mix of dirt track and concrete, with one very short rockier section at the end of the descent (1.15km into the walk) but it’s by no means rough.
Just over 1.2km into the trail you will cross the creek again, this time on a concrete slab/bridge. The water was again very shallow, but slightly wider, so watch for the green patches of moss which can be slippery.
Just 20m beyond this, you’ll come to a concrete bridge and cross the creek again. Directly after this crossing you need to turn left.
It won’t look like a path at first, but follow it for 30 seconds and you’ll soon see that it is. It narrows and heads through the bush for around 80m before arriving at the top of the falls (just over 1.3km from the parking area). The wet patches around the top of the waterfall are slippery, so go carefully here.
Descending to the falls and swimming hole
There are two routes to the bottom of the falls and both are a bit rough. The easiest route is to the right of the falls, which is very short but a touch steep.
This is around 10m and though the path is a little rougher, there are plenty of trees to hold if you want a bit of extra stability.
It only takes a couple of minutes to get down and the track will drop you onto a very small patch of sand. However, you’ll have to clamber over a couple of rocks to get into the water from this side.
You could also cross over the top of the falls (easy in times of low flow as you can simply step over the creek in one go) and follow the path on the left of the waterfall.
This track is 20m long and a bit steeper and rougher than the path on the right side of the falls. The benefit is that it drops you down to a bigger sandy beach, which is nice for lazing around on for those who don’t want to swim.
Take care using either trail if it’s wet as it could be slippery. For us it was dry making it pretty easy.
Swimming at Valley Heights Waterfall
If you take the path to the right of the falls you can access the water by climbing onto the large rock and then sliding off it. I say sliding because the part of the rock that is not in the water is grippy, but the part inside the water is a bit slimy and slick.
If you enter from the larger sandy patch via the route to the left of the falls you can just walk off the sandy beach. This offers a shallow entry to the water.
The bottom of the pool is sandy/muddy so it’s soft underfoot and largely rock free. The water was lovely and clear on our visit, but I imagine in dry times it could be the kind of spot that’s liable to becoming stagnant. It’s nice to visit after rain anyway as then the falls will be running nicely too.
Though much of the pool is shallow, it does get deeper nearer to the waterfall and you can have a proper, albeit short, swim.
It’s a gorgeous environment surrounded by dense bush and hundreds of what looked like a type of maidenhair fern, but I am by no means a plant expert, so please feel free to correct me in the comments!
Either way it’s a lovely spot, a quintessential Aussie bush pool and wonderfully secluded as it’s off the main walking trail - not that the trail is busy anyway! We visited on a sunny Sunday in the school Christmas holidays and didn’t see a soul all day.
When you’re ready to leave the falls you can either retrace your steps for the shortest route, or complete the longer Valley Heights Fire Trail loop.
On another note, we thought it might also be a good glow worm spot, but when we returned at night there were only around 10 in the overhang! Just mentioning incase anyone visiting thought the same.
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.
Getting to the Valley Heights Waterfall trailhead
We began our walk on Waratah Road in Valley Heights in the lower Blue Mountains and parked off the road, just by the gate for the fire trail. You can find the exact spot on Google Maps by clicking here.
There isn’t much room to park here, really only enough space for one or two cars, but as this is not a popular walk you shouldn’t have trouble. If the space is not available you can also start the walk at nearby Benoit Park. Please park respectfully and don’t block the fire trail or residential road.
It’s around a 30 minute drive from Katoomba and 55 minutes from Sydney CBD.
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