Winifred Falls in Royal National Park is one of the best waterfalls you can swim in close to Sydney. The cascades plunge into a large swimming hole, completely surrounded by bushland. It’s a beautiful spot and the perfect place to cool off on a hot day.
What makes a trip to Winifred Falls even better is that just 500m away along an unmarked ‘trail’ you’ll find another huge and wild pool, the two together make for the perfect day trip from Sydney.
We’ll tell you exactly what to expect from the trail to get to both pools as well as tips for your trip.
Winifred Falls & South West Arm Pool
The trail stats
Distance: 4.2km (return distance to both pools) Getting to the base of Winifred Falls alone is 3km return (the signs say it’s less)
Elevation: 137m
Difficulty: Moderate
Type of trail: Return
The walk to Winifred Falls
The walk to the falls is not going to win any bushwalking awards, in a park full of outstanding trails, this isn’t one of them. But the walk itself is not the reason for visiting, the falls at the end of the trail make it well worth the trip. They are one of our favourites in Royal National Park.
You begin on a wide and stony fire trail. It is lined with trees on either side but it’s not particularly inspiring.
It is flat to begin with and then starts heading downhill, gently at first and then more steeply. It’s an easy walk down though and fairly short at just over a kilometre.
Although it’s best to visit the falls after a good downpour that does mean that the track can get a bit muddy as puddles collect.
We visited after around five days straight rain and did have around six muddy patches.
It was easily passable though because people had put logs, sticks and rocks into the puddles which allowed you to get through without soaking your boots!
Arriving at Winifred Falls
After around 1.4km you’ll reach the end of the fire trail and the signpost for the falls. There’s a clearing that appears and in front of you is the falls - you can’t miss it!
You’ll soon see a wide cliff edge which offers an excellent view of the falls from above. We wished we had food with us because this would be the perfect picnic spot!
At the top is a pool which you could take a dip in, but it doesn’t look very deep. It’s perfectly still and you don’t have to worry about the flow of the river. However, the best spots are down river.
From the falls, walk down river and you’ll see a little trail down from the clearing to the base of the falls. It’s a little rocky with a few tree roots but fairly easy to get down and only takes a few minutes.
If there has been a lot of rain entering the pool requires going through a bit of a murky, almost mangrove-y looking patch. We think with less flow it would be a lot more pleasant getting in, but we’d still opt to go when the falls are pumping for the added spectacle!
How to get to South West Arm Pool from Winifred Falls
Once you’ve had your fill of swimming at Winifred Falls we’d highly recommend heading to check out the absolutely gorgeous South West Arm Pool.
At the bottom of Winifred Falls, head down stream and into the bush (staying on the same level, you won’t climb uphill at any point.) The trail to South West Arm Pool is unmarked and not easy to follow for the first hundred or so metres. In fact with the water level as high as it was on our visit, it felt more like bush bashing.
The key to this is to trust your instincts and look for any signs of footprints or a slightly worn path. You’ll probably think that you have gone wrong a lot, but so long as you head down river, you will eventually come out at the pool. There is no exact path so just pick your way through the bush as best you can. It is about 500m away from Winifred Falls.
The trail is through the trees and rocks that you can see in the photo below, which leads directly away from the base of Winifred Falls.
The rough, overgrown path to South West Arm Pool
If it’s been raining, then you’ll quickly come across a creek.
Normally this would be quite easy but if the water is high you’ll need to rock hop the whole way to avoid wet boots!
Sometimes the rocks are fairly spread apart but it’s definitely doable - I am not the best at these things and got through so I think anyone can make it.
After a few hundred metres you cross the creek (we’re not sure if it might even run dry in a dry spell) but I think it would still be obvious. Once you’ve crossed over you are on a proper trail which is easy to follow all the way to the pool.
You’ll pass a sweet tiny waterfall and then hit some pockmarked rock which leads you all the way to the pool.
The tiny falls on route to South West Arm Pool
After the little waterfall you’ll come out to the main creek, which when the water was high looked like it was flowing pretty fast! Normally you could cross easily, but after a lot of rain it looked more precarious and was quite slippery.
It’s a wonderful spot to relax and enjoy the views and dip your feet in the creek.
South West Arm Pool
At the creek keep following the trail as far as you can go which is to where the big boulders are. Even though the rock is wet it’s not slippery until you are going to enter the water, at which point it gets incredibly slippery so just watch your step at the end.
The pool is huge and surrounded by tree covered cliffs, it’s an incredible spot. The water looks a little darker in our photos due to its level but we’ve seen it look emerald too!
There’s a pretty cool looking rope swing on the far side which I can imagine gets a lot of use on a hot weekend! When we visited the water level was too high for there to be a little beach, but normally there would be.
The pool is connected to the ocean by the South West Arm Creek so it makes the water a little salty and it’s nice and calm for swimming.
We got chatting to a local who said you can actually continue up from the pool for ages in a mixture of swimming and walking on the sandy banks which sounds like a return plan for us!
You could easily spend the whole day between Winifred Falls and South West Arm Pool; relaxing, having a picnic and going for dips. The area is just so beautiful and I still pinch myself that spots like this exist just one hour from Sydney CBD.
If you love these spots and are after more wild swimming recommendations, we have a whole post on the best ones near Sydney.
If you’re after more of a hike you can return to Winifred Falls and walk along from the top of the falls, cross the creek and head to Anice Falls which are just over a kilometre further on. They aren’t anywhere near as impressive though so it’s only if you fancy a little more exercise rather than an incredible addition to the other two pools.
Heading back to the car park
The walk back up to the car park from Winifred Falls is harder than the way to the falls because it’s almost all uphill.
Most is on a fairly gentle gradient and one very short part is quite steep. It’s definitely worth the effort though!
Tips for visiting Winifred Falls and South West Arm Pool
These amazing pools can get busy. More so Winifred than South West Arm. If you can avoid a weekend it will be a much more peaceful experience or come early in the morning on a weekend.
Try to visit after a decent bit of rainfall for maximum flow at Winifred Falls, during really dry spells it is possible that you might not really be able to swim.
If you’re feeling adventurous continue up the creek from South West Arm Pool for a longer swimming adventure!
The trail to Winifred Falls is stony and potentially muddy, I wouldn’t walk this trail in flip flops. The trail to South West Arm involves rock hopping and a bit of rough terrain too so I would advise closed toe shoes.
If you want some good pictures of South West Arm Pool from above there are a few boulders you can climb up which we think offer the best photo ops.
Essential information about Winifred Falls and South West Arm Pool
Where to park
The fire trail to Winifred Falls is marked on Google Maps, making it easy to find. It’s just after Audley Village and down Warumbul Road. You’ll see a place to park and the trail starts from a gated fire trail opposite.
You can find the exact trailhead location by clicking here.
Royal National Park entrance fee
As this trail isn’t in Bundeena or Otford, you will need to pay the $12 vehicle entry fee.
You will pass through a pay booth and - assuming it’s manned - you can pay the fee there.
If you are planning to visit several parks in a year it may be better value to buy the $65 NSW parks pass which includes all parks except Kosciuszko.
Packing suggestions for Royal National Park
Having the right gear can make a huge difference, especially in Royal National Park. Being on the coast, the conditions can change rapidly, so packing correctly can make a big difference.
Here’s what we pack and have relied upon for years:
Sunscreen: Cancer Council Active. With a high SPF, but not the greasy feel of other sunscreens. Makes a big difference when you’re working up a sweat on a sunny day! Check it out on Amazon
Good Rain Jacket: North Face This is an essential item we always pack in our bag! This jacket from North Face is designed to keep you dry but also comfortably warm (many rain jackets will make you feel like you’re in a sauna). Check it out on Amazon
Day Pack: Osprey Talon 22 (we’ve owned this for years). Check on Amazon or direct with Osprey
Hiking Boots: Merrell Moab (for men and women). We’ve both used these for over three years and they just keep going. Check them out on Amazon
Trekking poles: We’ve used Black Diamond for years as they are light, solid and durable. Check them out on Amazon.
Reusable water bottle: To avoid single-use plastic. Check them out on Amazon
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Are you planning a trip to Royal National Park? Are Winifred Falls and South West Arm Pool your favourite wild swimming spots in Sydney? Let us know in the comments below!
