Apsley Falls is one of NSW’s must visit waterfalls. Both the upper and lower falls which cascade into a huge gorge would be worth visiting in their own right.
Two easy walking trails get you to all the best viewpoints, and if you’re lucky, you might spot some wildlife along the way. The falls make a great stop if you’re driving from Sydney along the Waterfall Way, or a great half day trip from nearby Armidale.
As with all waterfalls in NSW, the best time to visit them is after heavy rain when they will be at their most powerful. Here’s what to expect on both walking trails, including the must do lookouts, and ones you can skip.
Apsley Falls
There are 8 lookouts along two walking tracks at Apsley Falls, the Gorge Rim Trail and the Oxley Trail.
If you are only looking to do one walk we’d recommend heading first to the Apsley Falls Lookout (you can drive right to it) which offers the closest look at the falls and then onto the Oxley Trail, which offers views that show off the incredible scale of the gorge, as well as great views of the lower falls.
The Gorge Rim Trail
The Gorge Rim Trail is an easy 1km loop walk which takes in 4 different lookouts. The first, Apsley Falls Lookout (also known as McMillan Lookout) is by far the best and is just 400m along an easy paved walkway.
This is the closest you can get to the upper falls, which is the more dramatic of the two sets of falls.
The view from Apsley Lookout
There used to be an extra viewpoint down a steep staircase which offered an incredible view of the falls from inside the gorge, but it’s since been closed.
Judging by how much work there is going on across many national parks in the area, we won’t hold our breath about its reopening!
The closed lookout
The closed lookout
Following on from Apsley Falls Lookout, you’ll reach the Lower Pool Viewpoint just 100m later. You can’t see the lower falls but it’s a good view of the pool at their base.
The view from Lower Pool Lookout
Beyond the Lower Pool Lookout there are two further viewpoints, Landslide Lookout and Lion Lookout, neither offer views of the falls and are missable if you’re tight on time.
The view from Landslide Lookout
Considering the whole walk is an easy 1km long though, it only takes around 15 minutes to do the trail so you might as well check them out along the way.
The Oxley Trail
The Oxley Trail is an easy 2.8km return track and is our favourite of the two walks at Apsley. After 100m you’ll come to a swing bridge over the river, before you continue along the flat path to the first lookout.
You’ll be accompanied by the sound of the falls roaring in the distance, as well as lots of birdlife. You’ll arrive at the first lookout - Oxley Lookout - 750m into the trail.
The view from Oxley Lookout
It offers the best view of the falls and the gorge, and is the most dramatic of all the lookouts at Apsley. The scale of the gorge is hard to comprehend.
We can’t help thinking that it would be amazing if the old walking trail into the gorge itself still existed. As lovely as it is to walk along the top of the gorge, nothing beats looking up at the walls from below.
The second lookout - Chasm Lookout - comes just 250m later. Keep an eye out in the bushland to your right between these two viewpoints, we were lucky enough to see a gorgeous little Echidna there.
The lookout offers a great view of the lower falls as well as the huge gorge. It’s unbelievably steep and looked absolutely mesmerising in the golden light of the late afternoon.
The view from Chasm Lookout
Continuing on another 400m will bring you to the best view of the lower falls. You do have a little bit of uphill walking to get to Lower Falls Lookout, but it’s easy and paved.
From this lookout you can see the farmland on top of the sheer gorge cliffs and it seems incredible there can be all this greenery and then a sudden gaping hole!
The view from Lower Falls Lookout
The final lookout (Slate Walls Lookout) is missable if you’re ready to turn back, but it is only 100m further along the trail.
The view from the Slate Walls Lookout
The Slate Walls Lookout offers a gorge view, without the falls this time. There’s a bench there which makes a nice stop to sit and relax before heading back the way you came.
Other nearby waterfalls
The nearest waterfall to Apsley Falls is Tia Falls, a 20 minute drive away. It’s another beautiful waterfall which flows into a large gorge. It’s an easy 1.4km return walk to Tia Falls, which is less visited than Apsley and well worth a look.
The last 7km of the road to Tia Falls is unsealed, but it was in good condition when we visited and easily navigable in a 2WD.
Essential information about Apsley Falls
Facilities at the falls
There are picnic benches with BBQ’s, toilets and a campground at Apsley Falls.
Getting to the falls
Apsley Falls are 85km and roughly a 1 hour drive from Armidale. They are a short (roughly 20 minute diversion) if you’re driving between Sydney and Armidale.
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