Hell Hole Falls is one of the most spectacular wild swimming spots on the South Coast. The falls flow into a stunning deep green pool, surrounded by dense bushland and high cliff walls. It feels completely secluded and has the most wonderful serene atmosphere. There’s a second waterfall pool much earlier on in the trail, which is also stunning and has a shallow pool that is perfect for families.
The falls do need quite a bit of water to be running clean and clear, so save this adventure for after some decent rainfall.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Hell Hole Falls.
The walk to Hell Hole Falls
The stats
Distance: 900m return to the upper falls, 1.9km return to the lower falls
Elevation gain: 40m
Difficulty: Easy - moderate
Summary: The walk to the first waterfall pool is flat and easy until the last section down to the bottom of the falls (which is off track). The path is a bit rougher here, but still easy enough.
The route to the second falls doesn’t really have a path and involves a few shallow creek crossings (wet feet won’t be involved unless water levels are really high). Getting to the bottom of the falls requires heading down a slightly overgrown path with some debris, but it’s not slippery when dry.
Starting the trail
From the parking area (details below) you’ll head onto the fire trail (past the signs stating no motorbikes or cars are allowed) and follow it for 350m.
It’s almost entirely flat and whilst there were a few puddles on the track, nothing was hard to skirt around the edge of.
You’ll then arrive at a clearing and to the left you’ll see the creek. You can look down over the top of the first waterfall from here.
To get to the bottom of the falls you can take one of two routes.
Reaching the bottom of waterfall one
You can reach the bottom of the upper falls from two different access points. The first involves crossing the creek (over the top of the falls) and heading down the rocky gully. This option brings you to the right side of the waterfall and it’s more of a scramble.
The easiest route is to the right of the creek crossing, directly from the clearing (not the rock platform). You’ll see a worn path ahead - though it’s quite overgrown - and you can follow it downhill towards the falls.
The trail to the bottom of the waterfall is 100m long, the first 30m are along some rocks and the final 70m is a mix of rocks and dirt trail.
It’s not particularly steep and wasn’t slippery when dry. Although it is slightly overgrown and not a maintained track, most people will find it easy.
Upper Hell Hole Falls
The top of Hell Hole Falls is gorgeous, with a wide ferny overhang and two separate cascades. The pool is large and has relatively clear green water (it’s not perfect clarity in this pool).
It’s a beautiful spot and the surrounding rock shelf makes for a lovely place to sit and relax. The pool is great for lazing around in the water, but not for swimming, as it’s quite shallow (even after significant rain).
Being a pretty waterfall that is easy to access (at just 450m from the car park) does mean it can get busy on weekends and in the school holidays. If you’re looking for a quiet experience, it’s ideal to come midweek, or early in the morning on weekends and in the holidays.
Making your way down the creek
The next part of the walk involves a rougher path; well, it’s rarely a path and is more a case of following the creek downstream to the top of the second waterfall. However, it’s only actually 400m between the first and second waterfalls and it’s quite straightforward.
From the first falls, head downstream, following the creek as it heads in a south-easterly direction. Depending on the water levels, the creek crossings shouldn’t involve you getting your boots wet if you look for where the water level is lowest (as there are some small pools and cascades here too).
If it’s been quite dry, you may not need to cross the creek at all and could then walk the whole thing on the rock shelf - but the falls may not be running, or have a very meagre flow if this is the case.
We walked on the right side of the creek (the southern bank) at first and the initial 60m are quite overgrown and bushy. You’ll pick your way over the rocks and debris inbetween the scrub before it’s easier to cross to the other side of the creek, where there is a section of open path.
For a smoother walk, cross to the left side of the creek (northern bank) once you reach the piles of fallen branches.
This side of the creek is easier to navigate as you can walk partially on the path and partially on the rock shelf, which is flat and grippy (when dry). Roughly 160m in you’ll come to a small cascade and another pretty, if shallow, pool.
At this point depending on water levels, you may need to cross to the right side of the creek (southern bank) to avoid a pool again, but can come almost straight back to the left side (northern bank) afterwards.
After 70m you’ll reach another small cascade where the water gets a little deeper. From here it’s a short walk via the bank (and briefly in the bush) to a rock platform and a sheer drop.
Reaching the bottom of the falls
When you look down over the top of the rock platform the falls look quite far away and seem inaccessible.
However, there is a worn trail on the left side of the rock shelf and it’s just 120m to the waterfall. The path is actually pretty good and begins as a narrow dirt track between the bush. It’s overgrown, but not horribly so.
After 40m you’ll reach a rocky gully which is easy to climb down, but go carefully incase it’s slippery.
The dirt track then continues downhill with the odd branch to climb over, but nothing difficult to manoeuvre around.
After a further 60m the path curves right, towards the falls. The last 20m to the waterfall has a bit more debris and a few rocky sections, but it’s all straightforward.
You’ll arrive into a little bushy area with some logs and rocks you can use to sit on and take in the truly beautiful view of the falls.
Swimming at Hell Hole Falls
The first waterfall is very pretty, but the second is spectacular. The waterfall itself is higher, as are the surrounding cliffs and bushland.
The pool has clear emerald water and the whole place has a magical feel to it. The pool is large and deep, so it’s perfect for a proper swim.
Accessing the water is also easy as you can step off the rocks into shallow water, before it becomes deep enough to swim off very quickly.
There are pockets of warmer water, but the main body of the pool is cool, much more so than the upper falls. There was no current whatsoever when we visited, so swimming here was really relaxing and you could swim right under the falls.
The bottom of the pool is sandy, so it’s good to walk on and doesn’t cloud up the water when you move around. All in all, I’d say it’s wild swimming perfection!
You can also walk all the way behind the waterfall, as you can with the upper falls too. The path starts off as sand, before a little rock hopping takes you directly behind the waterfall itself.
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.
Note there are no facilities whatsoever around Hell Hole Falls, so please prepare accordingly.
Where to park for Hell Hole Falls
There is no designated parking area for Hell Hole Falls, but there is room for cars to pull fully off the fire trail at these coordinates: -35.0210611, 150.4935692 - which is 1.5km down a road named “Hell Hole Trail” on Google Maps (in the Jerrawangala National Park). Please don’t block the fire trail and note there are cameras here too. During our visit the road was well graded and suitable for any cars in dry weather. It’s flat with some small humps.
If you don’t want to take your car on an unsealed road you could park at the lay-by at the start of the fire trail, which does add on 1.5km walking each way, but it’s flat. You can find the parking place here on Google maps.
The trailhead is roughly 27km and a 20 minute drive from Nowra and almost the exact same time and distance from Huskisson in Jervis Bay.
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