Royal National Park is better known for hiking and beaches than waterfalls, but this doesn’t mean they aren’t stunning and well worth hunting out. One of them is our favourite waterfall in the whole of Sydney, and that’s a big statement!
There’s something for everyone: a waterfall that drops into the ocean, a waterfall you can swim under and one you can picnic on top of. We’ve covered all the best falls, as well as some hidden gems that few people have heard of.
Here are Royal National Park’s most beautiful waterfalls.
Royal National Park Waterfalls
A note on visiting Royal National Park’s waterfalls - all these falls look considerably more impressive after a good bout of rain. If there has been many months without rain some may be reduced to a trickle. We usually try to visit after at least two very heavy rainy days for good flow.
These are the best waterfalls in Royal National Park:
Plus a couple more outside the park
You can see the exact locations of the waterfalls on the map below. Some are very easy to access and some require a little bit of a hike, which we detail in the descriptions below.
1. Curracurrong Falls
Curracurrong Falls requires more effort than most to reach, but you will be greatly rewarded. This is not just our fave in this park, but in the whole Sydney area. It’s utterly spectacular.
Sitting on the rocks and watching as the double drop falls cascade into the ocean is absolutely mesmerising.
There’s also another waterfall just a little further along the same cliff too. You just can’t beat this scene: craggy cliffs, thundering falls and dense bushland, it’s incredible.
If you want to be in for a real treat, visit just before sunset. The light here is perfect as the sun sets behind the falls and casts golden light over the whole area - just don’t forget your torch for the way back!
You can reach the falls on one of three walking tracks. We’ve done them all and would highly recommend the trail from Wattamolla as the most special, followed by the one from Garie Beach.
The third option is still a nice walk but not as good as the other two. (Curra Moors Trail).
2. National Falls
National Falls is as impressive, as it is incredibly easy to get to. The tall falls thunders down the cliffside into a large pool below. There are lots of ferns and lush greenery forming hanging gardens on the cliffside, which gives this falls a really wild feeling.
It reminded us of the stunning waterfalls in Oregon and we can’t give it higher praise than that!
The other great thing about this falls is that you can walk behind it! Yep, a Sydney waterfall that you can stand behind. How did we live here for years and only just recently find out about it?!
To get to the falls requires walking down one set of stairs. The trail to walk behind the falls is an obvious left turn off the staircase and takes just a minute to get to.
It’s a little slippery after heavy rain, but not awful by any means, you’ll be fine in a decent pair of shoes.
You can access the base of the upper falls from here, but we thought the safer way was to climb over the fence by the staircase.
We don’t normally suggest climbing fences, but as you are allowed down to the falls via the side trail, we don’t see why you shouldn’t go down what is in fact, the safer route!
It's also possible to reach the lower falls, but the access is a bit trickier and there is no longer an official path. If you do want to see the lower falls, we describe exactly how to get there and what to expect in this post.
3. Curracurrang Falls
Curracurrang Falls is one of our favourite swimming spots in Sydney. This beautiful waterfall cascades into a deep emerald pool and it feels like you've arrived in a secret little oasis. It might be just minutes from the famous Coast Track, but as it's not signposted it remains a real hidden gem.
This wonderfully secluded spot is the perfect place to come for a dip on a warm day, or somewhere to just kick back and relax in nature.
There are a couple of ways of getting there, the quickest of which is 3.6km return, and both routes are easy. We detail all possible routes and exactly how to find the hidden path in this post.
4. Winifred Falls
Winifred Falls is a great one to head to if you fancy taking a dip. These falls might not be as grand in statue as some of the others on this list, but they make up for it with setting, and a really fantastic pool that is perfect for swimming.
If you can catch it on a quiet day, it really does feel like you’re out in the wilderness.
The walk down to the falls is just over a kilometre, nice and easy on the way and a bit of a steep slog on the way back!
If you don’t want to swim, there is lots of space to sit on top of the falls and enjoy a picnic or just relax.
You’re also very close to another of Sydney’s best wild swimming spots if you want to make a whole day of it. We detail everything you need to know about both spots in this post.
5. Wattamolla Falls
Wattamolla Falls is the easiest of the lot to get to if you just want to take a look rather than get up close, as a good viewpoint is only one minute from the car park!
If you want to get closer, you can walk around to the beach and go into the lagoon. From there you can swim right up to the falls.
We still prefer Winifred for swimming because it has a more intimate feel than the large lagoon at Wattamolla, but both are a good choice.
Cliff jumping from the top of the falls is a really popular past time here, but it’s technically not allowed. If you are thinking of doing it, check the water depth first as it changes throughout the year.
We’ve got more details on other fun things to do in the Wattamolla area here.
6. Palona Cave Waterfall
We didn't actually know of the existence of this waterfall until we came across it on one of our walks. It turned out to be a real find. It's just a minutes walk from the cave and it was quite powerful after some decent rainfall.
There's a handily positioned log just in front of the falls which makes the perfect spot to sit and relax. It also feels like a bit of a hidden gem because it's nicely secluded along a side trail off Lady Carrington Drive.
The total walk to get to the falls and back is 5.3km and we outline the whole trail in this post.
7. Uloola Falls
You need a lot of rain for this one, or it really does fade away to nothing. Even after heavy rain, it has less power than the others, but it is in such an incredibly beautiful spot that it’s well worth a visit.
You can sit on top of the falls, have a picnic and paddle in the little pools - perfect after the hike to get here.
There is also a great ledge to the right of the falls which has the best view of them, and makes another wonderful picnic spot.
Getting to Uloola Falls requires the most effort of any on this list. You can get here along the Uloola Track from Waterfall or the Karloo Track from Heathcote.
Or you can make a whole day of it and walk from Waterfall to Heathcote, stopping at Uloola Falls which is the halfway point, that’s what we always do. If you love this spot you can also camp here.
8. Toonoum Falls
Along with National Falls, this is probably the least well known of all of Royal National Park’s waterfalls. You definitely want heavy rain for this one, we visited after three days heavy rain which guaranteed a good flow.
It’s a small waterfall, but I loved sitting beside it and listening to the thundering water, without another soul in sight.
There is a huge rock right beside the falls, which wasn’t affected by spray. It’s the kind of spot I could sit for hours!
To get to the falls requires walking down a fairly rough path. It only takes a few minutes, but it requires walking over rocks and climbing over fallen trees.
The correct path heads down to the falls at the left of the car park, don’t cross over the top of the falls - it’s a dead end!
9. Wattamolla Dam
This isn’t exactly a waterfall as such, but when we visited after lots of rain there were multiple cascades running down the rocks and one huge torrent of water which formed a waterfall flowing over the cliff edge.
To really appreciate it you have to climb down the rocks and look over the edge! You can’t see the waterfall at all from the main part of the dam.
It goes without saying, but just be careful when standing near the cliff edge.
Getting to Wattamolla Dam is an 800m walk each way. The dam itself is another good swimming spot too.
10. Engadine Falls
Engadine Falls is a great waterfall to visit after heavy rain (without recent rain the flow will not justify the walk). It's a gorgeous, secluded spot and you're almost guaranteed to have it to yourself.
It is however, a bit more of an adventure and does involve a scramble to reach, so it won't be for everyone. The majority of the 2.1km walk to get there is on a well maintained path, but reaching the bottom is off track and very rocky.
The waterfall is not signposted at any point, so we have put all the instructions on how to get there in this post.
Waterfalls just outside the park
Maddens Falls
Maddens Falls is less than 15 minutes from one end of the Coast Track, so you can easily add it on to a day visiting Royal National Park.
The waterfall is beautiful, but more than that, the whole feeling there is something special. This waterfall has several drops which are spread out along the cliffside and despite the fact we visited after a fairly dry spell, it still looked fantastic.
It’s the kind of place you come just to take a look at the waterfall, but end up staying for hours soaking up the serenity of the place.
It’s a very easy 600m walk each way to get to the falls and we detail all our favourite vantage points in this post.
Kellys Falls
Kellys Falls is even closer to the park than Maddens and is a gorgeous waterfall. The one caveat here is that the viewpoint from the top of the falls is fabulous if you want to see a great bush view, but terrible if you want to see the falls.
You can get a partial view about a five minute walk down the trail but even that’s not great. To really see the falls in all their glory requires walking to the bottom on an unmaintained trail.
If you like those kind of adventures, then you’ll love Kellys Falls. Just make sure you take the walking trail to the right of the car park, not the left.
The left is a nightmare and sadly we’re telling you that from experience!
We’ve got a detailed guide on the easiest route to the bottom of Kellys Falls to help you get down without a hitch. Swimming at the base of the falls is definitely one of our favourite things to do in the Wollongong area and well worth it even if the water is a little chilly!
Essential information about Royal National Parks Waterfalls
Royal National Park vehicle entry fee
All the waterfalls bar Uloola Falls, Maddens Falls and Kellys Falls are in parts of Royal National Park that incur the $12 daily entry fee.
If you are planning on visiting several NSW national parks in a year you are better off buying the $65 annual pass, which covers all parks but Kosciusko.
Getting to the waterfalls
All falls bar Uloola are easiest to get to by car. If you don’t have a car you can use the parks shuttle system, which is fairly pricy but will get you to most of these spots.
Packing suggestions for Royal National Park’s Waterfalls
Having the right gear can make a huge difference, especially if you’r here for some great photos. Here’s what we pack and have relied upon for years:
Camera Gear for the best photos
Tripod: Sirui A-1205 This has been a recent investment and it is seriously good! It’s very light, rock solid and dead easy to use. I wouldn’t take a waterfall photo without it. Check it out on Amazon
ND Filters: To get that dreamy look on your photos, you will need an ND filter. I’ve used NISI Filters for years as they are superb, have a great build quality and always deliver the best photos. I recommend the starter kit on Amazon.
General Gear
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
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? What is your favourite waterfall in Royal? Let us know in the comments below!
