See Thru Pool is a gorgeous spot for a swim, with a picturesque waterfall and large pool surrounded by pretty rock walls. The setting is serene and the water is very warm in the summer time; it’s also a much safer swim spot than the notorious Mermaid Pool, a few hundred metres further downstream.
There is a second smaller cascade pool above See Thru Pool, though this requires a bit of a scramble to reach.
See Thru Pool, which is the best for swimming, is located along a decent path with a few rubbly bits here and there. If you’ve got more time and energy there are many further swimming spots downstream of See Thru Pool.
The walk to See Thru Pool
The stats
Distance: 2.8km return
Elevation gain: 100m
Difficulty: Easy - moderate
Trailhead: The bridge by Rockford Road
Summary: The trail to See Thru Pool is in pretty good condition, though it is a council managed track, so it’s not perfectly manicured.
There are a couple of short uphill sections but it’s never steep or sustained. The dirt track has a few rough and rocky sections, though they are brief and it’s generally not slippery.
There are no formal signposts, but you will see ‘ST’ splashes of yellow paint which guide you to See Thru Pool.
Accessing the pool requires climbing over a few rocks though they are grippy when dry. The rocks inside the water are covered in a fine layer of mud which makes them slippery, though there are not many to get through before it’s deep enough to swim.
The trail
From the parking area by the bridge on Rockford Road, you head under the large bridge (30m from the car park) and you will see the first of the yellow spray paint 20m later.
You can go straight on which is via another swimming spot called the Potholes, or head right, following the paint which says it’s the easy route to Mermaids Pool. We followed the easy Mermaids route this time, but both routes are easy.
This track will head briefly uphill and you’ll soon see another splash of paint reassuring you you’re on the right track. There’s a very brief downhill section and then you will cross a dried up creek bed.
As you head up the dirt track on the other side of the creek you’ll see a small red box (350m from the parking area). The box used to have maps inside but there weren’t any left on our most recent visit.
There is a small amount of uphill track before the path flattens and heads through the bush. The path is easy to follow with nothing much to note until the 1.1km mark when you can see a large pool from above.
Access at this point was very steep, but it’s one we’ve got our eye on for another visit!
Roughly 250m later, or just over 1.3km into the walk, you will reach a fork and bear left towards the creek.
The path becomes a bit narrower and rocky, more of a gully than a proper path, but not too steep or slippery.
After 50m you’ll reach the bottom of the gully and see the rock platform and the eastern edge of the pool ahead.
You can access the pool here, or 50m further on via the rocky entryway described below.
Swimming at See Thru Pool
We hadn’t been to See Thru Pool in a while and I’d forgotten just how big and beautiful it is. The waterfall was running really well and the rock walls and gum trees create such a picturesque setting.
The water is a lovely deep green anywhere you can’t see the rocks underneath. It really is gorgeous, prettier than Potholes and safer than Mermaid Pool.
When it comes to swimming the only thing I am not keen on is that sometimes you dislodge bits of mud sitting on the rocks which then floats up through the water. Other than that it’s fab.
In terms of getting into the pool you have a few options. You can enter via the eastern side (furthest from the waterfall) which means you can walk straight off the rock platform without climbing over any rocks.
Make sure you get into the water at the crack you can see between the rocks otherwise you will have lots of slippery mud to negotiate. Either way though, using this route you will dislodge mud into the pool.
If you don’t mind climbing over some rocks you can enter near the waterfall. This is still quite easy, but you have some rocks to get over both outside and inside the water.
There’s also a huge rock beside the water that you could slide in from (close to the waterfall), it’s the one with a bit of old rope attached. Although this avoids rocks and muddy bits, it is a much steeper access point.
Once inside the pool, there are rocky areas, but you can see them fairly well and there’s plenty of room to swim in deep, unobstructed water.
As mentioned in the intro, in summer the water here is very warm, so if you’re not a fan of cold water this is the spot for you!
Accessing the cascade pool above
There is a very pretty cascade pool above See Thru Pool, with the same green water though a more open setting. You can reach it via one of three different ways.
The most direct route is to scramble up the rock chute/gully just to the left of the waterfall at See Thru Pool, you can see it in the photo below.
This access point requires some upper body strength and agility. I could literally only get up this way because Joe gave me a leg up.
If that doesn’t appeal, head back onto the main path as if you were going to return to the car park. Approximately 100m after leaving See Thru Pool you’ll see a worn path (of sorts) to your right which you can use to scramble down the rocky cliff to the pool.
If this also doesn’t appeal, continue along the main track for another 50m until you see a rocky gully you can easily scramble down. It’s opposite a yellow arrow (in the pic below).
The pool is 150m from this point. After climbing down the rock gully bear right and follow the creek. You’ll see two sets of blue tape tied to trees 20m apart and then come to the pool itself.
The pool, though large and very pretty to look at, doesn’t have a whole lot of room to swim outside the rocks. You can definitely have a dip, but for actual swimming you are better off at See Thru Pool.
It is, however, a really peaceful quiet spot to sit and relax and there is a nice overhang close to the cascades which offers a shady place to rest.
Heading back
If you’ve been to the cascade pool the easiest route back to the car park is to walk to the cascades and continue upstream, walking past them, keeping them on your right.
Look for the blue ribbon tied to the tree and follow the makeshift path.
There’s a second blue tag 20m later. You’ll come to a gully on the left and can scramble up it (which is an easy scramble up rock) to reach the main track. It’s 150m from the cascade pool to the main track.
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 See Thru Pool
The trailhead for See Thru Pool is located at a car park just off Rockford Road by the bridge you can see it on Google maps here.
It’s roughly 100km and a 1 hour 15 minute drive from Sydney. It’s 57km and around 45 minutes from Wollongong.
The last 500m of the road is unsealed. The closest part of the car park to the trailhead is very potholed, but you can avoid that bit by parking one minute further away.
There are no facilities at the car park or anywhere along the trail.
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See Thru Pool is a gorgeous spot for a swim, with a picturesque waterfall and large pool surrounded by pretty rock walls. We’re sharing directions, trail conditions and how to access the less well known pool nearby.