After a recent bout of heavy rain, the first place on our list to visit was Somersby Falls. This three tiered waterfall is one of the most beautiful near Sydney, and its ease of access makes it a popular spot. Just one look at the photos of this place (they probably don’t do it justice) and you’ll see why people love it!
If you’re lucky enough to visit after a bout of rain, the falls will be at their most powerful. After rain, other waterfalls seemed to appear off the path and the whole area comes to life! However it’s still a good year round spot, which isn’t so common in the Sydney area.
Here are our best tips for visiting, including what the walking trail is like, and the best spots for photography.
Insider tips for visiting Somersby Falls
The walk to the Middle Falls - 5 minutes
From the car park you’ll immediately see the walking track down to both the Middle and Lower Falls.
Although it’s only a very short walk, it is predominantly steps. It’s a very pretty path which takes you straight into some dense bushland and it isn’t long before you reach a little turn off on your left where you should see this little gem.
It’s not part of the main Somersby Waterfall, but it is a lovely little cascade if there has been recent rain.
It’s a quiet and peaceful spot that most people seemed to just power past! It doesn’t have the wow factor of Somersby, but we always enjoy seeing these less visited spots too, especially if you feel the main falls are a little too busy.
Carrying on from this smaller cascade you are just one staircase away from the Middle Falls.
Middle Falls
The Middle Falls are magnificent. Whenever we visit waterfalls with more than one tier, there is usually one which is much more impressive than the other, but that’s not the case with Somersby.
Middle Falls are pretty steep and when the water’s in full flow it looks like a series of mini waterfalls making up one big waterfall!
They are incredibly powerful and cascade down a pretty big drop into a small pool below. The pool is fairly shallow, which makes having a paddle, or setting up a tripod for a photo here easy.
They are easier to photograph than the Lower Falls because there is plenty of space surrounding them and even after a lot of rain, you don’t need to worry about the water knocking you over!
If you like your photography, there are plenty of different angles you can get here. One person was so keen to get a great close up photo that he waded in knee deep with a camera!
If you want to stay dry, we’d recommend either shooting straight on (which is further away) or to the right of the falls for a closer shot (it’s the angle we used for the photo at the top of this post).
The walk to the Lower Falls - 5 minutes further on
The walk to the Lower Falls is also very short, but it isn’t quite so manicured. It’s not in bad shape, but there are a few steps that are less even, and could be slightly slippery when wet.
You’ll walk down several more staircases through the forest before you come to a narrow path, which is signposted as a ledge - which I think makes it sound scary when it’s really not!
After the “ledge” there are two staircases: one that is newer and in great shape, and one a bit more narrow and uneven.
Take the manicured one first because this provides a great view and photography spot for the Lower Falls.
It’s another beautiful spot and as there are a couple of levels, and a log running along one part of it, it feels more wild than the Middle Falls.
The Lower Falls
The viewpoint at the bottom of the manicured steps is essentially one big rock, where there isn’t much space if it’s busy. We were lucky to have only a few other people around when we were there, but this may be a tricky spot to get to if it’s crowded. However, it’s worth waiting if you have to because it’s probably the best view of the Lower Falls.
After this spot you can carry on down the other staircase, which gives you a different perspective of the falls, with an extra cascade that you can’t see from the path with the better staircase.
There are a couple of rocks to hop over and a few of them had a fine layer of sand covering them, which can make them a bit slippery. This was the only spot on the whole walk which I found slightly slippery, but overall it wasn’t too bad.
You can wander along the sandy base of the falls and follow it round to climb up on to the rocky platform, which gets you up close to the falls.
After you’ve enjoyed the falls you then have the climb back up to the top. It’s fairly steep but you’ll be up in less than ten minutes so it’s not too bad!
Beyond the bottom falls
If you don't mind leaving the formed track behind and are looking for something a bit more adventurous, you can actually continue past the bottom falls and onto the cave falls.
That's not their official name, but essentially it's a gorgeous set of cascades which flows over the top of a large overhang. You can even walk behind the falls.
Although the trail is not maintained beyond the bottom falls, it used to be a proper track so it's not a bush bash by any means. It is however, much more slippery (when wet) than the main path, so you'll need to be more careful.
From the bottom falls to the cave is just 340m each way.
How to find the cave falls
To find the path, head beyond the bottom falls to the small sandy beach and then follow the rough track keeping the creek on your left. After 70m you need to cross the creek.
There are rocks to use as stepping stones, but they can be a little slippery.
From here, you’ll stay on the right side of the creek all the way - you don’t need to cross the creek again. After the creek crossing you'll have to walk up and down a few rock shelves and the scenery immediately begins to feel more wild.
The rainforest is gorgeous and you can't believe that you're still at Somersby Falls, yet all the crowds have melted away.
Keep following the rock shelves and obvious path until after 170m you'll see a dirt track on your right before a fallen tree.
It can be pretty muddy along the dirt tracks after rain but still passable. There is one narrow muddy traverse to make, but it's just a couple of steps so it's not too difficult.
Otherwise, the trail is narrow, but easy to follow, and there are stones steps at different points along the way to reassure you you're on the right track.
Roughly 100m later you will come to a small pool with a huge boulder beside it (the path continues through the bush on the right and doesn't head down to the boulder).
There are two routes you can take from here, but by far the easiest is taking the lower track. The upper track has stairs and could look like the correct route, but it's more slippery and sketchy than the lower route. The lower route takes you down a couple of rocky steps and then is flat and easy through the bush.
After 50m you'll arrive at the top of the falls. You can then take the final staircase down to the cave. The steps are very uneven and slippery when wet, but it only takes a minute to get down.
From here you can walk behind the falls and also follow the rock platform right, past the overhang and down another set of steps to view them from below.
Unfortunately for us, the pool in front of the falls was stagnant and a bit of an eyesore, so I preferred the view from right beside the cave.
The cave falls might be harder to reach than the other sets of falls at Somersby, but they are definitely worth the effort.
Our original plan had been to continue following the creek beyond this point, but we decided to save that for another day when the water levels are lower.
Tips for your visit
Swimming at Somersby Falls
The reality is you can’t really swim at Somersby. None of the pools are big enough, even after heavy rain although you could go for a waterfall shower! There is, however, a great spot if you want to just have a paddle to cool off.
The pools at the top
Just to the right of the car park you’ll come to a series of little rock pools. Unless you’re visiting after heavy rain it won’t look quite as lively as it does in our photos but there should still be water enough for a foot dunk.
If you’ve got plenty of time you could head over to nearby Kariong Brook Falls which has an amazing swimming hole at the base. It’s less than a 15 minute drive to the trail head, but then you do have to walk for 3km each way. We’ve got all the details in this post.
Somersby Falls picnic area
Somersby Falls has a great picnic area to the left of the car park, with quite a few picnic benches scattered in different spots, some of which offer a bit more seclusion than others.
We liked the one nearest the fence best, as it was out on a limb on it’s own, so it felt like a nice little private spot - although you might be joined by one of the many hopeful brush turkeys!
There are also BBQs that you can use in the main picnic area.
Tips for waterfall photography
If your primary interest in visiting the falls is to get great photos, you definitely want to visit after a period of heavy rain for maximum effect. Our photos are taken after three days of fairly solid rain to help give you an idea. The falls come alive after rain, and in Australia falls can dwindle quite a bit during dry spells.
You’ll also want to visit on a cloudy day, early in the morning or later in the afternoon so that you have nice even light.
The middle of a sunny day is probably the worst time to go for photos as the sun will shine straight onto the falls, causing harsh reflections and stop you getting those silky streaks you can get from a long exposure.
Parking at Somersby Falls
The car park at Somersby Falls has the NSW parks $8 daily fee. The car park is beyond a lock gate which is open from 9am to 8pm.
Alternatively you can park 50m away on the roadside for free!
Getting to Somersby Falls
Somersby Falls is a 72km drive from Sydney CBD and takes around an hour to get to. You can’t get here by public transport easily.
Packing suggestions for walks near Sydney
Having the right gear can make a huge 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
Bushman Spray: Good for keeping off the mozzies and any other bugs away. 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 the Central Coast? Is Somersby Falls on your list? Let us know in the comments below!
