If you want to see Strickland Falls with any real volume of water you need to visit directly after heavy rain. We’ve visited twice within a few days of heavy rain and the waterfall has been, how shall I put it, dainty. However, the forest surrounding the waterfall is gorgeous so it’s well worth coming for a walk even if you can’t time it perfectly with regards to rainfall.
Strickland Falls is located in a state forest so it’s a dog friendly area and the walks are very pretty, so if you’re searching for that next track to do with your pup, this could be it.
The Strickland Falls Circuit
The stats
Distance: 1.6km circuit
Elevation gain: 90m
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
Trailhead: Banksia Picnic Area, Strickland Forest
Summary: The walk to Strickland Falls is all on a maintained track, it’s rocky in places, but generally in good condition. There’s a bit of elevation gain but no long climbs. If you want to go right up to the waterfall it requires a bit of light rock scrambling, but this isn’t necessary simply to see the falls.
We also did the Cabbage Tree Track which goes from the same car park as the walk to Strickland Falls and the combination of the two allows for a longer walk making it more worthwhile, especially if the waterfall isn’t running.
Do watch for leeches on the Cabbage Tree Track though, they were out in force on our visit (we didn’t see any on the Strickland Falls loop).
Starting the trail: to Strickland Falls
From the Banksia Picnic Area car park you take the trail on the right, marked as the Strickland Falls Track. It’s flat at first and the bushland is dry.
After 130m the trail begins descending on rock steps and you’ll come to a junction 70m later.
Continue straight and you’ll soon enter a lush rainforest environment. It’s a marked contrast from the dry bush above, with oodles of tall Cabbage palms and even a few lofty epiphytes.
It is absolutely beautiful and it’s for this lush part of the forest that the walk is very worthwhile even if the waterfall is not running.
There are large boulders and hanging vines which all feel a bit Indiana Jones-esque. I remember thinking it was stunning the first time we visited and it struck me in exactly the same way the second time.
There’s a little more descending to do before a brief ascent and then final stretch of downhill track. You’ll reach the waterfall at the 900m mark.
Some fallen trees and large rocks mean that if you want to go right up to the falls you need to do a little scrambling. It’s not difficult but it’s also not necessary as you still get a good view from the end of the track.
If you do want to get closer we opted for the left side which involves climbing over a few fallen trees and some boulder hopping.
This will bring you out to a good side view of the falls and you could even take a waterfall shower if you needed a bit of a refresh!
The waterfall is in a semi amphitheatre-like setting and even when not running powerfully it’s a beautiful spot. One day I would like to go on a very wet day or directly after heavy rain to try and catch it in full flow.
It runs dry or close to very quickly after rain so you don’t have long to hit that sweet spot!
Completing the circuit
From the waterfall you now follow the yellow arrow which guides you uphill beside some overhangs. It’s very pretty, though you quickly reach the drier forest again where you’ll have a long stretch of flat track.
There is a particularly fabulous stretch of Gymea lilies at the 1km mark (100m from the yellow arrow) which would be amazing to see when in bloom.
We’ve never timed it right but if you get lucky it would definitely be special. Even though the rest of the walk back to the car is mainly flat and dry, it’s still very pretty, just not quite as beautiful as the lush rainforest on the way in.
The Cabbage Tree Track
Distance: 1.6km circuit
Elevation gain: 70m
Difficulty: Easy
If you want to do a longer walk you can do the Cabbage Tree Circuit from the same car park, which adds on another 1.6km to the total distance.
I’ll be honest the first half of this walk was not the most interesting, taking you through dry bush which was more than a little leechy.
I was sort of wishing we hadn’t done it until around 900m in when it suddenly becomes stunning. I am a bit of a Cabbage palm fan and the ones along this stretch of the track were utterly fantastic; tall, dense and jungly.
It more than made up for the slightly lack lustre first half of the track - though even that would have been fine if it hadn’t been so wet causing the dramatic increase in blood suckers.
In terms of terrain the track is in good condition and didn’t suffer from mud despite the rain. There is some descending and ascending involved, but no long or steep climbs and plenty of flat track inbetween.
The path is well signposted and if you wanted an even longer walk you could add on the Stoney Creek Track which comes in on the left just over 1.1km into the trail.
If not you would follow the signposts back to the car park, which involves a bit more climbing but nothing too strenuous.
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 Strickland Falls
Stricklands Falls is located in the Strickland State Forest on the Central Coast, you can see the exact location on Google maps here. The car park is large and there is a picnic area and toilets available. The final 1.5km of the road to the car park is unsealed (gravel) but in great condition and suitable for any car at time of writing.
It’s around a 1 hour 15 minute drive from Newcastle and a fraction less from Sydney.
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Everything you need to know about visiting one of the best dog friendly areas on the Central Coast, Strickland Falls. We’re sharing how to see the waterfall in flow as well as details on the walking tracks.