Sydney is one of the best locations for natural scenery. From beaches, mountains and endless coastlines, a Sydney-sider has limitless opportunities to adventure the beautiful area in which surrounds them.
But if you’re looking to plunge your head under a waterfall, listen to the sounds of trickling water, submerge into a natural waterhole or just visualise the immense power of some of the largest waterfalls in New South Wales, Sydney is the perfect place to be.
If you love chasing waterfalls and discovering their beauty we have got you covered. Here are 5 waterfalls that we believe are absolutely incredible and must sees if you’re living or adventuring around Sydney.
Belmore Falls is one of Sydney’s most surreal 2-tiered waterfalls. In under 2 hours you can get from Sydney to Belmore Falls, which is located in the Morton National Park in the Southern Highlands.
This National Park has something for everyone. There are multiple panoramic lookouts, walking tracks and vertical gorges that encompass the area, not to mention the huge Belmore Falls waterfall!
We recommend viewing Belmore Falls from the lookout - as sadly, the walking track has been closed for some time now, and is not serviced by park rangers. The old walking tracks lead all the way down to the bottom of the waterfall, but can be quite dangerous. You will find people ignoring the signs and swimming in the pool that engulfs the bottom of the falls. Do this at your own risk.
In summer Belmore Falls can get busy so make sure you make incredible memories, enjoy the view, be careful and take all of your belongings with you.
Just over an hour away from Sydney, Kariong Brook Falls is the perfect mix of blissfulness and adventure.
After parking at Staples Lookout and a 3.2km downhill walk into the National Park, you will find yourself surrounded by a natural cliff edge waterfall with a swimming pool at the bottom.
Throughout Summer this waterfall can get quite busy, but if you’re looking for a quiet place to retreat throughout the rest of the year - this is the place to go! Just be warned - the water can be quite chilly!
Dropping 50m into a deep gully, Carrington Falls is one of the biggest waterfalls in NSW. It is located in the Budderoo National Park.
In under 2 hours you can get from Sydney to Carrington Falls, where you can park your car and walk an easy circuit trail to 3 viewing platforms of the waterfall. These platforms offer such diverse views of the waterfall and it’s picturesque surroundings
There is also a river that runs above the waterfall. So if you’re feeling hot and it’s a beautifully warm day, refresh yourself in the baths on top of the waterfall.
Please note: don’t go too close to the top of the waterfall or past the recommended signs. It is extremely dangerous.
Wattamolla Falls is one of our regular ‘escape from the city’ days. With a lagoon, waterfall, beach, picnic area there is something for everyone.
Located in the Royal National Park just outside of Sydney, you can access Wattamolla falls between 7:00am and 8.30pm daily. If you don’t have a National Parks Pass car sticker, it will set you down $12 - but is worth every cent.
The LTA team loves it here. With no phone reception, we set up the slack line, hammock and watch the daredevils jump off the top of the falls.
Be mindful though, cliff jumping is illegal and can cause serious injuries if not done by professionals. Checking the depth is a regular occurrence for professionals as the tides do change.
If you haven’t been here, we 100% recommend a day trip! Just make sure to get there early as it can get busy and to leave only footprints.
You will find one of the most beautiful waterfalls 1 hour away from Sydney in the Brisbane Water National Park.
Somersby Falls is a series of small waterfalls that trickle down a 500m walking path. As the national park is relatively small, we need to make sure we protect it by being as environmentally friendly as possible.
Conveniently, there is a picnic area at the beginning of the walk down to the waterfall, near the parking area. These include barbecues, picnic tables, toilets, garbage bins and information signs.
There are plenty of walks down following the gorgeous river - with a few swimming spots. If you do happen to find a GoPro Hero 9 in one of them - we may also have lost one in the water there!