Discover Carrington Falls and Nellies Glen in Budderoo National Park

Last updated: April 6, 2024

Carrington Falls is a beautiful plunge waterfall on the Kangaroo River in Budderoo National Park, approximately 150 km south of Sydney.

A short, family-friendly loop walk with several viewing platforms offers visitors panoramic views of the waterfall and the surrounding valley.

Nearby Nellies Glen, on the other side of the river, is also worth visiting, with a picnic area and various walking tracks with lookout points to explore.

Short video of the Carrington Falls walking track:

Depending on where you’re driving in from, getting to Carrington Falls and Nellies Glen can be a bit of an adventure in its own right.

If you’re driving in from the Kiama and Shellharbour area, head towards Jamberoo on Jamberoo Rd, and turn into Jamberoo Mountain Rd. This road has many sharp twists and turns, so drive carefully.

After about 18 km, turn left into Cloonty Rd, followed by a right turn into Thomas Place Rd, which leads to the Carrington Falls picnic area.

If you’re driving via Bowral or Robertson, turn into Jamberoo Mountain Rd at the Robertson Pie Shop and continue for 5 km to the Cloonty Rd junction.

Map

The map below shows two parking areas:

• P1: Car park at Carrington Falls picnic area (see map location)
• P2: Car park at Nellies Glen picnic area (see map location)

The car park at the Carrington Falls picnic area is relatively small, but under normal circumstances, you should be able to score a parking spot. There is no entry fee to the national park when visiting Carrington Falls or Nellies Glen.

The official address of the Carrington Falls picnic area is:
Lookout Track, Carrington Falls, NSW 2577.

Carrington Falls is a stunning plunge waterfall on Kangaroo River and is widely considered one of the most impressive waterfalls in Greater Sydney.

The waterfall is located within Budderoo National Park, where the western escarpment of the Budderoo Plateau descends to the Kangaroo Valley. Budderoo National Park, in turn, is part of the Southern Highlands region.

Facilities at Carrington Falls:

• Car park
• Picnic area (also known as Thomas Place)
• Toilets

Carrington Falls Walking Track

The best (and only) way to see the waterfall is by doing the family-friendly Carrington Falls Walking Track.

This easy 600-metre long walking path is a loop that starts and ends at the Carrington Falls picnic area.

The track loops along the edge of the escarpment, taking in several lookouts and viewing platforms, and is paved from start to finish. The trail does have steps, so, unfortunately, it’s not a wheel-friendly walking trail.

The views of the waterfall from the main viewing platform, the Falls View Lookout, are stunning, with the entire waterfall in view.

From the Falls View Lookout, the walking track continues to a second viewing point, the Valley View Lookout, which also offers fantastic views from a different angle.

It’s possible to explore the top of the waterfall by walking across the river through a series of shallow pools.

On the other side of the river, you can find the access point to the walking trail that leads to Nellies Glen, but driving there might be a little easier.

A visit to Nellies Glen is a must after exploring Carrington Falls, as it’s literally just around the corner.

From the picnic area, drive back to Cloonty Rd heading north, and turn left into the Nellies Glen picnic area after crossing Kangaroo River.

Nellies Glen has been a popular gathering place for locals since the 19th century, and it’s not difficult to see why.

The small waterfall and natural swimming hole, beautifully surrounded by a landscape of ferns and rocks, is a great spot for a quick swim and a picnic.

It’s only a short walk from the car park and is on a mostly flat but unpaved walking track.

Nellies Glen Walking Tracks

Once you’ve finished exploring the Nellies Glen waterfall and pool, it’s highly recommended to do at least one of the two walking tracks that start from the picnic area:

1. Warris Chair Lookout
2. Missingham’s Lookouts

The 1 km return bushwalk to the spectacular Warris Chair Lookout is relatively easy and is suitable for children.

The valley views from Warris Chair are quite impressive.

The walking track to Missingham’s Lookouts is a bit longer (3.8 km) and slightly more challenging, but still very doable.

The panoramic views of Kangaroo Valley and the spectacular Carrington Falls Gorge make this bush walk worth the extra effort.

A visit to Carrington Falls is often combined with visits to three other waterfalls in the same area. In geographical order, these waterfalls are:

1. Belmore Falls
2. Fitzroy Falls
3. Carrington Falls
4. Minnamurra Falls

Visiting all four waterfalls in one day is possible, but only if you start early.

Otherwise, it’s best to leave Minnamurra Falls for another day because the walking track to get to that waterfall is quite long (4 km).