Katoomba Falls Round Walk in the Blue Mountains

Last updated: July 26, 2022

Often overlooked by tourists, Katoomba Falls is a beautiful, segmented waterfall between Echo Point and Scenic World in the Blue Mountains.

A short but picturesque circuit walking trail, starting at Scenic World, guides visitors through rainforest scenery to the waterfall, with panoramic views of Jamison Valley.

It’s one of the most enjoyable walking tracks in the Blue Mountains that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. And it can even be done after dark as the Katoomba Night Walk! Let’s find out more.

Arguably one of the prettiest waterfalls in the greater Blue Mountains region, Katoomba Falls forms part of the Kedumba River, which drops almost 150 metres into Jamison Valley.

Kedumba River is a 20 km long perennial river which rises at Lake Catalina in Katoomba. The river starts as a small creek flowing through parkland west of the Katoomba town centre. It then evolves into the popular Katoomba Cascades before it plunges into the valley as Katoomba Falls.

Visitors can get up close and personal with the beautiful waterfall that is Katoomba Falls by following the Round Walk trail starting at Scenic World.

The best way to get to the start of the Katoomba Falls Round Walk is by parking your car in the big car park at Scenic World, located on the corner of Violet Street and Cliff Drive (see map location).

The start of the Katoomba Falls Round Walk is located between the car park and the main entrance to Scenic World. See further below for a map.

Look for the green signpost and make your way to the wooden boardwalk. This is also the starting point of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk, a 7 km hike between Scenic World and the Gordon Falls lookout in Leura.

At the first intersection at the end of the boardwalk, keep going straight towards the Scenic World Valley Stations via the Federal Pass.

As the track winds its way down, slowly getting closer to the waterfall, you’ll soon arrive at the Vaniman’s lookout with excellent views of the Three Sisters, the Valley below, and the Scenic Skyway right above you.

1. Juliets Balcony

After another 150 metres, the track makes a sharp left turn. The next major lookout point, Juliets Balcony, can be easily overlooked as it’s not signposted.

It can be accessed by climbing up a small staircase leading to a rock platform and fenced-off balcony area.

Juliets Balcony is your first real opportunity to witness the sheer beauty of the entire Katoomba Falls waterfall.

Because the panoramic views from the balcony lookout are so impressive, most visitors tend to stick around here for a while to take it all in.

2. Katoomba Waterfall

As you head back down from Juliets Balcony, turn right and follow the path. At the next intersection, turn right and head south towards Federal Pass and Scenic World Valley Stations.

At the Rainforest Lookout, turn right and follow the track until you get to the intersection with Underfalls Walk.

This is the final stretch of the track that takes you all the way to the waterfall.

The views from there of both Katoomba Falls looking up and the immense valley on the other side are amazing.

3. Witches Leap

Once you’ve finished admiring the views, make your way back up to the same intersection and turn right towards Katoomba Cliff Drive.

Cross the wooden bridge over the creek and follow the track as it winds down towards Witches Leap.

Look carefully, as you may be able to recognise the face in the rocks. Can you see it?

4. Reids Plateau

Continue on the main walking track to the top of the hill until you arrive at an intersection with three paths. The path to the right is a very short loop trail around Reids Plateau.

If you have a few spare minutes, this trail is definitely worth it as the views from the plateau are really good.

The path straight ahead is the Prince Henry Cliff Walk that leads to Katoomba Cascades, followed by Echo Point and the Three Sisters.

And the path to the left connects with the last section of the Katoomba Falls Round Walk, taking you back to Scenic World and the car park.

The Katoomba Falls walking trail can also be done after dark, which offers visitors a unique, night-time viewing experience of all the beautiful natural sights in this area.

This Katoomba Falls Reserve Night-lit Walk, as it is officially called, has been a big hit since it first opened a few years ago.

The trail that is lit goes all the way past Katoomba Cascades to the Cliff View Lookout on the other side of the waterfall. The total length of the walk is approximately 2.5 km.

Do note though, that while the lights are pretty bright, it is recommended to bring your own torch, just in case you end up going off-track.

The lights are turned on at dusk and remain on daily until 10.30 pm, and the smaller path lights stay on until 11 pm.

Watch this YouTube video for footage of the Katoomba Night Walk.

The round walk has many intersections with other walking tracks around Katoomba Falls, Scenic World and Echo Point, so there is a small risk of ending up on a different walking track.

The below map should give you a good idea of the round walk and the sidetracks to the waterfall and lookouts. Use this map and the notes above to help you stay on the right path.