Last updated: December 29, 2023
Katoomba Falls is a beautiful segmented waterfall situated between Echo Point and Scenic World in the Katoomba area of 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 as a welcome bonus.
It’s one of the best walking tracks in the Blue Mountains that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. In this article, we will share the highlights and essential details of this walk.
| Katoomba Falls Round Walk | |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 2 km (circuit) |
| Duration: | 1 hour (depending on stops) |
| Grade: | Moderate (some steep sections) |
| Dogs: | Not allowed |
How to Get There
The best way to get to the start of the Katoomba Falls Round Walk is by parking your car in the car park at Scenic World, located on the corner of Violet Street and Cliff Drive (see map location).
Another option is to park on the road outside the Scenic World area. Just make sure you do so in a safe spot, and be mindful that Scenic Drive can be pretty busy on the weekends.
If you’re travelling by public transport, there are various bus stops along Scenic Drive and only a short trip from Katoomba Station.
Map
The map below should give you an idea of where the walking track is located. From the car park, it’s recommended to follow the walking trail anti-clockwise for the best experience.
P: Scenic World Parking.
X: Katoomba Falls.
Katoomba Falls Track Notes
The below track notes assume you’re starting from Scenic World and are walking in an anti-clockwise manner.
It’s a fairly easy walk, but quite steep in parts. Solid hiking shoes are recommended, and bring a bottle of water on those warmer days.
1. Start of the Walk
The start of the Katoomba Falls Round Walk is located between the car park and the main entrance to Scenic World.
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.
2. Juliets Balcony
After another 150 metres, the track makes a sharp left turn. The next major lookout point, Juliets Balcony, can be easily missed as it’s not signposted.
It can be accessed by climbing up a small staircase leading to a rock platform and fenced-off balcony-style area.
Juliets Balcony is your first real opportunity to witness the sheer beauty of the entire Katoomba Falls waterfall.
As the panoramic views from the balcony lookout are so impressive, many visitors tend to stick around here for a while to take it all in.
3. Katoomba Falls
As you head back down from Juliets Balcony, turn right and follow the walking path heading north.
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.
The Underfalls Walk is a short sidetrack that leads to a viewing platform right next to the waterfall. The views from there of both Katoomba Falls looking up and the Jamison Valley on the other side are amazing.
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 that 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.
4. Witches Leap
Once you’ve finished admiring the views, return 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.
Witches Leap is a small waterfall that drops over a rock formation. When there hasn’t been much rain, though, you may not even see any water.
Look carefully, and you may be able to recognise a face profile in the rocks. Can you see it?
5. Reids Plateau (Optional)
Continue on the main walking track climbing out of the forest until you arrive at an intersection with four paths. The path to the right is a short loop trail exploring the Reids Plateau, marked as Katoomba Falls Lookouts.
If you have an extra 10 minutes to spend, this trail is definitely worth it, as the views from the plateau are really good. It takes in three main lookouts:
- Solitary Lookout
- Katoomba Falls Lookout
- Orphan Rock Lookout
The Katoomba Falls Lookout, in particular, is impressive, with fantastic views of the waterfall, the Jamison Valley, and the Scenic Skyway.
The Orphan Rock Lookout offers views of a rock formation called Orphan Rock against the backdrop of the Jamison Valley.
There used to be a walking trail directly to this rock formation, but that has been closed for many years.
Once you’re finished exploring Reids Plateau, walk back to the four-way intersection. The path to the east is the Prince Henry Cliff Walk that leads to Katoomba Cascades, followed by Echo Point and the Three Sisters.
The path to the north connects with the last section of the Katoomba Falls Round Walk, which takes you back to Scenic World and the car park. This section is also part of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk.
Katoomba Night Walk
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 each night 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.
Just wondering, do we need to pay to have access to those tracks since we need to pay $57 for scenic world?
Hi John, these walking tracks are open to everyone. No need to have tickets to Scenic World to be able to access the Katoomba Falls round walk.
Can you still park at Scenic World and do this walk even when scenic world shuts at 4pm?
Hi Charlotte, not sure if you can still park your car at Scenic World when they’re closed, but the walk is still accessible. You can otherwise also park your car on the road nearby.
Wondering if this track can be done with a stroller ?
Definitely not Alicia, there are lots of steps and other challenges on this track.
Wow we do have some amazing, scenic locations in Australia, I was born in country NSW and you just take all this for granted when living amongst it, now that I live in city you forget how beautiful this country is until you see something like this absolutely amazing, well done.
Thanks so much Elizabeth, and yes you’re absolutely right, there are so many beautiful things to discover in Sydney and New South Wales.