South Lawson Waterfalls

The spectacular Junction Falls on Ridge Creek

On the south side of Lawson and Hazelbrook in the Blue Mountains lie numerous beautiful rainforest gullies, which drain into Bedford Creek. Along those gullies lie a number of impressive waterfalls. This walk visits six of the named falls, along with numerous smaller unnamed falls.

The walk is best in the warmer months, as the gullies can be cool in winter. The waterfalls are at their most impressive for a couple of days after rain, though the tracks then become muddy and the creek crossings wider, and it may be difficult to keep your feet dry. Photographing the waterfalls is best on an overcast day.

There are lots of tracks in the area, but the tracks are generally fairly well marked with signboards and maps.

If you are coming by car, turn left off the Great Western Hwy at Lawson (travelling west) on to Orient St, and left again on to Honour Ave. Follow Honour Ave for 0.6km to Livingstone St and park at the parking area opposite.

If the parking area is full, there are parking areas further down Honour Ave that can be used to start the walk from.

Federal Falls

If you are coming by train, start the walk from Lawson Station, by following Honour Ave for 1.2km (20 min) to the parking area.

From 24 Sep 2006, last checked 07 Mar 2020

Follow the track that leads from the car park for 150m to a 4-way junction. The right hand branch leads to a bridge above Adelina Falls after a couple of minutes, but the views are limited. Continue straight ahead, down a muddy track and stairs to below the falls. A 50m detour to the right brings you to the bottom of Adelina Falls.

Retrace your steps back to the main track, following it downstream. It crosses Lawson Creek, and then crosses over Ridge Creek before descending a set of stairs to below Junction Falls. Junction Falls is actually two waterfalls, one on Ridge Creek and one on Lawson Creek. The waterfall on Ridge Creek is probably the most impressive of the waterfalls in the area, as it tumbles attractively down a series of rocky steps. Both sets of falls require a short detour from the main track to visit.

Victor Falls

Return to the main track and continue down for a short distance to a track junction. The track to the left heads up to Cataract Falls, but before this, the detour to the pretty Federal Falls should be taken by continuing along the track and around the point.

Head back to the track junction and up the steps. A short walk leads to a creek crossing, and it is about 300m from there to the bottom of Cataract Falls. Like the other falls, it is reached by a short detour to the left off the main track.

After visiting the falls, head up the main track which takes you up to a fire trail. Turn right climb the hill to the main South Lawson Fire Trail, and turn right again. This is easy walking along the ridge for about 1.5km to the junction with the Terrace Falls Link Fire Trail. Turn left and down the hill to Terrace Falls Creek. Immediately on the other side of the creek, look for a small foot track on the right, and follow the creek downstream. The track crosses back over the creek above Victor Falls, and then continues along for a little way above the cliffs, before cutting back under the cliffs and down to near the falls. Again, a short detour will take you to the bottom of the falls themselves.

The iconic Terrace Falls

Continue down the creek for a few hundred metres to Terrace Falls, one of the most photographed waterfalls in the Blue Mountains. Ignore a track leading up to the left, and keep heading downstream past Lower Terrace Falls, to the junction with Bedford Creek. If you head right, a short distance upstream is the pretty Willawong Pool, which is wide but usually fairly shallow. If you are looking for a swim, a better option might be to head downstream to Bedford Pool, which is larger. If you cross the creek above Bedford Pool, it is possible to continue further downstream to Lester Pool, situated on the next bend.

Back at Bedford Pool, pick up the track that leads up the side creek to Pyramid Falls, and then up the hill to Terrace Falls Rd (another fire trail). Cross the road on to another track and climb the hill opposite for about 700m. Take the first left, which climbs steeply up to a turning circle. Head left for 100m to Adams Lookout, with good views over the Bedford Creek valley.

View from Adams Lookout

From Adams Lookout, the aim is mainly to get back to the car. Return to the turning circle, and locate a rough track leading steeply down the hill to the west. This spits you out on Terrace Falls Rd. Turn right, and immediately left on the Link Fire Trail. Cross the creek, following it back up to the South Lawson Fire Trail, and turn right, retracing your steps from earlier. Take the left turn on to the fire trail towards Cataract Falls, but pass the first junction, and turn left to cross Cataract Creek on a bridge above the falls. There is a small lookout just past the creek crossing, and another lookout on the left after a further 80m. Continue along to a car park, and turn left on to another fire trail. Follow the fire trail for about 10 minutes or so (600m) to the 4-way junction near where you started. Turn right to return to your car.

Faulconbridge Ridge to the Grose River

Time: 5 hrs Distance: 17 km Fitness: M Skill: EM Ascent: 410 m

A longish day walk to visit a great lookout and a beautiful swimming hole

Related parks

• Blue Mountains NP

Related walks

• Faulconbridge Ridge to the Grose River