Somersby Falls

Somersby Falls may not be Niagara nor Victoria Falls, but I bet you couldn't stand underneath any of those waterfalls like that!

These waterfalls bring a lot of smiles to people's faces. I must admit that cascading water rushing down over rocks can be mesmerising.

Somersby Falls comprises a picnic area and two waterfalls lower down a bush track. The top waterfall, the most beautiful, is located mid-way down the path, and the bottom waterfall is at the bottom of the trail.

Somersby Falls is a great place to visit during hot summer days because the rainforest canopy and the water keep you cool.

This article will show you the highlights of Somersby Falls and how to get there. 

Map

Getting There and Parking

Somersby Falls is located in Brisbane Water National Park near Gosford, 1 hour north of Sydney and 1 hr 15 min south of Newcastle. 

Follow the M1 Motorway and exit toward Gosford. There’s no public transport. The carpark is at the end Somersby Falls Road in Somersby. Click here for directions on Google Map. 

It's free to visit the waterfalls, but parking is $8 for the day. If you want to park for free, park your car along Somersby Falls Road, a few metres before entering the formal car park. 

Visitor Information

The park is open from 9am to 8pm during light saving time or 5pm at any other time.

Dogs are not allowed.

There's no restaurant or shops nearby so bring a picnic. Another great option is to drive to Waterfall Cafe on Parklands Road in Somersby. The cafe is in a relaxing spot and it's only 10 minutes away.  

You can't swim at Somersby Falls because the pools are not deep enough. 

Somersby Falls Picnic Ground

The picnic spot is the first thing you'll see when you arrive at Somersby Falls. It's beside the car park and at the start of the walk. 

There's a barbecue, picnic tables and clean toilets as well as lush vegetation all around. Bring food and water, a ball, a picnic rug and chairs. 

Join in the fun. Somersby Falls can get busy during the school holidays and weekends. 

Somersby Falls Walk

From the picnic area to the top waterfall

The bush track starts at the picnic ground, beside the car park. The distance to and from the last waterfall is only 500 metres, but the walk is steep.

The bushwalk is graded medium because you need to walk down steps all the way to the waterfalls. And the steps are slippery in some parts, especially between the top and bottom waterfall. 

While walking down you'll come across a mini waterfall which is usually without crowds. You can hang out there with the kids – they'll have fun exploring the puddles and rocks.

Keep walking down the track until you arrive at the top waterfall. 

The top waterfall is located halfway, 100 metres from the start. It's easy to get to this one because the walk is mainly via the stairs.

The top waterfall is the biggest and prettiest of the two. So if you don't want to bother descending more steps, you can stop there and enjoy.

It’s fun watching people having a good time and getting wet underneath the waterfall.

The waterfalls obviously can look different after rainfall. The best time to visit is after rain. 

Kids have fun in the shallow water on the rock platform.

Be careful with small children because there's a steep drop on the left side at the top waterfall.

Continue walking down the steps to the bottom waterfall.

From the Top to the Bottom Waterfall

The walk to the bottom waterfall is more slippery. For the last part of the bush track, you walk on wet, narrow stone steps. 

The bottom waterfall and rock platform are similar to the previous one but smaller.