Looking for a fun day out? Hit the road and escape the city to one of these must-see day trip destinations in Victoria, all close to Melbourne.
Victoria
The best waterfalls to explore in Melbourne and Victoria
Visiting waterfalls is a wonderful way to relax and immerse yourself in nature. Here are some of the best and most picturesque waterfalls in Victoria.
Victoria is blessed with a stunning array of waterfalls and most of them are easily accessible. As well as being a free leisure activity, visiting waterfalls also offers the chance to explore national parks, state forests and recreation areas across the state.
The state's waterfalls range from big to small, with MacKenzie Falls in Grampians National Park being the largest and Dights Falls on the Yarra River claiming the title of being the only waterfall in inner Melbourne.
You can visit a waterfall as part of a day trip or break up a road trip with a bushwalk to stretch the legs and feel rejuvenated. It's prudent to update your emergency roadside assistance and pack a car safety kit before you leave.
Victoria’s best waterfall walks
Agnes Falls
Agnes Falls Scenic Reserve, South Gippsland
Love a hidden gem? In the rolling green hills of the Strzelecki Ranges, the Agnes Waterfall is a powerhouse that plunges 59m into a deep picturesque gorge.
Stretch your legs and take a short 200m stroll from the car park through the Agnes Falls Scenic Reserve to the falls viewing area. Keep an eye out for wallabies, possums, kookaburras and currawongs as you go. You can even bring your dog to this reserve, as long as it's on a leash at all times.
Agnes Falls is a short drive from Toora or Welspool, and about an hour’s drive from RACV Inverloch Resort.
Buckley Falls
Buckley Falls Reserve, Geelong
This quiet slice of nature is named after the convict William Buckley, who escaped Victoria’s penal colony in 1803 and lived with the Wadawurrung people in the Geelong region for 30 years. The Barwon River, including the placid Bunyip Pool near the falls, was an important source of fish and eels for Indigenous people.
Popular with families, Buckley Falls Reserve boasts three cascades along a stretch of the Barwon River, connected by a streamside trail. The River Red Gum Walk leads right to the main lookout from the Queens Park car park.
Buckley Falls is just outside Geelong, and only a half hour's drive to RACV Torquay Resort.
Buckley Falls Reserve has rocks where you can rest and admire the view. Image: Visit Victoria
Triplet Falls
Great Otway National Park
Triplet Falls is a gorgeous gem hidden within the Otways. A one-hour return walk takes you through ancient rainforest to a series of elevated viewing platforms with amazing views of the three cascades. The surrounding mountain ash and myrtle beech are beautiful and fragrant.
The Triplet Falls Trail, which starts and finishes from the car park near Lavers Hill, also takes you past an old timber sawmill. Relics from the early 1900s are visible along the walk.
Check out other great walks on the Surf Coast.
Trentham Falls
Trentham Scenic Reserve, Trentham
These stunning falls, one of the longest single-drop waterfalls in Victoria, roar over ancient basalt columns. It’s an easy walk from the carpark through lush bush to the viewing area, but there's no access to the top or bottom of the falls due to unstable and steep cliffs.
With picnic tables, fire pits and plenty of shade under the tree canopy, this is a great place for a picnic. On-leash dogs are also welcome.
Terntham Falls is a short drive from the town of Trentham, and a 20-minute drive from Daylesford.
Erskine Falls
Great Otway National Park
Erskine Falls is one of the most famous waterfalls in Victoria. It's a 30m waterfall situated in a gorgeous fern gully, with multiple viewing points.
The first lookout is a five-minute walk from the car park. Alternatively, take the 230 steps down to the Erskine River and view Erskine Falls from the second lookout.
Sheoak Falls and Kalimna Falls are two other waterfalls that you could visit along with Erskine Falls for a fun day out. The pretty seaside town of Lorne is just 15 minutes away for an overnight stop.
Trentham Falls is a gorgeous sight. Image: Visit Victoria
Dights Falls
Yarra Bend Park, Melbourne
What Dights Falls lacks in size, it makes up for in convenience, because it’s only a few kilometres from the heart of Melbourne. This artificial weir is built on a natural rock bar in the Yarra River, just downstream from the river’s junction with Merri Creek. You can access it from Yarra Bend Park, Melbourne's largest natural bushland park.
A 5km loop walking path starts at the heritage-listed Kanes Bridge near the Studley Park Boathouse and passes Dights Falls, while a 6.3km walk takes you from the falls to the Hawthorn Rowing Club, the oldest rowing club in Victoria.
MacKenzie Falls
Grampians National Park
MacKenzie Falls is known as the most iconic waterfall in the Grampians. Fed by the pristine waters of Lake Wartook, these falls provide a spectacular show all year round with lots of fine rainbow mist.
The 2km MacKenzie Falls Walk to the waterfall's base is steep and includes 260 narrow steps, therefore the walk back up can be challenging. Thankfully, there's an easy, wheelchair-friendly alternative: the 1.9km MacKenzie Falls Lookout Walk through stringybark forest to Bluff Lookout, where you can see multiple cascades of the river flowing through the gorge.
After more walks in the area? Try the 500m, wheelchair-friendly Broken Falls Walk in the upper sections of MacKenzie Falls, or the 7km return MacKenzie River Walk with water crossings, rock hopping and rock scrambling past Fish Falls to Zumsteins Historic Area and back.
Beauchamp Falls
Great Otway National Park
Beauchamp Falls is a rainforest beauty: 20m of misty falls surrounded by thick ferns and mountain ash. The walk from the Aire Valley Road picnic area is three kilometres and it takes an hour to get out to the viewing platform and back.
The town of Beech Forest is close by if you need a pit stop.
The MacKenzie Falls Walk makes for a great day out. Image: Visit Victoria
Cora Lynn Cascades
Great Otway National Park
There are several remarkable waterfalls near the Great Ocean Road, but the Cora Lynn Cascades promise a truly serene visit.
The 5.4km return hike over hilly terrain through lush rainforest takes you to these small, beautiful falls spilling over shale ledges framed by moss and ferns. You'll start and finish at the Blanket Leaf Picnic Area car park.
RACV Torquay Resort is an hour's drive away if you want to stop overnight in the area.
Ladies Bath Falls
Mount Buffalo National Park
In the early 1900s, travelling parties on their way to Mount Buffalo Chalet would stop near the base of the mountain for a refreshing dip. The men and women would separate to bathe in different spots. Ladies Bath Falls was where the women could privately bathe in the refreshing waters of Crystal Brook.
Luckily, both men and women can now enjoy Ladies Bath Falls. It's a short 400m walk from the carpark. Bring a picnic to enjoy before or after dipping your toes in the cold water. A little further away is Eurobin Falls, where Crystal Creek spills over the granite rockface.
Ladies Bath Falls is a short walk from the main road. Image: Visit Victoria
Hopkins Falls
Cudgee
Hopkins Falls is among Victoria's widest at 90m and best seen from the viewing platform or from the foot of the falls. Surrounded by dairy country, it's ideal for fishing, walking or enjoying a picnic.
If you're visiting in summer, keep an eye out for eels. For a few days each summer, juvenile eels (called elvers) migrate upstream from their spawning site in the Coral Sea 3,000km away. If you're lucky, you'll see them jump up and over these falls.
Hopkins Falls is a 15-minute drive from Warrnambool, where you also have the chance of seeing Southern Right Whales from June to September.
Steavenson Falls
Marysville
Dropping 84m into a rippling pool, Steavenson Falls have been a popular destination for Victorians and tourists alike since the 1860s.
It’s a short and easy walk to the viewing platform from the car park. Alternatively, you can take the scenic 3.4km one-way Tree Fern Gully Trail from Marysville town to the base of Steavenson Falls.
Steavenson Falls is 45 minutes from RACV Healesville Country Club & Resort in the picturesque Yarra Valley.
Steavenson Falls boasts a great viewing platform. Image: Visit Victoria
Safety measures for waterfall walks
When embarking on a waterfall walk in Victoria, it's essential to prioritise safety. Be sure to check on individual trail conditions with Parks Victoria before you go.
Here are some key safety precautions to keep in mind:
- Research the trail beforehand and choose walks suitable for your fitness level and experience.
- Respect safety barriers and warning signs, and stay away from cliff edges.
- Check the weather forecast and avoid waterfall walks during heavy rain or stormy conditions, as this can increase the risk of slippery paths and flash flooding.
- Wear appropriate footwear with good grip and ankle support to navigate uneven terrain.
- Carry a fully charged mobile phone for emergencies, but be aware that signal reception may be limited in remote areas.
- Inform someone about your plans, including the route you intend to take and your estimated return time.
