Boost your drive from Sydney to Canberra by calling in at Forty Foot Falls in Mittagong. If forty ft of waterfall isn’t sufficient, you possibly can all the time push on to Sixty Foot Falls – we’ll allow you to work out how excessive that one is!
We acknowledge that this journey is positioned on Gandangara Nation, the normal Nation of the Gandangara individuals who have occupied and cared for this land for 1000’s of years. We pay our respects to them because the Conventional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was by no means ceded.
Fast Info Forty Foot Falls
Distance: 12km, for those who full the Boxvale Tramway Monitor and the detour to the falls
Length: 3 hours, together with stops to take photographs
Closest City: Mittagong
About Forty Foot Falls
These thunderous falls in Mittagong are a must-visit for uncommon hybrid waterfall chasers and historical past buffs. Nevertheless it’s additionally fairly cool for these of us into simply one of many two!
The epic cascade is tucked inside a scenic bushwalk that takes you thru lush forest and an 84m lengthy deserted prepare tunnel. Don’t overlook your torch! Alongside the best way, you’ll additionally study concerning the fascinating historical past of Mittagong, making it an ideal mix of pure magnificence and native heritage.
How To Get to Forty Foot Falls
You’ll discover these beautiful falls positioned off the Hume Freeway about 75 minutes from Sydney and simply shy of two hours from Canberra.
Forty Foot Falls leads off the Boxvale Tramway Monitor. To get there, comply with the indicators to Mittagong, get onto the Outdated Hume Freeway and switch onto Boxvale Highway at Welby. You’ll then see a small automotive park and signage pointing you onto the Boxvale Tramway Monitor.
Talent Degree
Newbie
There are a few quick steep sections, and a few rocks to scramble over to entry the waterfall, however the remainder of the path is usually flat.
Important Gear
- Mountain climbing footwear
- Rain jacket
- Insect repellent (for leeches)
- Water
- Head torch
Learn extra: Packing Record for Day Hikes
What it’s Wish to Go to Forty Foot Falls
Nestled between Sydney and Canberra is a hidden gem of a waterfall. Forty Foot Falls is a stone’s throw from the Hume Freeway however you wouldn’t comprehend it. On a tip from a fellow Explorer, I sought out this waterfall close to the small city of Mittagong.
The path to the falls veers off the Boxvale Tramway Path – named for the tramway that used to run by the realm. The tramway turned operational in 1888 to haul coal extracted from the Nattai River Gorge to the Nice Southern Railway. At its peak, the mine produced 100 tonnes of coal a day.
Make your means by the tramway tunnel
Coal extraction completed within the space in 1896 and the bush grew again over the railway, earlier than bushfires destroyed the railway trestle bridges. The Boxvale Tramway Monitor was opened in 1986, following the road of the previous tramway monitor.
The 12km return hike to the falls takes you thru rock cuttings constructed for the coal transporting tramway. It’s largely flat till the final part the place you go down a sequence of steps and a ladder constructed into the rock, that’s once you’ll see the falls – all 40 ft!
You may stroll across the again of the falls and stand beneath them, and there’s additionally a lookout above the falls. If you happen to don’t thoughts a little bit of rock scrambling, you possibly can head additional down the Nattai River to get a view of the falls from the entrance.
From the falls, you possibly can proceed throughout the Nattai River and take the path to Mittagong and Sixty Foot Falls, or return again to the Boxvale Monitor by way of the outdated tramway tunnel – a powerful 84 metre tunnel carved into the rock.
Learn extra: Keep in mind to go away no hint!
FAQs Forty Foot Falls
How lengthy is the hike to Forty Foot Falls?
The hike to the falls is a 12km return journey for those who comply with the Boxvale Tramway Monitor, together with the detour to the falls. The stroll takes about 3 hours, together with stops for photographs and exploring the realm.
Are you able to stroll behind Forty Foot Falls?
Yep, you possibly can stroll behind the cascading water and even stand beneath the falls for a helluva therapeutic massage!
What’s the distinction between Forty Foot Falls and Sixty Foot Falls?
Forty Foot Falls and Sixty Foot Falls are two separate waterfalls close to Mittagong. Forty Foot Falls is accessed by way of the Boxvale Tramway Monitor, whereas Sixty Foot Falls requires an extra hike alongside the Nattai River.
What’s the Boxvale Tramway Tunnel, and may I stroll by it?
The Boxvale Tramway Tunnel is a part of an outdated tramway and it an 84m lengthy tunnel carved into the rock. The tunnel is a part of the Boxvale Tramway Monitor, and also you stroll by it as a part of your journey to the falls. It’s an epic spotlight!
