Bridal Veil Falls
Bridal Veil Falls
This is one of those walks that’s easy to get to, easy to follow, and surprisingly generous with its views. It’s the kind of trail where you plan to spend an hour and end up staying for three — not because it’s long or difficult, but because you’ll keep finding new places to stop and soak it all in. This is the quietly magical Bridal Veil Falls.
Quick Details
Length: 2.5km
Elevation: Up to 150m
Grade: Easy (But some steep stairs on the way back)
Best season: Year-round
Suitable for kids: Yes (with one optional detour unsuited for kids)
Starting the Trail
Jess and Logan headed to Leura this week for an easy hike around Leura Falls Creek. Originally, they planned to include Leura Cascades in their trip — except when they got there, they found that section of the track closed. Why? Because the woman in the office at Hike Your Story HQ forgot to check the NPWS track alerts before sending them off… (please don’t fire me).
After parking the car just off Cliff Drive, they entered by the Prince Henry Cliff Walk track and made their way first to Echo Tree Lookout. Most lookouts along this section are quite exposed — fenced rock platforms with no shade — but Echo Tree is different. Sheltered beneath tall trees, it’s a spot you can linger in, even on a hot day.
The trail continues along the Prince Henry Cliff Walk, which also forms part of the longer Grand Clifftop Walk between Wentworth Falls and Katoomba. We don’t usually like touristy tracks, but this track is a special exception. We love how a lot of Prince Henry Cliff Walk is so shaded and surrounded by the forest.
Prince Who?
Prince Henry was one of Queen Lizzie Two’s uncles. He came to Australia in 1934 on a state visit, and the track was named in his honour. Imagine travelling halfway around the world in royal finery only to have a bunch of Aussies say, “We’re so happy you’re here — we’ve named this dirt path after you!” To make it even more ironic, Prince Henry spent a fair amount of his childhood in leg splints…
Back to the Trail
The track meanders through the forest over wooden boardwalks and metal staircases. It’s a popular walk, so you’re unlikely to have it to yourself — even on a weekday. But despite the foot traffic, it still feels peaceful. It’s easy to forget that civilisation is just over the hill.
After around 450m of walking, Jess and Logan reached the junction with the Amphitheatre track. Normally, you can head out to Leura Cascades from here, with views over the top of Bridal Veil Falls along the way. On this trip though it was shut — presumably for maintenance and repair.
Amphitheatre Track
This section of the track heads further downhill, where the forest gets denser — and much prettier. It's beautiful year-round and almost impossible to rush — a track that’ll have you taking your time just to take in your surroundings.
If you keep following the Amphitheatre Track, it eventually joins Federal Pass before reconnecting with the Prince Henry Cliff Walk on the far side of Echo Tree Lookout. We love adding this as a detour on the Grand Clifftop Walk. Yes, the detour adds a lot of stairs to the already long walk — a lot of them — but they’re worth it.
Base of Bridal Veil Falls
From higher vantage points, it’s easy to see how the falls got their name — with the water fanning softly over the rock like sheer fabric. Standing at the base though really puts into perspective how large the falls are and allows you to fully appreciate their scale. What you're seeing from the base isn't even the full waterfall.
The base of the falls really is impressive no matter how much water is flowing through the creek. From days when it’s overflowing and barreling over the rock — to sunny, drier spells when the falls are little more than a fine mist in the air.
You’ll have unobstructed views of the falls from the base — but just a little further downstream is a really beautiful section of the creek to view the falls framed by the trees. You may even find a rock with some worn steps carved into it — a relic from long ago slowly worn down by time and countless footsteps.
Leura Infinity Pool
With your back to the falls, continue along the Amphitheatre Track. Soon you’ll spot a metal bridge of sorts leading to a staircase. This is the turn-off to the Leura Infinity Pool. It’s unmarked, and for good reason. The pool is a little tricky to get to, with some rock scrambling involved. There’s also an unfenced cliff edge, so for that reason, there is a risk in visiting and it’s not one for kids.
You’ll see a slightly worn foot track beside the creek and after a short stretch you’ll find a sign posted at the entrance to the pool — warning that entering comes with risk. Also a reminder to not drink the water, and it’s not even a good idea to swim in it — this is where they used to pump sewage.
I Beg Your Pardon, They Pumped What Down Here?
Yep… the pipe is still there, bolted and concreted into the rock. I’m not sure exactly when it was installed, but it was back in the days when molten lead was still used to seal pipe joints. It was operational until the late 1980s, I think. Even though it hasn’t been used in decades, bacteria can still find its way into the water.
Entering the Pool
A fixed rope has been installed to help you down the rock scramble — from there you’ll need to cross the creek. The rock is slippery, so take it slow and stay away from the edge — it’s a long way down. Leura Infinity Pool is one of the most frequent places in the Blue Mountains for rescue operations, so please treat it with respect — we want you to exit by the way you came in, not over the edge of the falls.
The view between the walls looks out to the Jamison Valley, although most of what you can see is the sandstone cliff to your right. We’ve visited before when the view was obscured by mist filling the valley and that truly looked magical.
It’s also incredibly beautiful from the base of the falls. But for now, we’ll leave that hike for another story.
Getting There
Bridal Veil Falls is a short hike from Cliff Drive in Leura. Cliff Drive should appear in your vehicle's navigation system. Currently there’s no parking at the Leura Cascade Picnic area but you should be able to find parking nearby.
Tips and Tricks
Go on a weekday for your best chance to avoid the crowds.
Don’t swim in or drink the water.
Leura Infinity Pool is a frequent site for police rescue operations. If you go there please take all precautions for your safety.
There are a number of tracks here that travel through the forest. If you feel like a longer hike we can definitely recommend wandering through this beautiful forest.
Be sure to check Logan out on Instagram.