Horseshoe Falls to Burgess Falls
Horseshoe Falls to Burgess Falls
There’s something about standing behind a waterfall — looking out at the world through a veil of water droplets catching in the sunlight makes everything look just a tiny bit magical. On this track, you get to experience that again and again. From Fairy Falls to Horseshoe Falls, Glow Worm Nook Falls, Oaklands Falls and Burgess Falls, there’s a little waterfall magic everywhere you look on this one.
Quick Details
Total Length: 3km
Elevation: 90m
Grade: Easy to Moderate
Best season: After rain or a warm summer night
Suitable for kids: Yes
Starting the Trail
The little adventurers were back with us this week and we’ve all been up since before dawn to catch the sunrise. After such an early start to the day we settled on an easy waterfall track — short enough that we could hopefully get through before the boys got too tired. So after a fantastic breakfast at Cafe Lurline in Katoomba, we headed off to Hazelbrook.
The Burgess Falls Walking Track starts right from the road and the boys were given the task of leading the hike. The trail is fairly obvious so it was a good one to build some confidence on — with a little guiding direction at the junctions on which way to go.
We crossed a small creek on stepping stones, the water level was low but the sound of water happily tumbling downstream filled the air. It wasn’t long before we made a short detour to the creek again to a small cascade
Just in front of the cascade were these pools in the creek bed. “Who dug those holes in the creek?” the boys asked. We tried to explain that no one dug them, that they formed naturally over a long time as water slowly eroded the rock, but they’ve been up since five… It wasn’t the best moment for a science lesson.
Fairy Falls
One of the great things about this track is that all of the waterfalls are so close together in such a short space. It wasn’t long at all before we reached the first proper waterfall of our day — Fairy Falls.
Just a short scramble from the main track and tucked away in a shady pocket of the forest, water gently cascaded down over the dark, smooth rock face. It’s not the kind of waterfall that stuns you with how beautiful or impressive it looks. But it’s the kind of place where you could just sit and relax in the shade for an afternoon, listening to the sounds of running water.
A small track to your left, as you’re looking up at the falls, will lead you to the space behind the falling water on the top tier. We went up there with the boys to check it out and we found this great little cave hidden up there.
You might need to crouch down a bit to avoid banging your head on the ceiling, but it’s still worth going up to take a look. There’s just always something special about being behind a waterfall.
Horseshoe Falls
We continued through the forest heading downstream. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day with perfect weather for a slow and easy wander through the bush.
Soon enough we came to Horseshoe Falls — a large overhang curves around a small sandy glen like a natural amphitheatre. No scrambling or crawling was required this time to walk behind the falls, the overhang was so high you can just walk normally.
On some maps you might see Horseshoe Falls listed as “Lyrebird Falls”. For a brief period in the 1970s the waterfall was officially renamed Lyrebird Falls, but the change never really caught on. The curved sandstone overhang behind the water makes the name Horseshoe Falls feel far more fitting, so it’s the name that stuck.
The sandstone wall is covered in hanging ferns and grasses — the water plunging down to a small pool at the base. It would be great to see it after heavy rain. It’s also a great place to see glow worms — that deep, dark overhang makes an ideal habitat for them.
We found a fallen tree covered in large white fungi — we’re pretty sure they’re Ghost Mushrooms — the kind that glow in the dark. But we're not certain either way. We left the falls and mushrooms behind on an old stone staircase that led up the hill towards Glow Worm Nook Falls.
Glow Worm Nook Falls
The hill was steep, but thankfully not long, curving through the bush, the boys still leading the way. You can reach three different sections of these falls — lower, middle, and upper. You reach the middle falls first, and that’s pretty much just off the track. Getting to the lower falls is a bit of a scramble down the hill.
The lower falls has another overhang — lower than Horseshoe Falls and has formations almost like stalactites. It’s just a little waterfall, but it’s definitely worth visiting.
The boys led the way back to the track and then up, up, up the hill and a worn staircase carved into the rock to reach the upper falls. The boys reminded us that they have red torches, so they’re ready for a glow worm hunt. We reminded the boys that they’ve been up since before dawn and will likely be asleep before it gets dark — but maybe we can come back another time to look for them.
Back to the Trail
We headed back down the trail towards Horseshoe Falls and then to the main trail. Maybe we shouldn't have reminded the boys about how early they were up that morning, because they both suddenly got a case of the “tireds”. Dragging their feet, asking how much longer until we were done.
We came prepared for this though… stuffed into my backpack was a bag of lollies to keep them motivated. So there I was leading them up the trail like the witch in Hansel and Gretel — only instead of breadcrumbs it was a trail of lollies. And instead of leading them to an oven, I was leading them to a waterfall. I don’t even have time to roast a chicken these days, let alone an entire child.
The next waterfall on the trail is Lena Falls. Only there doesn’t seem to be a way down there. A small sidetrack takes you close enough to the creek to hear it, and to just catch a glimpse of the water falling over the edge — but the gully is steep on all sides so if there is a way down there, it’s not obvious and we didn’t bother with it.
Oaklands Falls
It was kind of surprising to see that most of the waterfalls on this trail are all quite similar, with the deep overhangs behind the waterfalls. Oaklands was very similar to Horseshoe Falls while still being really pretty in its own right.
Ferns hang down the sandstone wall, moss covers every boulder, and the whole place feels tucked away from the outside world. It’s another good reminder that this trail isn’t about one big dramatic waterfall — it’s just about enjoying the peace and quiet that comes from an afternoon wandering through the bush to the soundtrack of running water.
Burgess Falls
We made our way downstream for the last time to Burgess Falls — which actually turned out to be one of our favourites on the trail. There was no overhang on this one. Instead the water plunged down a wall covered in ferns and moss, with trees all around.
The trail from here does a bit of a loop back to Oaklands Falls before rejoining the main track and back to the car. The side of the loop next to the creek is really pretty and worth walking. For such a short track, you really get to see a lot of waterfalls. We also found it to be a really peaceful track without many other people being on the trail.
Getting There
Horseshoe Falls and the Burgess Falls Walking Track can be found in Hazelbrook. There’s a small car park off Oaklands Road, where it joins Hall Parade. There are a few other entry points to different parts of the trail. We chose the one we did because we weren’t sure if there would be parking at the other entry points.
Tips and Tricks
The trail is mostly obvious and there are signs at most of the junctions — but not all of them. As a general rule, stick to the trail that follows closely to the creek and you should be fine, but take an offline map if you’re worried about losing your way.
As this track sits outside of the National Park, this trail is dog friendly.
Most of the waterfalls on this track would be a great place to see glow worms — the best time of the year to see them is during the summer.
