Katoomba Falls in flood
Among the grandest of waterfalls in the Blue Mountains, Katoomba Falls’ position on the edge of suburbia only heightens the sense of wonder. Despite rugged terrain, dramatic drops, and dense rainforest, the falls are very accessible via well-constructed tracks—though you’ll need to be prepared for a lot of stairs.
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Date walked: August 2025
Kilometres: 6.8 km
Elevation gain: 454 m (that’s 951 stairs ! )
Grade: 3 (Well formed paths, many stairs and high elevation)
Total Time: 4:05 hrs
Location: Blue Mountains National Park
Cameras: Canon EOS 5D Mark II and iPhone 16
We visit on a wet winter day following a very wet week, and the waterfalls of the Blue Mountains are flowing strongly. Conditions like these transform the landscape, turning creeks into torrents and the falls into something far more powerful than usual.
It is a day of glistening leaves and ferns, towering cliffs, overflowing streams, and drifting mist. By early afternoon, we are wet through. The main watercourse is Katoomba Falls, while a secondary stream plunges down Witches Leap and flows through Vera’s Grotto before joining the main falls below.
The descent into the valley follows the well-constructed stairs of the Katoomba Falls Track. Mist hangs thick in the glen, softening the forest and muting sound. Light filters gently through the fog, catching on wet leaves and mossy trunks. On the left, an undercliff overhang rises above the track, adding a strong sense of scale and enclosure.
Witches Leap Falls is said to be named by early European explorers who saw the shape of a witch’s face in the lower section of the cascade. We can’t see it today—perhaps the volume of water is simply too great.
From near the top of Furber Stairs — first built in 1908 — the Underfalls Track leads to the falls at mid-level. When the wind shifts, spray blasts directly onto the narrow platform with such force that we instinctively grip the rail. Standing here, next to sheer cliffs and a surging wall of water is both exhilarating and humbling.
Katoomba Falls in full flight viewed from Queen Victoria Lookout at the top of Furber Stairs.
A quick break in the clouds provides glimpses of Mount Solitary on the other side of the Jamison Valley. We double back to Queen Victoria Lookout at the top of Furber Stairs to see the full falls.
Back at Furber Stairs, the descent continues into the mist-hidden Jamison Valley. We take a side trip to the sheltered beauty of Vera’s Grotto. The stream here, which flowed over Witches Leap above, slips quietly across the rocks before joining Katoomba Falls just downstream.
At the base of Furber Stairs, the track meets the Federal Pass. Turning right would quickly lead to the Scenic Railway. Turning left, the track continues east towards the base of the lower falls.
We leave the main path and scramble over boulders above flooded cascades to reach the base of the second, larger drop.
The falls are at their most wild at this point—thrilling, but also unsettling. We feel small and insignificant up close to such power. When a strong wind gust suddenly shifts the great volume of falling spray, water crashes down in a shifted location. It surges down toward us from the other side, and the ground floods well above our ankles. Fortunately there are enough trees and boulders that provide us solid and safe anchor and we remain safely on our feet. Nonetheless, we retreat quickly to higher ground.
After exploring all nooks and crannies, we are now later than planned — soaked from the rain, but still moving. We are soaked from the rain, but powering up the 951 Furber Stairs keeps us warm despite the wet and cold. We soon emerge once again into the streets of suburbia and, for our reward, we seek a certain Katoomba place of culture in the mountains.
Trace and elevation profile created by Sandstone Symphony in the AllTrails app.