The best waterfalls in Victoria

Trentham Falls is located in the Hepburn Shire, near Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, and has the distinct honour of being one of the longest single drop waterfalls in Victoria. Head in after a good downpour and you’ll see water gushing some 32 metres over 40,000-year-old basalt cliffs. The falls are also very easy to get to. Follow signs to the Trentham Falls car park, then it’s just a short walk down a signposted path towards the viewing area.

There’s nothing quite like the walk towards Mackenzie Falls. Found smack bang in the middle of the dry and craggy Grampians National Park, Mackenzie Falls is a gorgeous surprise. You’ll hear the falls before you actually see them as you descend down the steep yet well-marked path. Eventually, you’ll set eyes on the cascade, which thunders over a vertical slab of rock into a deep pool of fresh water.

Probably one of the most accessible waterfalls on this list can be found near Marysville. Steavenson Falls is one of the state’s tallest waterfalls, dropping a total of 84 metres into the Steavenson River valley. Visitors can walk the short 350 metres towards the viewing platform under the falls, where you can see a usually consistently strong flow cascading over tiered rock platforms. If you’re up for it, there’s a steep track that leads up to the top of the falls and gives a great view of the nearby mountain peaks. Continue your walk over towards the Keppell Lookout (13km return) or head to the tree fern gully (8km return). 

Another Otway National Park wonder is Hopetoun Falls, a 30-metre-tall waterfall that plummets into the Aire River. Visitors can descend via a well-maintained set of stairs that lead to a viewing platform that’s within spitting distance of the foot of the falls. And when we say spitting distance, we mean it. Prepare to get wet. The walk is a one-kilometre return trip, which should only take about 30 minutes.

Wannon Falls is classified as a punchbowl waterfall, meaning water descends in a single 30-metre-tall flow into a big “punchbowl”-looking pool. It’s located just west of Hamilton, in western Victoria. The waterfall is fed by the Wannon River, and you’ll learn a lot about the local flora, fauna and Koori history while there. While in the area, we suggest visiting the local Nigretta Falls as well.

Up north towards Beechworth is where you’ll find Woolshed Falls, in the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park. Woolshed is only a ten-minute drive from Beechworth, and it’s in this area where thousands of miners lived during the height of the Gold Rush in the 1850s. The falls themselves are a short walk from the car park, and you’ll be able to see water gush over weathered rocks into waiting rock pools below. The water can be especially gushy after a heavy rain, but be careful on the rocks as they will be slippery.

Note: At the time of writing, Beauchamp Falls is closed due to upgrade works. Check with Parks Victoria for up-to-date information.

Descending towards Beauchamp Falls can feel a little like you’re falling deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. The good news is the reward is one of Victoria’s best-hidden waterfalls. Take the marked path through mountain ash forests, down a constructed staircase and over a few rocks and you’ll reach this awe-inspiring 20-metre tall cascade. The rocks will be slippery when wet, and keep in mind the walk back is a little steep, so take your time.

There are three very good reasons you should visit Fish Falls in the Grampians. One: the falls themselves, which cascade about 60 metres over several terraced rocks and collect in a gorgeous black pool down below. Two: the walk is just challenging enough to make a day of it. It’s a 4.6-kilometre return walk that starts at the Zumsteims car park and follows the MacKenzie River upstream with pleasant views across deep gullies. And three: it’s a significantly less crowded spot than the neighbouring Mackenzie Falls – score!

Near Euroa in North East Victoria lies Gooram Falls, a thunderously loud waterfall that includes several cascades that fall over rock pools. Park at the nearby car park and it’s only a 400-metre stroll towards the falls, which is the perfect spot for a picnic (or a cheeky dip if the weather’s nice).