The Best Waterfalls Near Hobart: Easy Day Trips from the City

Credit: Lee Henley, Discover Tasmania

Stand on Hobart's waterfront and look west, and you'll see Kunanyi / Mount Wellington rising behind the city. What you can't see from down here is what's hiding on its slopes: a whole collection of waterfalls tucked into rainforest gullies, some barely ten minutes' drive from Grand Chancellor Hobart.

Waterfalls are one of the questions our concierge team gets asked about most, and guests are often surprised by the answer. You don't need a big itinerary or serious hiking boots for the best waterfalls near Hobart. Most sit at the end of short, gentle tracks that suit everyone from toddlers to grandparents, and you can be back at the hotel in time for a swim in the pool and dinner downstairs.

Why Hobart Is the Perfect Base for Chasing Waterfalls

Not many capital cities have a 1,271-metre mountain on their doorstep. Kunanyi catches rain and clouds all year round, feeding creeks that tumble down through fern gullies on their way to the Derwent, which is why so many falls sit within a 20-minute drive of the city centre.

Staying on the waterfront makes the whole thing easy. You can tick off a waterfall before breakfast, spend the afternoon at Salamanca, and still have energy for a full-day trip to Mount Field tomorrow. Book one of our city-side rooms and you'll even have Kunanyi framed in your window, so you can size up tomorrow's adventure from bed.

Myrtle Gully Falls (Secret Falls) – 10 Minutes from the City

• Drive from the hotel: about 10 minutes (South Hobart)
• Walk: roughly 45 minutes return, easy with a gentle uphill.

Locals call this one Secret Falls, and it earns the name. The track starts from Old Farm Road in South Hobart, not far from the Cascade Brewery, and within a couple of minutes the suburbs vanish. Suddenly you're walking beside Guy Fawkes Rivulet under myrtles and man ferns, and the only sounds are birdsong and running water.

The falls are modest in height but lovely, spilling into a mossy green grotto that photographers adore, especially after rain. There are no facilities at the trailhead, so fill your water bottle before leaving the hotel. Plenty of our guests do this walk first thing, then reward themselves with a late buffet breakfast at Tasman Restaurant when they get back.

Strickland Falls – A Rainforest Escape in South Hobart

• Drive from the hotel: about 10 minutes (South Hobart)
• Walk: around 20 minutes return, easy.

If you're wondering what the closest waterfall to Hobart is, this is it. Strickland Falls sits just off Strickland Avenue in South Hobart, a short stroll from the roadside, which makes it perfect if you're short on time or travelling with little legs.

It also answers another question we hear at the desk all the time: are there any swimmable waterfalls near Hobart? Strickland is the local favourite for a dip. The pool at its base draws swimmers all year round, though fair warning, this is mountain water and it's bracingly cold even in January. Guests tend to come back grinning and shivering in equal measure. Roadside parking is limited to a handful of spots, so go early on weekends.

O'Grady Falls – An Easy Stroll on kunanyi / Mount Wellington

• Drive from the hotel: about 15 minutes
• Walk: around 30–40 minutes return, easy.

O'Grady Falls is the one we recommend to first-time bushwalkers. The track leaves from the Bracken Lane car park on the lower slopes of kunanyi and follows a wide, well-formed path through peppermint forest to a pretty cascade, best viewed from the little bridge that crosses the rivulet directly in front of it. Nothing steep, nothing tricky.

If you've got time, drive further up the mountain afterwards. The lookouts near the summit put the whole Derwent estuary at your feet, and on a clear day you can pick out the hotel sitting right on the water.

Silver Falls – A Peaceful Walk from Fern Tree

• Drive from the hotel: about 20 minutes
• Walk: around 1.4 km return, easy and pram-friendly.

Silver Falls might be the easiest waterfall walk in southern Tasmania. From Fern Tree Park, a flat, wide stretch of the historic Pipeline Track leads gently through the forest to a tall, elegant cascade framed by tree ferns. Prams and unsteady knees are both perfectly at home here, which makes it a favourite for families and multigenerational groups.

Fern Tree Park has picnic shelters, barbecues and toilets, so it's easy to make a morning of it. Pack a thermos and keep an ear out for black cockatoos.

Mount Field National Park – A Full-Day Waterfall Adventure

• Drive from the hotel: about 70 minutes (73 km) via New Norfolk
• Walks: from 25 minutes return up to a 2.5-hour circuit.

When you're ready for a proper day trip, head north-west to Mount Field National Park, one of Tasmania's oldest national parks and home to three beautiful waterfalls linked by well-kept tracks. You'll need a Tasmanian Parks Pass, which you can buy online or at the visitor centre, and the centre itself has a café, toilets and picnic areas, so the logistics look after themselves.

Our tip: come down for an early breakfast at Tasman before you go. A day of waterfall walking on a properly cooked breakfast beats a muesli bar in the car every time. For the full picture of the park, our Day Trips from Hobart: Mount Field National Park guide covers it in detail.

Russell Falls

Ask ten Tasmanians to name the best waterfall in the state and you'll start a friendly argument, but Russell Falls tops more lists than any other. It's the most photographed waterfall in Tasmania, a tiered curtain of water framed by rainforest, and it's been drawing visitors since 1885, when it became the state's very first nature reserve.

Is it worth visiting? Absolutely. The track is wide, flat and suitable for wheelchairs and prams, about 25 minutes return from the visitor centre. Very few waterfalls this spectacular are this easy to reach. Stick around until dusk and you might even spot glow-worms near the falls.

Horseshoe Falls

Keep going past Russell Falls and a series of steps climbs to Horseshoe Falls, a smaller, curved cascade that plenty of visitors quietly prefer. It adds around 30 minutes to your walk, and the climb is short and steady rather than strenuous.

Lady Barron Falls

Got more in the tank? The Three Falls Circuit links Russell, Horseshoe and Lady Barron Falls in a loop of about six kilometres, around two to two and a half hours at an easy pace. The stretch through the towering swamp gums, among the tallest flowering plants in the world, is a highlight all on its own.

When to Visit – The Best Time of Year for Waterfalls

Waterfalls run on rain, so they're at their thundering best in winter and spring when the flows are strongest and the moss is at its greenest. Don't write off the rest of the year though. Summer brings gentler flows but warmer walking weather, and autumn adds the golden turn of the fagus, Tasmania's native deciduous beech, to a Mount Field trip.

A good rule of thumb: if it rained yesterday, go today. It's worth checking our current offers before you book too, because winter and spring, peak waterfall season, are often when the best packages come around.

Getting There – Transport Tips for Waterfall Day Trips

A hire car is the simplest way to reach the falls, and every trailhead in this guide is an easy, well-signed drive from the hotel. For the kunanyi falls, head out through South Hobart; for Mount Field, follow the Lyell Highway to New Norfolk, then the signs to the park. Trailhead parking is free, though spots at Strickland Falls and Fern Tree fill up on sunny weekends.

The handy part of staying with us is that your car lives in our undercover car park right downstairs, with self-parking and valet options, so you can load up and go without hunting for street parking. No car? Drop by the concierge desk and our team will sort out car hire, directions and honest advice on how long each trip really takes.

As for packing: layers even in summer, sturdy shoes with grip (tracks near waterfalls are damp by nature), a rain jacket and the camera. Tasmanian weather likes to keep you guessing.

Where to Eat – Great Food Stops Along the Way

Part of the fun of a Tasmanian day trip is eating your way through it. Heading to Mount Field, New Norfolk makes a natural stop, with riverside cafés and some seriously good paddock-to-plate dining for a special occasion. Closer to the park, the Waterfalls Café at the visitor centre does a solid coffee and lunch right beside the Russell Falls track. On the kunanyi side, Fern Tree has a welcoming tavern near the Silver Falls trailhead.

Then there's the meal you don't have to drive anywhere for. Back at the hotel, Tasman Restaurant keeps things simple and does Tasmanian produce properly: local seafood, free-range meats and char-grilled steaks with a list of cool climate wines. After a big day of walking, it's hard to beat. Back mid-afternoon instead? The Atrium in the lobby pours barista coffee, local wines and beers, and serves a very popular afternoon tea daily from 11:30 am, all overlooking the waterfront. Scones after waterfalls is a combination our team can personally vouch for.

Rest Up After Your Adventure at Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart

There's a particular kind of tired you earn from a day of waterfall chasing, and it deserves a soft landing. Our 10th-floor heated indoor pool and sauna look out over the city through floor-to-ceiling windows, open from 5 am to 10 pm, so there's always time for a soak before dinner.

Ready to start chasing waterfalls? Book direct with Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart for our best rates and flexible reservations, and make the waterfront your base for Tasmania's easiest and most beautiful day trips.