Cascades and swimming holes along the Davies Creek Falls circuit track

Summary: A short loop walk in the Dinden National Park (an hour from Cairns), the Davies Creek Falls circuit track combines great views, a waterfall and many idyllic swimming holes.

Trailhead: Parking area on Davies Creek Road
Distance: 1.1km
Duration: <1 hour
Grade: Easy
50m total ascent
Route type: Loop
Best season/s: All year
Topographic map/s: QTopo 8063-441 (1:10K) - Download
Online map: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/australia/queensland/davies-creek-falls
No Dogs
No mountain bikes

Located about an hour’s drive from Cairns, I’m visiting Davies Creek on a full-day “waterfall loop” driving trip around the south of Cairns. It’s my first stop of the day, so it’s still fairly cool and fairly quiet as I reach the start of the marked Davies Creek Falls circuit track.

The sandy trail descends gently for a couple of hundred metres towards the first of two lookouts, through tall eucalpyt forest and past tall grass trees.

AWAT8341 LR Cascades and swimming holes along the Davies Creek Falls circuit track

AWAT8342 LR Cascades and swimming holes along the Davies Creek Falls circuit track

The first (fenced) lookout offers expansive views back along the valley and out to the north-west. (You also get the first glimpse of Davies Creek Falls from here.)

A short distance further takes you to the second lookout (also fenced), from where there is a nice view of the top of Davies Creek Falls, as it cascades over a series of granite rocks.

Continuing along the track takes you above the waterfall. Leaving the track and scrambling over boulders brings you to numerous smaller cascades, waterholes and a spectacular “infinity pool” where you can swim in a deep natural pool at the edge of the cliff.

It’s all uphill from here, on the longer return section of the loop bushwalk (you can also return the same way if you just want to visit the waterfall).

AWAT8373 LR Cascades and swimming holes along the Davies Creek Falls circuit track

AWAT8376 LR Cascades and swimming holes along the Davies Creek Falls circuit track

The Davies Creek Falls circuit track follows the creek upstream , past a large waterhole.

AWAT8378 LR Cascades and swimming holes along the Davies Creek Falls circuit track

AWAT8379 LR Cascades and swimming holes along the Davies Creek Falls circuit track

About 500m from the top of the waterall is the Davies Creek Picnic Area, which is next to a sandy beach on the creek. It’s the perfect spot for a swim with young kids…

…and there’s also a deeper section here too for a swim.

From the Picnic Area, the Davies Creek Falls circuit track climbs back up to the carpark, to complete the short loop.

AWAT8390 LR Cascades and swimming holes along the Davies Creek Falls circuit track

AWAT8392 LR Cascades and swimming holes along the Davies Creek Falls circuit track

Getting to the Davies Creek Falls circuit track

The walking track is accessed via the mostly unsealed Davies Creek Road, which is 8.3km (15min) from the Kennedy Highway, and about an hour from Cairns. (Davies Creek Road is suitable for 2WD vehicles.) The signposted trail has a small parking area.