The Terrace Falls Reserve in Hazebrook was dedicated on 21 December 1897 with 477 acres, five years after the first bushwalking track was constructed. A complex network of tracks was developed over more than 45 years, and in 1941 the trustees (the Sights Committee) successfully applied to the Lands Dept to have another 300 acres added to the reserve. As a result, the area has a local historical significance.
There are a few different ways to access the Terrace Falls Reserve: I’m combining this bushwalk with the South Lawson Waterfall Circuit, by taking the South Lawson Firetrail from just above Cataract Falls which connects to the Terrace Falls Link Firetrail.
It’s the least interesting part of my bushwalk, but it doesn’t take too long until the Terrace Falls Link FIretrail drops down to a ford across Terrace Falls Creek. While the firetrail continues across the creek, I turn left and follow the creek downstream along a bushwalking trail.
The trail soon passes two small cascades, which are near the top of Victor Falls.
To reach the base of the falls the track descends steeply, including one short scramble which is the trickiest part of the entire Terrace Falls bushwalk. As the bushwalking track reaches the bottom of the gully, a signposted side-track makes a very short detour to the firest waterfall on this second loop of my Lawson to Hazelbrook walk.
Victor Falls is a nice but hardly spectacular waterfall on its own, but it drops into a sandy pool that’s surrounded by ferns, making a very picturesque scene.
From Victor Falls, the trail continues along Terrace Falls Creek through a dense carpet of ferns in a semi-rainforest environment.
The trail is generally pretty distinct, although at one point it crosses the creek just below a small cascade which is not immediately obvious.
After the creek crossing, the track ascends briefly above the creek, before dropping back down to the next waterfall.
This is a spectacular waterfall in a beautiful grotto setting: Terrace Falls cascades over eight tiers, before flowing across a shallow pool and down a narrow chute.
From Terrace Falls, the trail continues downstream towards Bedford Pool and Willawong Pool, gradually ascending above the creek to reach the base of a large rock overhang. I lose the track again here, and almost turn back – before figuring out that my map is wrong. The trail crosses the creek near the pool that I can see below me (I’ve been using AllTrails which is incorrect, while the 1:25K topographic map correctly depicts the trail.)
I work my way carefully back down to the bottom of the valley, crossing Terrace Falls Creek just below a small cascade that drops into Salote Pool. The pool gets its name from the name of the Haberfield home of Mrs Walker, the sister of Roland Newtown who was one of the original Trustees of the park.
The trail – now obvious again – remains a short distance above the creek as it passes under tall rainforest trees and passes moss-covered rocks and ferns. Soon, another waterfall comes into view.
The trail drops down to the creek again, and crosses it in front of the beautiful Little Terrace Falls.
It’s still very pleasant walking through rainforest, and past another deep pool along Terrace Falls Creek.
After reaching a signposted junction, I take the track towards Willawong Pool, which is a small detour off the loop. The track passes under some tall overhangs, and involves some easy scrambling around a small rockfall.
I’m soon at Willawong Pool: it’s a very tranquil and beautiful spot with a sandy beach on both sides, at the confluence of Lawson Creek and Bedford Creek. I’d like to stay here longer – but it’s starting to get late in the day. This would be a great spot to come back to on a warmer day.
I explore the area briefly – in what would have been a small clearing, are the rusting remains of a shelter shed. Lawson Creek which flows into the far end of the pool, is like an explosion of green with ferns, mossy rocks and the rainforest trees above all blending into each other. (It would be possible, although there’s no track, to follow Lawson Creek upstream past Leslie Falls to join up with the walking trails of South Lawson Park.)
I head back initially the same way, following Bedford Creek all the way to Bedford Pool.
Bedford Pool is another picturesque swimming hole, with a large flat rock above the water where the track reaches the pool, or cross the creek to reach a sandy beach. (I don’t have time to continue another 200m to Lester Pool.)
After a short break, it’s time to start climbing back up to the ridge… the track ascends consisently from Bedford Pool out of the valley, with a number of old stone steps.
There’s one more, short detour to the last waterfall on the Terrace Falls Loop.
Just off the main track is Pyramid Falls, a small waterfall along an unnamed creek (which flows into Bedford Pool).
The track continues to climb, as the vegetation gradually changes from warm temperate rainforest to an open forest ecosystem, featuring the Blue Mountain Ash, and two enormous Monkey Gum trees.
The bushwalking track soon emerges at Carpark 1 on the Terrace Falls Firetrail – although the firetrail is now closed to vehicles.
The walk up the firetrail is quite pleasant and is my exit route to Hazelbrook Station.
I’ve got one last detour up to the only lookout in Terrace Falls Reserve. I take a bushwalking track (which is not signposted) up to Adams Lookout, and a different bushwalking track back down to the firetrail. It’s not really worth the effort.
It’s then back along the firetrail (passing one last sandy pool), up to the locked gate, and then along Terrace Falls Road to finish the walk at Hazelbrook Station.
The loop through Terrace Falls Reserve is about 5km if you leave your car near the start of the firetrail, or 8km from Hazelbrook Station. By combining this bushwalk with the South Lawson Waterfall Circuit, you end up with a 13.5km one-way walk that starts near Lawson Station, and finishes at Hazelbrook Station.
Getting to Terrace Falls Reserve
Access to the reserve was originally from Terrace Falls Road, until in 1946 a vehicle access road to Terrace Falls Reserve from the end of Valley Road was constructed. Recently, the Terrace Falls Firetrail was closed to vehicles, as part of the Reserve’s management plan: “Continue road revegetation programme to allow poorly designed roads to revert to walking tracks”. There are three access points to the bushwalking trails in the reserve:
- Terrace Falls Road – the most popular starting point, the locked gate at the end of the road is a 1.5km walk from Hazelbrook Station
- Valley Road – accesses the southern end of the Terrace Falls Firetrail, and the closest access to the Willawong Pool and Bedford Pool
- Lake Road – a short walk to Adams Lookout; from here you can also descend via a bushwalking track to the Terrace Falls Firetrail.
More information
- Blue Mountains Heritage Register – Terrace Falls Reserve
- Pocket Pal (Keith Painter) – Terrace Falls [soft-cover book]
- Hazelbrook Sites Committee – Tourism Map of Hazelbrook and Lawson [JPG]
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