This seemed like the ideal bushwalk for a hot day… walking up Govetts Creek to Edenderry Falls and Hilary Falls, with lots of swimming options along the way. (The only downside being the rather long ascent back up Evans Lookout, which we’d hopefully be doing in the late afternoon when it would be a bit cooler). Although no longer a popular destination, in the early 1900s the Rodriguez Pass track provided easy access to these two waterfalls.
We set-off mid-morning from Evans Lookout, with the temperature already nudging 30 degrees.
From Evans Lookout the route down to the Grose Valley and Govetts Creek initially follows the popular Grand Canyon Track, before veering onto the Horse Track.
Despite some shade along the Horse Track and the fact we are descending, it’s unpleasantly warm as we drop almost 500m in elevation to the bottom of Govetts Gorge.
It’s a relief to finally reach Govetts Creek, which has a nice flow of water.
Up Govetts Creek to Hilary Falls
From the bottom of the Horse Track we plan to follow Govetts Creek upstream to Edenderry Falls, and then to Hilary Falls. It’s easy and very pleasant walking – I mostly wade up the creek, which is rarely more than thigh-deep, while Connor prefers to keep his feet dry and takes the trail that follows the creek. (Although no longer shown on most maps, the Rodriguez Pass walking track follows Govetts Creek, before continuing up Greaves Creek.)
Govetts Creek is mostly fairly shallow with frequent small cascades, and the occasional deep swimming hole. You could easily spend all day (or a couple of days if you camp in the valley) exploring the creek.
We reach the junction with Greaves Creek about 700m upstream of the Horse Track; while the Rodriguez Pass walking track leaves Govetts Creek here, an informal track continues along the creek (always on the southern side). Or you can continue wading up the middlle of the creek…
One of the most scenic sections of Govetts Creek – Blackwall Glen – is reached after about a kilometre, when steep cliffs on the northern side of the creek create an almost canyon-like environment.
The water gets fairly deep here, but some relatively easy boulder-hopping gets you through Blackwall Glen (with dry feet)!
Just after the gorge, look for a trail above the creek to avoid some more serious scrambling and deep pools. Edenderry Falls soon comes into view, appearing like a tropical oasis through the trees.
Look for a small cairn that indicates a rough track down to the waterfall and swimming hole.
Edenderry Falls is somewhere you could hang around all day… the small waterfall cascades into a deep pool, which proves irresistible for a swim on hot afternoon.
From here a rough track continues above above Govetts Creek.
Just above Edenderry Falls is another small cascade, which drops into a shallow pool.
The rough track provides a view of more cascades, as Govetts Creek plunges steeply over a series of cliffs and large boulders.
Our last stop for today is Hilary Falls, which is an even more picturesque waterfall than Edenderry Falls – but doesn’t have a swimming hole.
From Hilary Falls you could continue further upstream past more waterfalls, before reaching Arethusa Falls and Arethusa Canyon about a kilometre further upstream – but this is as far as we’d planned to go today. We re-trace our steps back down Govetts Creek, this time following the trail which makes for slightly faster progress than walking up (or down) the middle of the creek.
A side-trip up to Rodriguez Pass
The Rodriguez Pass walking track would provide an alternate (and more scenic) route back up to the Grand Canyon and Evans Lookout – but it’s closed and NPWS advises that there is no exit from the Grose Valley this way. This is completely incorrect, but we don’t know this at the time… so we plan to explore the lower section of the track before returning the same way. After a bit of bush-bashing we find the Rodriguez Pass walking track, which is very obvious.
The only time we briefly lose the track is where it crosses Greaves Creek.
Although we haven’t seen a single person all day, enough bushwalkers must still use the Rodriguez Pass walking track for it not to have been reclaimed by nature. The occasional tree has fallen across the track, but it’s otherwise in perfect shape and much of the original stonework is intact.
We reach a beautiful (unnamed) waterfall about one kilometre up Greaves Creek – from here the Rodriguez Pass walking track starts to ascend much more steeply. As we don’t know if we can get all the way through to the Grand Canyon track, we re-trace our steps from here.
It’s a very pleasant walk back down the track.
Once we reach Govetts Creek again, we continue along the Rodriguez Pass walking track (rather than walking in the water), which follows the creek all the way back to the junction with the Horse Track.
Exit via the Horse Track
The Horse Track is an historic pass and track from Evans Lookout to Govetts Creek; it was upgraded in 2023 as an alternate to the Rodriguez Pass walking track. It’s not the most exciting way in (or out) of the Grose Valley – but at least by late afternoon it’s cooled down a little for our ascent.
There’s not many views or spectacular scenery along the Horse Track, although near the top there’s a glimpse of the cliffs on the other side of the Grose Valley.
We’re soon back at Evans Lookout; a return trip is needed to explore whether it’s possible to get all the way up the Rodriguez Pass walking track to the top of the escarpment (you can!). It’s a been a very pleasant bushwalk along both Govetts Creek and Greaves Creek, and a perfect walk for a hot day with plenty of places to enjoy a swim.
Getting to Edenderry Falls and Hilary Falls
Unless you abseil down Arethusa Falls, the only way to get to Edenderry Falls and Hilary Falls is by walking up Govetts Creek. You can descend via the steep but very scenic Rodriguez Pass walking track or the Horse Track, both of which start at Evans Lookout in Blackheath. Or if you’re camping at Acacia Flat, it would make a nice half-day trip from the campground.
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