The spectacular Florence Falls in Litchfeld National Park cascades into a deep swimming hole pool, surrounded by rainforest. A short walk to the viewing platform provides a great view over the multi-tiered and segmented waterfall along Florence Creek, which drops a total of about 30m. The bottom tier is the tallest, with a drop of about 15m.
The Florence River flows year-round, although like all Northern Territory they are most impressive in the Wet Season (November to April). The porous rocks of the tabletop plateau absorb the rain during the Wet Season rains, releasing the water gradually throughout the Dry Season.
The only downside to swimming here is that the pool below the falls is a popular swimming spot – get here early in the morning if you want to swim without the crowds!
Florence Falls bushwalking trails
It’s only about 100m to the Florence Falls viewpoint, and 400m to the pool if you take the most direct route. The Florence Creek Walk crosses the creek, before descending to the water, with some metal steps at the end (there are a total of 140 stairs to reach the waterfall and swimming area).
The longer Shady Creek Walk is a 1.6km loop, which crosses Florence Creek a few times and passes through a rainforest-filled gorge and woodland. It’s a pleasant and mostly shaded walk.
Halfway along the Shady Creek Walk loop is the Tabletop Track Link Walk, one of four tracks that provides access to the 39km Tabletop Track. It’s the shortest of all the access loops, and a nice place to start & finish this multi-day hike.
Getting to Florence Falls
The waterfall and swimming hole is about 85km south of Darwin via the Stuart Highway and the Litchfield Park Road. The roads are all sealed and accessible year-round. During the Dry Season you can also reach the falls via Cox Peninsular Road (50km south of Darwin on the Stuart Highway), which has an 11km unsealed section.
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