While not the easiest waterfall to reach, Nayook Falls is a spectacular waterfall in Wollemi National Park that drops into a deep swimming hole. The pool is in the shade for most of the day and the water is cold so it’s probably not somewhere you’d want to stay all day, but it’s hard to resist a swim in the turquoise water!
The waterfall itself is not huge – you can jump into the water from the top – but what make this location so spectacular are the steep canyon walls that surround the waterfall. There’s also a sandy platform that makes it easy to get into the water.
Below Nayook Falls is another equally picturesque (unnamed) pool which has a small cascade at one end; it’s an alternate spot for a swim and is a little easier to reach.
Getting to Nayook Falls
The waterfall itself is a great spot for a swim if you’re camping at the Deep Pass campground, but it’s more commonly visited at the start or end of the Deep Pass Canyon loop.
The easiest access to Nayook Falls is from the Deep Pass North trailhead (-33.340198, 150.300012). Turn off the Bells Line of Road near Clarence (next to the Zig Zag Railway) onto Old Bells Line of Road. After about 9km turn right onto Glow Worm Tunnel Road and follow this for just over 11km to the junction with Eastern Boundary Road. After 600m turn left to reach the Deep Pass North trailhead. From here follow the firetrail towards Deep Pass campground, which turns into a walking track.
Just before the campground, the track crosses Nayook Creek – follow the rough track upstream which passes a few overhangs before reaching the lower pool.
From the lower pool, a fixed rope helps with the short climb up to Nayook Falls – you can see the rope hanging on the rock just above the lower cascade. It looks trickier than it is…
You can also get to Nayook Falls from the Deep Pass South parking area (-33.347420, 150.306840), which you reach by continuing along Eastern Boundary Road, past the turn-off for the Deep Pass North to the end of the firetrail. From here it’s a slightly longer walk that takes you down a steep gully to the Deep Pass campground. Nayook Creek and the start of the track into the Deep Pass Canyon is less than a hundred metres from the campground.
It’s about three hours from Sydney to Deep Pass via the Bells Line of Road. Once you leave Bells Line of Road the route is all unsealed and there is a maze of trails through this area – so take a topo map or have an off-line map on your phone. Both trailheads should be accessible by 2WD vehicles, although the road condition can vary depending on when the trail was graded.
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