Sight · Blue Mountains National Park
A steep waterfall walk where canyoners sometimes abseil.
Overview
Empress Falls is a waterfall in the Valley of the Waters, reached on walking tracks below Conservation Hut. The outing pairs a close view of the cascade with a steep descent and climb back. Allow about 1.8 km return from the hut, and choose it if you are comfortable with a stair-heavy walk rather than looking for a quick roadside stop.
Parkwolf’s verdictA waterfall worth the stairsMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Blue Mountains Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Blue Mountains National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Blue Mountains audio tourRecorded for this place
Conservation Hut and the Valley of the Waters“You're coming up on Conservation Hut, a café above the Valley of the Waters. Stop for breakfast or lunch with a view toward Mount Solitary; the menu includes French-toast croissants and fish tacos.”
Plays as you drive up to Empress Falls in the Parkwolf Blue Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
The route drops steeply on many steps; the return means climbing back out. If you start at Wentworth Falls picnic area, the 1 km Shortcut connects it with Conservation Hut, adding that approach to the walk. After rain, some sections can become impassable, and cliff edges can be hard to see, so check park alerts and conditions before setting out.
Empress Falls is also a familiar descent for canyoning groups, including guided beginner outings. You may see people abseil the main drop, especially on weekends, though it is not a scheduled show. The waterfall is one of several cascades in the Valley of the Waters, making it a rewarding stop on a longer walk through the valley.
Look for the narrow upper drop, then follow the water over the broad shelves into the pool below. For a photo, keep both the cleft and the stepped lower cascade in frame; a canyoner on the rope, when one is there, gives the drop a sense of scale. Conservation Hut has a cafe for a snack or a cuppa, plus toilets and parking at the trail start.
Wildlife
58 sightingsGrey KangarooMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
43 sightingsWombatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
18 sightingsRed-necked WallabyMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
53 sightingsSwamp WallabyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
23 sightingsBrushtail PossumMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
30 sightingsRing-tailed PossumMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Blue Mountains. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateValley of the Waters Track1.1 km · 45 min · 0.4 km awayA steep, short return to a tiered waterfall in a ferny gorge.
ModerateNature track3.3 km · 2 hr · 0.4 km awayShort Conservation Hut loop through fern gullies, falls and valley views.
EasyInspiration Point walking track2.5 km · 1.5 hr · 1 km awayTwo valley lookouts, with both Wentworth Falls drops in view.
ModerateWentworth Falls track1.4 km · 53 min · 1 km awayShort, steep stairs lead to a 100-metre waterfall and valley views.
ModerateDen Fenella walking track1 km · 54 min · 1 km awayA short stairway into tree-fern rainforest and a creekside cascade.
ModerateRocket Point lookout track2.4 km · 1.3 hr · 1 km awayStepping stones, a steep climb, and a close view of Wentworth Falls.
ChallengingNational Pass5.1 km · 3 hr · 1 km awayA cliffside stairway links sandstone ledges, waterfalls, and valley views.
EasyPrinces Rock walking track0.8 km · 45 min · 1.1 km awayA short stepped walk reaches a historic lookout over Wentworth Falls.
Sight · At the trailheadSylvia FallsA stepped rainforest cascade just beyond Empress Falls.
Restaurant · 0.3 km awayConservation HutA proper café stop above the Valley of the Waters.
Sight · 0.4 km awayValley of the Waters lookoutA level platform for the Jamison Valley, without the steep descent.
Sight · 0.6 km awayEdinburgh Castle RockA short spur to an open ledge with a modest valley view.
Picnic area · 1.1 km awayWentworth Falls picnic areaA picnic with Jamison Valley views and waterfall walks nearby.
Sight · 1.4 km awayWentworth Falls LookoutSandstone cliffs open onto the Jamison Valley.
Sight · 1.4 km awayPrinces Rock LookoutA close view of Wentworth Falls, reached by a stair-heavy track.
Sight · 1.6 km awayFletchers LookoutA 200-step descent gets you close to Wentworth Falls.Parkwolf’s Blue Mountains ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
