Parking
Start at Zumsteins Picnic Area, not the Mackenzie Falls car park. Free parking is available at the picnic area.
Overview
About Mackenzie River Walk
Why go
- Fish Falls and Mackenzie Falls linked by a river journey
- Distinctive water and rock walking
Heads up
- Water crossings and scrambling make the route harder than its distance suggests
- The popular falls precinct can be busy
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Grampians map
Full mapElevation241–437 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
5 active Grampians alerts
- ClosureMackenzie Falls precinct closed during constructionMentions this trailThe Mackenzie Falls (Migunang wirab) Precinct has no vehicle or visitor access during major construction works expected to finish by the end of 2026.Official details
- ClosureBushfire-damaged walks and picnic area remain closedThe Fortress, Red Gum, Billimina, Chimney Pots and Brownings Loop walks, plus Mafeking Picnic Area, remain closed because of track or site damage from the 2024/25 summer bushfires.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Grampians Tour Guide
Your drive to Mackenzie River Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Grampians 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.
Recorded for this trailhead
Zumsteins: Cottages, River and Fish Falls0:00 / 1:05
“You're coming up on Zumsteins, where a short riverside walk takes you through the remains of an old holiday retreat. The historic loop is only about 250 metres, so allow 15 to 30 minutes to wander and read the signs.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Grampians Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Wallaby in the Undergrowth
- A New Way Through the Gorge
- MacKenzie Falls: Choose Your Walk
- The Ducklings That Jump from Trees
- 233 audio storiesacross Grampians’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Short-beaked Echidna, Powerful Owl, Wedge-tailed Eagle, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 81 trails, 62 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Mackenzie River Walk
The routeThis is an out-and-back of 7 km return, meaning 7 km is the total there-and-back distance.
This is an out-and-back of 7 km return, meaning 7 km is the total there-and-back distance. You start at Zumsteins Picnic Area, follow the Mackenzie River upstream past Fish Falls, reach the base of Mackenzie Falls, then retrace the same corridor. Fish Falls alone is about 4 km return if you want a shorter turnaround. Budget 3 to 4 hours for the full walk.
Difficulty and footingTreat this as a hard walk for fit walkers.
Treat this as a hard walk for fit walkers. The mapped corridor is a mix of gravel and concrete sections, bridges and boardwalk, steps and rough rock, and the harder parts involve water crossings, rock hopping and rock scrambling. Ground is uneven and rocks and steps can be slippery, especially near the falls. The profile climbs steadily from roughly 240 m near Zumsteins to about 435 m at the Mackenzie Falls end, with most of the gain in the upper part of the route. Wear shoes with grip that you do not mind getting wet, and expect the return leg to feel slower than a graded track of the same length.
What you seeThe walk moves through young eucalypt forest close to the water, past tranquil waterholes and…
The walk moves through young eucalypt forest close to the water, past tranquil waterholes and below rocky escarpments. The terraced cascades of Fish Falls are the mid-route payoff, and the finish at the base of Mackenzie Falls is the big one. Watch for wedge-tailed eagles overhead.
PhotographyBuild in stopping time rather than trying to shoot on the move.
Build in stopping time rather than trying to shoot on the move. The three natural stops are the quiet river waterholes and escarpments early on, the terraced cascades at Fish Falls, and the base of Mackenzie Falls. Carry your gear in something waterproof or easy to shoulder, since you may be crossing water and using your hands on rock.
Rules and safetyDogs are not allowed on this route. Assistance dog entry is handled under separate requirements.
- Dogs are not allowed on this route. Assistance dog entry is handled under separate requirements.
- No swimming at Mackenzie Falls. Strong currents, submerged objects, and cold deep water make it unsafe.
- No camping and no fires along the trail.
- Water crossings, rock hopping, scrambling and slippery surfaces are the real hazards here, so turn back if you are not comfortable with them.
Access and easier alternativesStart from the Zumsteins Picnic Area And Fish Falls area, where there is a free parking lot.
Start from the Zumsteins Picnic Area And Fish Falls area, where there is a free parking lot. If the crossings and scrambling do not suit your group, the Mackenzie Falls Lookout Walk and Broken Falls Walk in the same precinct are shorter and more accessible, though neither gives you the river journey or Fish Falls.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Grampians
157 sightingsShort-beaked EchidnaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
37 sightingsPowerful OwlMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
59 sightingsWedge-tailed EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
24 sightingsEastern Brown SnakeMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
10 sightingsTiger SnakeMost seen around noonSighting map
29 sightingsRed-bellied Black SnakeMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Grampians. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
