Sight · Great Otway National Park
A long forest walk leads to cascades above Lower Kalimna Falls.
Overview
Upper Kalimna Falls is a forest waterfall on Kalimna Creek, about a kilometre beyond Lower Kalimna Falls. Water spills over a dark, stepped rock face in a series of cascades. It's the more committed half of the pair: if you want a quick waterfall stop, make Lower Falls your turnaround; continue here if the long forest walk is part of the appeal.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs the upper falls worth the walk?Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Otway Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Great Otway 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 Great Otway audio tourRecorded for this place
Sheoak Picnic Area: A Short Forest Break“You're coming up on Sheoak Picnic Area, a shady forest clearing with tables and gas barbecues. Stop here for a picnic, or take the half-hour Nature Walk for a suspension bridge and a look into the fern gully.”
Plays as you drive up to Upper Kalimna Falls in the Parkwolf Great Otway 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
Start at Sheoak Picnic Area off Allenvale Road near Lorne. The combined route to both falls is about 8–8.5 km, with estimates ranging from three to three and a half hours. It's graded difficult, so allow the longer end for stops. The upper falls are about a kilometre beyond Lower Falls. After rain, expect some muddy or rough footing.
Upper Kalimna is described as a string of cascades feeding the creek, not just one clean drop. Take a moment to follow the water over the rock shelves. For a photo, keep the dark rock face and tree ferns around the falling water; a tight crop loses the forest that gives the falls their Otways setting.
The walk follows an old timber tramway corridor. A sawmill at Kalimna Falls, built by the Armistead brothers, closed in 1949. Timber cutting was a major early Otways industry, and tramlines once carried timber toward Lorne. The track gives that working history a real forest setting.
Dogs aren't permitted on national-park roads, tracks or trails in the Lorne area.
Wildlife
204 sightingsKoalaMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
35 sightingsGrey KangarooMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
109 sightingsEchidnaMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
58 sightingsKookaburraMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
97 sightingsSwamp WallabyMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
20 sightingsBrushtail PossumMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Great Otway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModeratePhantom Falls and The Canyon Circuit9.2 km · 3.5 hr · 3.1 km awayThree waterfalls, fern forest and a ten-metre rock cleft.
ModerateLower and Upper Kalimna Falls Walk8.8 km · 3.5 hr · 3.1 km awayA ferny falls loop with an old tramway on the return.
EasyWon Wondah and Henderson Falls Walk3.6 km · 1.5 hr · 3.1 km awayTwo waterfalls, a giant eucalypt, and a fern gully finish
EasySheoak Picnic Ground Nature Walk1.3 km · 30 min · 3.1 km awayA fern-gully circuit with a suspension bridge over Sheoak Creek.
ModerateSheoak Falls–Castle Rock Circuit9 km · 3.5 hr · 3.1 km awayA creekside loop links a swallow cave, waterfall and ocean lookout.EasyLower Kalimna Falls Walk6.5 km · 2.5 hr · 3.2 km awayA modest waterfall with a view from behind the falling water
ChallengingMount Defiance–Jamieson Creek Circuit22 km · 5.5 hr · 3.7 km awayA 22 km ridge circuit with a 4 km road return.
ModerateCumberland Falls Walk6 km · 3 hr · 3.7 km awayA forested river walk with crossings and two small cascades.Sight · 0.8 km awayLower Kalimna FallsA waterfall pours from a rock ledge you can stand behind.
Sight · 2.6 km awayHenderson FallsA fern-gully cascade that gains force after rain.
Sight · 2.9 km awayWon Wondah FallsA quick, wooded waterfall pause on the way to a stronger one.
Sight · 3.1 km awayJebbs PoolA leafy gorge walk ends at cascades and a river pool
Picnic area · 3.1 km awaySheoak Picnic AreaA shady picnic base for Lorne's inland waterfall walks.
Sight · 3.5 km awayThe CanyonEight-metre rock walls hide in a ferny waterfall walk.
Sight · 4 km awayPhantom FallsA fern-lined climb ends at a 15-metre cascade.
Campground · 4.2 km awayJamieson Creek CampgroundA 24-site coastal camp, with ocean views and a short beach walk.Parkwolf’s Great Otway ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
