Tjaynera Falls (Sandy Creek Falls) in Litchfield National Park

#7 of 15 sights in Litchfield

Sight · Litchfield National Park

Tjaynera Falls (Sandy Creek Falls)

Deep plunge pool at the end of a 4WD-only creek walk

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Type
Sight
Nearest trail
1.5 km
Audio stories
2 nearby
  • Trailhead
  • Parking
  • Restrooms
  • Campground

Hear the audio tour

Tjaynera Falls and Sandy Creek

Overview

About Tjaynera Falls (Sandy Creek Falls)

Why stop

  • Dramatic plunge pool beneath a cliff waterfall
  • Quieter, more remote feel than easy-access Litchfield falls

Heads up

  • Rough 4WD approach and creek-track access
  • Moderate walk and uneven sections require planning

Map

Where it is

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SightTjaynera Falls (Sandy Creek Falls)-13.24447, 130.75752
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Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to go

An earlier start is the practical call, since it gives you unhurried time for the moderate walk and the swim rather than rushing the return leg. The tradeoffs are straightforward: a rough 4WD approach, a moderate walk on uneven ground, and access that depends on the condition of the Reynolds Track. Without a suitable vehicle or the time to commit to the track, the more accessible falls closer to the sealed roads are the better use of a day. With both, this one repays the trip.

Getting there

Access is by 4WD track only, via the Reynolds Track, a 44 km route running between the Tolmer and Wangi ends of the park and linking through to Daly River Road, passing Blyth Homestead and continuing on toward Surprise Creek Falls. Treat the drive as the main commitment of the day rather than a quick detour, and check track conditions before you set out, since getting here depends entirely on the state of the Reynolds Track.

3 active Litchfield alerts

  • CautionReynolds River Track: deep water crossingsMentions this placeThe Reynolds River Track is open to 4WDs only, but rough conditions and water crossings about 500–600 mm deep require care.Official details
  • ClosureTabletop Track closedThe Tabletop Track is closed because an Excess Heat Warning is in effect and there is no accessible drinking water. - Permit access only; do not plan an unpermitted walk on the track.Official details
See all 3 alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Litchfield Tour Guide

Your drive to Tjaynera Falls (Sandy Creek Falls), narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Litchfield 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 place

Tjaynera Falls and Sandy Creek
0:00 / 0:23
“You're approaching the Sandy Creek carpark for Tjaynera Falls, still a one-point-seven-kilometre walk away.”

Plays as you drive up to Tjaynera Falls (Sandy Creek Falls) in the Parkwolf Litchfield Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • The Trees Holding Sandy Creek
  • Blyth's Waterworks
  • Blyth Homestead
  • The Lost City
  • 68 audio storiesacross Litchfield’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Works offlinemaps, 17 trails, 31 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!!!!”
JMJamesApp Store review
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4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about Tjaynera Falls (Sandy Creek Falls)

Why botherThis is one of the Litchfield waterfalls you have to work for, and that effort is the whole…

This is one of the Litchfield waterfalls you have to work for, and that effort is the whole point. A narrow fall slips down layered red-brown rock into a plunge pool where swimming is permitted, framed by pandanus and creek vegetation. Because the only way in is a rough 4WD track plus a walk, it draws less traffic than the easy-access waterholes elsewhere in the park.

The walkFrom the car park it is a 1.7 km track to the falls, 3.4 km return, allow about 1.

From the car park it is a 1.7 km track to the falls, 3.4 km return, allow about 1.5 hours, officially rated Grade 3 moderate. It follows the creek, passes a hillside full of cycads, and finishes at the pool below the falls. Visitors commonly describe a mostly green, creekside route with some rock hopping and short steeper sections, so wear proper shoes and carry plenty of water.

Camping and practicalitiesThe walk starts at the Tjaynera Falls bush campground, a basic category B site with toilets and…

The walk starts at the Tjaynera Falls bush campground, a basic category B site with toilets and showers. Campsites are designated and must be booked and paid for online, and an NT Parks Visitor Pass is required for the park. Given the remote 4WD setting, come self-sufficient with your own water, food, and fuel.

Keep exploring

Near Tjaynera Falls (Sandy Creek Falls)

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Take Parkwolf to Litchfield.

The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.

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