South West Arm Pool

South West Arm Pool is a natural swimming hole on South West Arm Creek in Royal National Park, downstream from Winifred Falls. It is a separate stop from the waterfall’s plunge pool: here a deep creek pool sits beside a shallower lagoon and sandbar. Allow roughly 3.5–4 km return from Warumbul Road; published route estimates differ over the rough final stretch.

Follow Winifred Falls Fire Trail for about 1.5 km to the waterfall, then continue downstream along the creek’s left side. The final 300–500 m is unmarked and unmaintained, with rock hopping, fallen debris and a pockmarked rock shelf. Wet rock can be slippery. Roadside parking near Warumbul Road is limited, and there are no facilities along the walk. This is a rough approach, not an accessible path.

The main pool is deeper than the nearby lagoon; the channel and sandbar change with the tide. A visit about one or two hours after high tide has been reported to expose more sand while leaving a narrow channel, but treat that as a timing hint rather than a guarantee. The crossing behind the cascades toward the sandbar is a separate slippery, pathless scramble.

The dark green water sits between broad, flat rock shelves and bush-covered banks. From the final rock platform, frame the pool with one of the layered shelves at the edge of the shot; it shows the shape of the water without stepping onto the wet rock.