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Adamsons Falls: Epic waterfall in the far south of Tasmania
Hiking guide to reaching Adamsons Falls in Tasmania's wild far south region. Includes detailed, up-to-date information on how to get to the trailhead, route information, and photos of the falls. The Adamsons Falls waterfall hike is a wet, fairly challenging slog through wild, muddy terrain. It's an adventure for those who want to earn a view of one of Tasmania's best waterfalls. If you're looking for a hidden waterfall gem, this is it! In this guide I will describe everything you need to know about the hike, including reliable information about which roads to take,...
Adamsons Falls: Epic waterfall in the far south of Tasmania
Hiking guide to reaching Adamsons Falls in Tasmania's wild far south region. Includes detailed, up-to-date information on how to get to the trailhead, route information, and photos of the falls.
The Adamsons Falls waterfall hike is a wet, fairly challenging slog through wild, muddy terrain. It's an adventure for those who want to earn a view of one of Tasmania's best waterfalls. If you're looking for a hidden waterfall gem, this is it!
In this guide, I will describe everything you need to know about the hike, including reliable information about which roads to take to get to the trailhead. I've also included a few photos from my visit which I hope will inspire you to get out and get a taste of the wilderness of Tassie's South West National Park!
Where is Adamson's Falls
Adamsons Falls lies on the eastern edge of Southwest National Park, part of the World Heritage Wilderness Area in southern Tasmania. Although it only scratches the edge of this truly untamed wilderness, venturing here is not for the faint of heart.
Adamsons Falls has its own parking lot at the trailhead near the Duckhole Lake Walk, accessed via Hastings (famous for the Hastings Caves and Hot Springs). The trailhead is approximately 108 kilometers south of Hobart.
However, to get here you have to navigate a maze of dirt roads with no phone reception at all. The pin below is accurate for the exact location of the falls, but if you follow Google's directions you will most likely get lost. For this reason, I have included detailed instructions on how to get there below.
How to get to the trailhead
As previously mentioned, the roads leading to the Adamsons Falls trailhead are unpaved and fairly rocky. But we managed it without any problems with our large motorhome.
The best way to get to the Adamsons Falls Trailhead is to head towards “Hastings Caves & Thermal Springs”. Just 1.7 kilometers before reaching the visitor center on Hastings Caves Road you will see an unsigned dirt track called Tughanah Road on the right. Turn onto this road and follow it until you come to a three-way fork where you must then take the right fork onto Creekton Road. (Do not take the first right onto Facy Road).
Follow Creekton Road for another 2.2 miles until you reach a T-junction with a sign pointing to Adamsons Falls on the left and Duckhole Lake on the right. Of course you have to turn left here (Coal Hill Road). After about half a mile on Coal Hill Road the road splits into three again, take the middle road (the best preserved straight ahead). Then continue for another 1.4 kilometers until you see another blue, clear sign for Adamsons Falls.
We didn't want to go that far with our large motorhome, so we parked here on the corner right on the street and walked the rest of the way. However, if your vehicle and conditions permit, you can turn off this road (Chestermans Road) and follow it for about 1.5 kilometers until you reach the dedicated parking area at the trailhead. This last road isn't too bad, but definitely the worst road on the trail. I wouldn't say you need 4WD, but the guys at the visitor center told me it's definitely recommended for this final stretch.
The exact GPS coordinates for the start of the Adamsons Falls track are below:
alt=“ADAMSONS FALLS TRAILHEAD”>Adamsons Falls trailhead
alt=“ROAD TO SOUTHWEST NATIONAL PARK FROM THE CAVES”>If you take the dirt road to the trailhead, this road looks particularly bumpy.
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Ultimate Tasmanian travel resource
I hope you enjoy this blog post. For more Tasmania travel and adventure inspiration, don’t miss my ultimate guides below.
– 62 Epic Things to Do in Tasmania – Where to Stay in Tasmania (Best Places) – 26 Amazing Waterfalls in Tasmania – 35 Must-Do Hikes in Tasmania
The hike to Adamsons Falls
Adamsons Falls is a waterfall that really has to be earned. It's a great adventure, traversing and jumping over lots of ankle to knee deep mud and climbing under endless fallen trees. Of course, this hike is no ordinary day hike and should only be attempted by experienced hikers and bushwalkers.
The weather also changes quickly and unpredictably in this region of Tasmania. The relative isolation and lack of phone reception also add to the danger, so make sure you are prepared. I found Maps.Me to be fairly accurate for me when trying to stay on the trail, which was often completely overgrown in sections.
Below I will provide a summary of my experience hiking the Adamsons Falls Trail in Tasmania, which I hope will prove useful to you when planning your trip.
alt="HUGE TREE SOUTHWESTERN NATIONAL PARK">
Start of the hike to Adamsons Falls
The start of the Adamons Falls route begins at the spaciously cleared car park mentioned above. There are old signposts and tree remains everywhere, which give a good indication of the expected lack of maintenance on the route.
alt=“TREE FALL ON THE ROUTE TO ADAMSONS FALLS”>
We found the route to be very wide and fairly flat in the first section. That was a great warm-up because after about a kilometer the route almost disappeared in front of us.
alt="TREEFALL ON ADAMSON'S FALLS TRACK">
We noticed that there were a lot of fallen trees almost along the entire route. These included some absolute giants that we certainly don't want to fall under. There are some pink ribbons in the trees sporadically placed along the Adamsons Falls Track which helped us a little, but I wouldn't say you can rely on it.
alt=“TREE FALL ON THE ROAD TO ADAMSONS FALLS”>
alt="Adamsons Falls Track">
The mud begins
The mud started just a few hundred meters away. While there were stepping blocks set up at some sections along the trail, we decided to just hug them and waddle in. The mud got progressively worse as we approached the waterfall, with only short breaks in between.
alt=“MUDDY ROAD TO ADAMSON’S FALLS”>
The route wasn't too steep, but very undulating. Things are going really slowly and especially after heavy rain. If you hike to Adamsons Falls in the summer or spring, expect to see lots of leeches accompanying the mud.
Approaching Adamsons Falls
The final push towards Adamsons Falls leads into a deep, lush rainforest that is incredibly picturesque. Passing endless myrtle trees, ferns and gentle streams, we continued undulating up and down steep, slippery sections that required the use of our hands and feet.
alt=“HIKING TO ADAMSONS FALLS TASMANIA”>
We heard the waterfall just 100 meters before we reached it. The final climb was a rooty, muddy scramble that followed pink ribbons through and under branches before emerging just below the wide, flat clearing below Adamons Falls.
alt=“ADAMSONS FALLS WATERFALL IN TASMANIA”>
Adamsons Falls Tasmania
Adamsons Falls is an impressive 50 meter high waterfall that cascades down a near-vertical wall of dolerite in a dramatic amphitheater of temperate rainforest. The waterfall cascades into a shallow pool below, which then snakes around a large rock and washes over the edge of another short drop.
When we first approached the waterfall we were a little disappointed as we mistook that last drop in front of us for the main waterfall. However, this is just a small cascade we've erupted onto, making the main feature even more stunning!
We spent about half an hour capturing images of the waterfall while battling the strong spray that contaminated our lens elements with moisture. When we visited Adamsons Falls there wasn't much room to get out of the spray so we quickly turned around and made our way back to the car park.
Don't miss nearby: Hastings Caves & Thermal Springs
alt=“ADAMSON’S FALLS TASMANIA”>
alt=“ADAMSON’S FALLS TASMANIA”>
We continue to Creekton Falls
Apparently there was once a trail that connected Adamsons Falls to Creekton Falls, which apparently started on the right side of the falls. However, we tried to venture out to investigate and found that this stretch has been completely reclaimed by nature. Without knowledge of the route, route finding was literally impossible and there were no tapes to mark the direction
Where to stay near Hastings
Oyster ShackThis incredible lodge is the closest accommodation to Hastings Caves. Located in Hastings, Oyster Shack is also the highest rated lodge in Southern Tasmania and offers a fully equipped kitchen, fireplace and sea views.
alt="Oyster Shack accommodation in southern Tasmania">
Ashdowns of DoverOne of the best bed and breakfasts in the area is Ashdowns of Dover, just a short drive from Hastings. This spot has some of the best reviews in the area, with guests raving about the breakfast (poached eggs are a favorite).
alt=“Ashdowns of Dover accommodation near Hastings Caves”>
Southern Forest AccommodationIn nearby Southport is a beautiful cottage nestled in the southern woods. This stunningly beautiful place is tranquil and has a pretty garden, beautiful forest, abundant birdlife and pademelons on your doorstep.
alt="Southern Forest Accommodation Tasmania">
More Tasmanian waterfalls, hikes and attractions
I hope you have found this hiking guide to Adamsons Falls in Tasmania useful in planning your hike. For more free adventure travel guides with the best hikes, waterfalls and sights in Tasmania, check out my blog.
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