St Columba Falls Tasmania – Everything you need to know

St Columba Falls Tasmania – Everything you need to know

A complete waterfall guide to St Columba Falls Tasmania. Visit this epic waterfall in Saint Columba State Reserve near Pyengana. Read this detailed waterfall guide based on my experience with photos to inspire your visit.

After being cooped up in our van for the last few days after a seemingly endless rain, we were excited to finally get out and start exploring.

The first port of call was St Columba Falls near Pyengana. This waterfall is one of the highest waterfalls in Tasmania at over 90 meters! After so much rain, we were overjoyed to see it in all its glory - and we weren't disappointed!

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alt="ST COLUMBA WAY">
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Where is St Columba Falls

The waterfall is located in St. Columba Falls State Reserve, near the small village of Pyengana. This is approximately 2 hours drive from Launceston or 1 hour from Bay of Fires.

While you can see the actual waterfall from the road, a short trail leads to a viewing platform just below the waterfall, which is a must-do when visiting the falls.

The road leading to the waterfall trailhead is paved throughout and is easily accessible. We arrived in our large van without any problems. However, the road is a bit curvy and narrow in some places.

How to get to St Columba Falls?

Since there is no public transportation, this guide will focus on getting to St. Columba Falls using your own transportation.

Basically you should enter the above PIN on your GPS or phone. This will take you onto St Columba Falls Road, the only entrance and exit to the falls car park.
alt=“ST COLUMBA FALLS FROM THE ROAD”>View of the waterfall from the parking lot
From St Helens If you are traveling from St Helens, expect to drive around 30 minutes to reach the falls. First take the Tasman Highway until you see signs for St Columba Falls Road (C428). Follow this road for 15 minutes (11 kilometers) before reaching the waterfall parking lot.

From Launceston From Launceston it's a 2-hour drive to the falls, following the Tasman Highway again until you reach the turnoff onto St Columba Falls Road.

Map of St Columba Falls Below is a map of the location of the falls in relation to the road into it. It also shows the short hiking trail down to the viewing platform.
alt=“St Columba Falls Map to get to the waterfall from Pyengana”>Source: Tasmania Parks

The St Columba Falls Walk

Hiking distance: 1.2 km there and back
Hiking time: 20-30 minutes return
Difficulty: Easy

The St Columba Falls Walk begins at the car park and winds down the valley, crossing a short bridge and ending at a wide, wooden viewing platform just below the falls.
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At the start of the walk there is a small hut with information on colonial history and a little about the historic pub in the paddock (near Pyengana).
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The path to the waterfall is fairly short and the ground is firm and well graded. There is a slight incline on the way back up, but even the most untrained of us out there needn't worry.

We enjoyed the walk to this epic waterfall as we found it very picturesque. There were many opportunities to stop and take photos of the river, bridge, forest of man ferns and ancient myrtle rainforest trees.
alt="FERNS ON THE ST COLUMBA FALLS PATH">
alt=“RAINFOREST FERN AND RIVER IN ST COLUMBA FALLS STATE RESERVE”>
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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

St Columba Falls

St Columba Falls Height: 90 meters

It's no surprise that St Columba is considered one of Tasmania's tallest permanent waterfalls! What they mean by that is that it runs all year round, even without much rainfall. This is because the waterfall has a huge catchment area, 4200 hectares of it including Mt Victoria and Mt Albert.

Visiting after heavy rain meant it was absolutely roaring when we arrived. It was difficult to even stand on the observation deck without getting wet!
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However, we were very glad we made the trip to the waterfall after heavy rain as we were able to capture some unique photos showing the waterfall in all its glory!
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About the hotel – The pub in the paddock

On the entrance to the waterfall car park you may have seen signs for the “Pub in the Paddock” hotel.

This is a historic hotel that dates back over 120 years to colonial times! In fact, the waterfall itself is named after the woman who built the pub when her boys found it while exploring the nearby rainforest.
alt="Tasmanian Rainforest">

More epic adventures in Tasmania

I hope this quick guide to visiting St Columba Falls near Pyengana, Tasmania was helpful in planning your trip.

For more useful adventure guides and epic Tazzy travel inspiration, check out some of the other destinations across Tasmania covered in this blog.

MY CAMERA AND PHOTO EQUIPMENT

• Spiegellose Kamera: Canon R5
• Drohne: DJI Mavic Pro 2
• 360-Grad-Action-Kamera: Insta360 One X2
• Landschaftsobjektiv: Canon RF 15-35 mm f/2.8L
• Allround-Objektiv: Canon RF 24–105 mm f/4L
• Teleobjektiv: Canon RF 100–500 mm f/f/4,5–7,1 L
• Lange Aktionsstange: Insta360 Invisible Pole (BulletTime)
• Landschaftslinsenfilter: Hoya Circular Polarizer
• Kamerarucksack: F-Stop Tilopa
• Lieblingsfotozubehör: Peak Design Capture Clip

For a list of my recommended photography gear (including what I use and why), check out my Travel Camera Gear Guide.

If you would like to use any of the photos on this website, please visit my licensing page to find out how. I also sell professional art prints, visit my Print Store or contact me directly for customs deductions of images on We Seek Travel.
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