Woolgoolga Creek Falls Walking Track and Picnic Area with Kids
Here’s an absolute gem on the north coast of NSW. It’s one of those Coffs Harbour attractions not many tourists know about, but if you love waterfalls, creeks and national parks, this needs to be on your list! It’s an easy walk with heaps of fun for kids along the way!
The Details
The Woolgoolga Creek Falls Walking Track is one of our favourite activities to do in Coffs Harbour. Here are all the things you need to know if you want to visit with your family.
The entrance to the Sherwood Nature Reserve is approximately 5km out of Woolgoolga, a half hour drive from Coffs Harbour. Check updates and rules about the park here before visiting.
There’s a small carpark, accessible with any type of car (but watch out for pot holes).
The Woolgoolga Creek Picnic Area ,next to the carpark, is a large grassy area with a toilet block.
The Falls walking track is 1.8km, mostly flat with a few steep bits.
The ground is gravelly/pebbly (you’ll need comfortable shoes). Don’t bring a bike.
There are heaps of small, light creek crossings, and depending on water levels, you will get wet shoes. We packed gumboots for the creek parts for the kids, and wore our waterproof hiking boots.
There are leeches in this region, make sure you check in your shoes regularly.
If you don’t make it to the waterfall, the walk is still fun. We struggled to get the kids past the first water hole, but the promise of creek crossings eventually got the kids going again.
Be aware of local rainfall. If it’s been extra rainy, the creek crossings will be more difficult with the kids, but if it’s nice weather then it’ll be easy.
The first creek spotting is only 5 mins into the walk and is divine. It’s great just to take little kids for a mini-adventure just to get to that first spot.
Here’s the official NSW National Parks track info, where you can check the latest impacts of weather, and if it’s open/closed.
Our Adventure
We absolutely loved this track and couldn’t get enough. The most difficult thing we found was getting the kids to keep going forward, because they loved every bit of creek we came across. I’d heard about this track but not been told just how amazing it is for kids! I’d heard it was a nice walk to a waterfall, that was it! To be completely honest, we didn’t even make it to the waterfall the first time we went, because the creek crossings were too much fun with the kids. There were some enormous old trees fallen down which they loved inspecting too. Whether you do the whole hike, or just part of it, your kids and you will love this track. It’s got to be one of the region’s best kept secrets.
We wore gumboots on our walk. Only one of us got a leech (me). The hard part was that the gumboots were uncomfortable to walk on the pebbly ground the whole way, so the kids’ feet got sore. Next time I’ll take a change of shoes for them in my pack.
We stopped at a nice big rocky waterfall area (not the main waterfall) for a picnic lunch.
It was nice and shady and cool, a great spot to visit on a hot day.
The Woolgoolga Creek Falls Walking Track is definitely an idyllic and refreshing place to visit in Coffs Harbour, and one of those natural attractions the whole family can enjoy. It’s an amazing play spot for younger children who love to throw rocks and splash, whether you want to do the full walk or not.
Have you been? Did you make it to the waterfall? Let me know in the comments!
Read Next:
A Morning Out in Woolgoolga With Kids
Dorrigo Rainforest Walk with Kids
To see more pics and videos from our ‘adventure’, to help you plan your own, make sure to follow me on Instagram.