Tianjara Falls – All You Need to Know About This Stunning Shoalhaven Short Walk!

Tianjara Falls is a beautiful short waterfall walk in the Shoalhaven region of NSW. The area not only boasts beautiful views but is also home to one of Nowra’s most popular rock climbing crags.

Where is Tianjara Falls?

Tianjara Falls is a rural waterfall located 30 minutes southwest of Nowra heading towards Canberra.

The stunning area is located on the edge of the Morton National Park with spectacular views of the Tianjara Creek Valley and colourful sandstone cliffs that line its perimeter.

Although a little out of the way, it isn’t only the waterfall that draws people to this lovely place. Along with the initial lookout, there are other walks to explore if you don’t mind going bush.

So, if you would like to know more, we’ve shared two of the bushwalking trails in our Hidden Gems section of the post later on.

Directions / Where to Park?

Click the link to Google Maps for directions to Tianjara Falls.

The Tianjara Falls car park is large, free and has ample parking regardless of when you go.

What To Expect from Tianjara Falls?

Tianjara Falls is stunning. Regardless of whether the waterfall is flowing strong or barely there, this gorgeous location has something to offer all year round.

If you enter the walk from the left of the car park there is a sign directing you to the official path, however, you can still get to the lookout from the dirt track and it is an easy walk. The scenery is also stunning.

But if you follow the official path, the walk to the lookout is a short 100 meters from the car through gorgeous, thick Aussie bushland. The path is flat and fully paved all the way to the lookout making it an easy trek.

And once at the lookout… welcome to Tianjara Falls!

It doesn’t matter whether the falls are in full flow or barely flowing, they look just stunning against that colourful sandstone backdrop.

You’ll also find amazing views of the valley that can be seen for miles if it’s a clear day!

And if you like, you can take the dirt path to the left of the falls following along the fence back to the car for a different view. It may be a simple walk, but the views are worth it!

Please Note: Tianjara Falls only flows well after rain so we highly recommend stopping by after rain to avoid disappointment.

But if you would like to check out more of the area… as mentioned before, there are fantastic bushwalking trails at Tianjara Falls. And as we discovered, one of those trails leads to even better views of the waterfall if it is in full flow!

So, to learn more… read on in our Hidden Gems.

Hidden Gems of Tianjara Falls

There are several bushwalks around Tianjara Falls, one to the left towards the waterfall, leading down to the creek bed, and other trails leading off to the right, taking you towards the climbing crag.

The two walks we will be covering require a bit of scrambling, but both are fantastic to explore.

1. Tianjara Creek Bed Walking Track

To begin the walk, follow the path to the left of the main lookout until you reach the fence with the warning sign.

There is no sign to indicate that you can’t do this bushwalk, only a warning that there are unfenced cliff edges. So if you are careful around the edges, this is a great track to explore.

If you don’t like the idea of jumping the fence, you can walk up to the end of the fence (about 7 meters) and come back around to the trail.

Once you are back at the warning sign, follow the dirt trail.

As you walk towards the creek there are a couple of offshoot tracks that lead to the cliff edges for great views of the valley and falls (provided you stay far enough away from the edge).

It’s here that you will capture some of the most amazing views of Tianjara Falls.

Further along the trail, closer to the creek, there is a stunning section directly above the top of the waterfall. It is a lovely place for photography too.

As you follow the cliffs back to the dirt track, the trail becomes a bit overgrown but still clear. Just before you reach the creek bed, you will need to scramble down to the lower section.

Now if the creek is flowing strong, this is the end of the trail. The current is far too strong and the scrub too thick to go much further.

So you can enjoy the scenery, explore as much as you can safely and return the way you came.

However, if the stream is low, this presents a whole other opportunity to explore more!

After safely crossing over, you can walk up to the bridge and admire the little cascading waterfalls. Or you can continue to the right side of Tianjara Falls to view them from another vantage point.

It’s a fantastic place for any nature lover to come and enjoy the serenity of wild Australia. And given how rural the location is, it is rare to have people to contend with here. So if you are up for a picnic in the bush, pack a lunch because this is the perfect place for it.

When you have explored as much as you like, just make your way back across the creek and along the track you came in on.

2. Tianjara Crag Walking Track

If you love scrambling down steep tracks, this one is for you. There aren’t really any spectacular views at the end of the track as such, but the trail is a highlight enough in itself.

The track begins off to the right of the Tianjara information sign at the car park.

A warning sign is displayed for your safety once again, as there are no fences along the cliff edges on this trail.

As you continue walking through the clear bush track for roughly 5 minutes, you will come out to a gully that you will need to cross. When you come up on the other side of the gully, the trail brings you to a clearing.

Follow the clearing, climbing over the large tree to what seems like a fork in the road.

The trail straight ahead doesn’t seem to lead anywhere, so we took the trail to the left. And although clear, it does take a bit of scrambling to continue, which we LOVED!

But once you make it over this little area, the trail becomes obvious again… straight down the cliff wall! It was here we decided to pull out our trusty gloves for the climb down.

Once at the bottom there is a bit more scrambling before the floor opens out into a sandy clearing.

It’s easy to see why this is a climber’s paradise, if we’d had our climbing shoes, we would have been tempted to do some ourselves!

But we were only there to explore this time so we kept moving.

After scrambling through another area of boulders, you will come out at the final section of the crag. Everywhere you look there are bolts!! It’s a fantastic place with plenty of places to practice your rock climbing skills, with the right equipment of course.

But if you aren’t interested in rock climbing, this area means the end of the trail. It’s time to head back to the car park.

On the way back there was what looked to be a goat track off from the first climbing area, so we wanted to check it out.

We did a bit of bush bashing but realised it went nowhere, so we gave up and turned back.

But… it was so much fun checking out!

When we made our way back to the main climbing area, we followed the steep trail back up the cliff wall.

On the way out, we took our time admiring the scenery and taking photos, but truthfully, we just didn’t want to leave.

Tianjara Falls as we discovered, is the book you do not want to judge by its cover. If you have the time to explore this lovely place, we highly recommend checking it out.

Important Information

How Long is the Trail?

Tianjara Falls Lookout Walk

A 200 metre return walk taking only 5 minutes to complete depending on how long you spend at the lookout.

Tianjara Creek Bed Walking Track

Roughly a 1 kilometre round walk and takes between 45 minutes – 1 hour to complete depending on whether you can cross the creek.

Tianjara Crag Walking Track

A 2 kilometre trail that takes between 1 – 1.5 hours to complete depending on stopping time.

What is the Signage and Trail Quality Like?

Main Lookout – The path is paved and easy to follow, with a sign guiding you where to go.

The Creek Bed Trail and the Crag Walking Track have no signage other than the cliff warning sign, but the trails are clear.

What is the Track Difficulty?

Main Lookout – This walk is classed as easy. It is flat all the way to the lookout with no stairs along the path.

The Creek Bed Trail and the Crag Walking Track are graded between medium to hard due to scrambling and steepness.

What Should I Wear?

If you are only doing the lookout path, any shoes are sufficient.

However, if you are interested in doing the trails to the creek bed or crag, we recommend wearing hiking boots as they have great ankle support for scrambling, and they will get wet and muddy.

But if you don’t have any, sneakers will do just fine if they have good grip.

Water, sunscreen, hat, snacks and insect repellent for ticks and leeches are essential if completing the additional walks.

For more information on what you could bring click here.

We also have a full list of what to wear hiking in Australia to help prepare you for the Aussie bush.

Is This Track Child Friendly?

Yes, the walk to the waterfall lookout is child friendly.

The hikes to the Creek Bed and Crag, however, are not, due to the unfenced cliffs, slippery creek bed and steep descents.

Is There Wheelchair Access?

Yes, there is wheelchair access to the lookout at Tianjara Falls, however, there is no wheelchair access for the other walks.

Is There Swimming at Tianjara Falls?

No, there is no access to the base of the falls for wild swimming.

The creek is also not swimming friendly due to being too shallow in dry seasons and too strong of a current after rain.

When is the Best Time of Year to Visit?

Tianjara Falls is fantastic to visit at any time of year.

But we have found it especially lovely directly after rain so the waterfall is flowing full, or when the creek is flowing lightly so you can cross over and explore the other side.

Are There Amenities at Tianjara Falls?

Unfortunately, there are no amenities at this location.

Is There Phone Service?

There is limited phone service in the Morton National Park.

Are Pets Allowed?

No pets other than certified assistance animals are permitted in Morton National Park according to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services. For more information, please check their website.

Is Smoking Allowed?

All NSW National Parks are no smoking areas according to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services. For more information, please check their website.

Other Walks to Do In Shoalhaven

There is plenty to see in this stunning area, given the Shoalhaven has some of the best scenery on the South Coast.

So if you would like to explore this gorgeous area further we highly recommend checking out the White Sands Walk, Bens Walk, and Jervis Bay Beaches.

Is Tianjara Falls Worth the Trip?

In one word, YES!!!! We love this location and have found something new to explore every time we go. If you are in the vicinity and looking for an easy walk to an incredible view, we highly recommend a visit.