How to get to Jump Rock Waterfall
Jump Rock waterfall is found within Macquarie Pass National Park, and is known for its cascading collection of waterfalls at the top of the track.
Drone photos make it look like a mix between Figure 8 pools, with its natural circles; and Krka waterfalls in Croatia, with its vibrant green colour.
It's certainly very popular (and lives up to the hype!); but how does one actually get here?
All the information (blogs, websites, TripAdvisor reviews) we read prior turned out to be... incorrect. So here's my advice on how to get here, based on my own experience.
The start of the trail is 1hr and 50 mins by car from Sydney. The trail starts at the carpark on the LEFT side of the road! There are no signs or directions. Take the first left fork in the road but don’t make any more turns after that!
A 'light 30 minute walk'? More like a two hour one way hike as parts of the trail were completely eroded from rainfall, meaning you need to dig your nails into the dirt or vines and clamber sideways along rocks to avoid falling a few hundred metres down the embankment.
Give yourself plenty of time. Other blogs do say it’s a one hour round trip, but it took us close to two, at a comfortable, medium pace and with a few stops for piccies.
Wear clothes you don’t care about getting dirty! Especially if it’s rained recently, you can guarantee mudslides for parts of the trail. This also means hiking boots or sneakers with grip are essential. Where there’s water, the rocks are slippery.
The descent at the end to Jump Rock is literally a mudslide with no steps or path, just a rope and a whole lotta brown squelch (don’t wear clothes you don’t want completely covered in mud). And if you don’t like spiders (picture LOTS of cobweb bush bashing and a few big cuties hanging out at the waterfall), aren’t good with heights or swinging across rocks Tarzan style, this may not be the hike for you 😬
Despite the one fall (yes I went down like a sack of potatoes in the middle of crossing the waterfall, broke my fall with my kneecap to avoid getting my phone wet, and then couldn’t get back up because of the strong downstream current) and several near-tumbles, this was quite the memorable adventure 🧜♀️
Would I go again? Not before recent rainfall, that's for sure. I'd also recommend going on a week day if possible, to avoid the crowds — there's a good 10 people photoshopped out of these pics.