The best waterfall hikes and walks in Six Foot Track Reserve

Bonnie Doon Falls is a thin waterfall cascading over the sandstone cliffs of Nellies Glen. Reached by a short detour from the Six Foot Track, the falls plunge into a beautiful fern-lined amphitheatre where you can even walk behind the curtain of water when conditions allow. It’s a peaceful, hidden gem that’s especially impressive after rain.

Devils Hole is a narrow gap in the cliffs with an enormous boulder wedged high between the towering walls. The rocky, moderately steep section of the track passes under the boulder through a cool, fern-filled passage that, even though not far from Cliff Drive, feels like stepping back in time. This section is not technical and relatively easy to manage, especially when conditions are dry. It’s one of the most memorable sections of the walk, and a fantastic area to explore and admire this unique natural feature that makes this part of the park so special.

The Scenic Cableway brings bushwalkers over Blue Mountains National Park. The Scenic Cableway Top Station is an exciting, busy area, where the train and Skyway also depart. There are toilets, Skyway Souvenirs and the Terrace Cafe & Bar, all indoors, ideal in case of rain. Here visitors descend the steep cliff into the valley below, and by steep, it's steep, the cableway is at 36° incline. The Scenic Cableway is open Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and every other day of the week from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Cars depart around every 10 minutes from the top and bottom stations, and ticket prices start at $39 per adult and $21 per child but provides unlimited rides for the day. If you would like to avoid taking the cableway, the climb in and out can be done from the Giant Stairway track.

The Scenic Cableway brings bushwalkers over Blue Mountains National Park and is part of the park's network of cableways, a historic incline railway, and elevated forest boardwalks and scenic skyway. This is the bottom of the cableway. If you get on at the bottom, you will be effortlessly taken up a steep part of the park. By steep, it's quite a steep ride, the cableway travels at a 36° incline and moves at a speed of 3.8 metres per second. The cableway is open Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and every other day of the week from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Cars depart around every 10 minutes from the top and bottom stations, and ticket prices start at $39 per adult and $21 per child but gives unlimited rides for the day. If you would like to avoid taking the cableway, the climb in and out can be done from the Giant Stairway track.

Katoomba Cascades is a picturesque series of small cascades on the Kedumba River, where the water tumbles over wide sandstone shelves before continuing downstream to Katoomba Falls. There are boardwalks, bridges, benches and viewing platforms that surround the cascades for a close-up view of the flowing water within the lush gully of ferns and rainforest vegetation. It’s one of the few places where you can experience the river up close before it drops into the Jamison Valley.

The Giant Stairway is a famous, challenging and exhilarating staircase, totalling almost 1000 steps, from the edge of the Blue Mountains National Park cliffside down toward the valley below. The views are hard to beat, and the stairs are carved into the sandstone cliffs, which do become quite slippery after rain. Remember, you must go down before you come up!

Katoomba Falls is a fantastic multi-tiered waterfall that cascades over sandstone cliffs into the Jamison Valley, and is one of the Blue Mountains’ most recognisable waterfall locations. The falls are surrounded by rugged escarpments, and from here, there are beautiful expansive views across the eucalyptus-covered ridges that stretch through the valley. The combination of plunging water, towering cliffs, and wide valley scenery makes it especially impressive if you're lucky enough to be here after it rains.

At the foot of the stairs on the Six Foot Track is Bonnie Doon Falls. This waterfall cascades down the cliff as the water makes its way to the Megalong Valley. While the falls are beautiful and surrounded by lush vegetation, many Australians will spontaneously start singing "We're going to Bonnie Doon!" since the town of the same name was the focal point of the classic Aussie film "The Castle".