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Hiking To Crystal Cascades & Fairy Falls In QLD Australia

ByHikers Movement

Located in the Barron Gorge National Park just outside of Cairns, there are a few waterfalls worth hiking to. Notably, they are the Crystal Cascades waterfalls and the more secluded Fairy Falls. Crystal Cascades is a waterfall of Freshwater Creek. Fairy Falls is another waterfall in the nearby Dowah Creek. Both are certainly worth the short hikes required to reach them.

These two falls are popular among locals (sorry if we’re sharing your secret). In addition, the crocodile-free freshwater swimming holes are a great place to be year-round in the tropical heat of northern Queensland. Whether you’re hiking to the Crystal Cascades waterfall or to Fairy Falls (or both, which is what we recommend), this article is for you!

Crystal Cascades
Difficulty: Easy
Length: 1.2 km (one-way)

Fairy Falls
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Length: 0.5 km (one-way)

Suggested Duration: 1/2 an hour to 2 hours
Signage: Map at entrance
Facilities: Parking, washrooms, picnic areas with electric barbeque

Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. If you click one of them, we may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

This article is not about the Crystal Cascades Hiking Trail at Lamb Ridge to Copperlode Dam overlooking Lake Morris. Rather, it is about getting to the aforementioned Crystal and Fairy waterfalls/swimming holes. Sorry for any confusion!

Key Features Of Crystal Cascades & Fairy Falls

  • Located within the Barron Gorge National Park
  • Walking path to Crystal Cascades and hiking trail to Fair Falls from one single car park
  • Numerous waterfalls and freshwater swimming holes
  • Located within the Barron Gorge National Park
  • Picnic areas with electric BBQs

Facilities And Services

  • Car park
  • Picnic areas with electric BBQs
  • Drinking water fill-up stations

Before You Start Hiking To Crystal Cascades & Fairy Falls

Before you embark on your trip to Crystal Cascades and Fairy Falls, there are a few things we think you should know.

The first is that the Crystal Cascades is in the Barron Gorge National Park. Therefore, there are opening hours for these hikes (5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily). We suggest abiding by these times and enjoying the park during daylight hours.

In addition to the hours, Australia’s national parks have a no-dogs-allowed policy, so it’s best to keep your canine friends at home.

As for terrain, getting to the Crystal Cascades swimming hole is quite literally a walk in the park. The walkway is flat and man-made from concrete. Though we brought our hiking shoes, this “hike” could easily be done in flip-flops or even barefoot.

The walk to the swimming hole is short but uncovered from the sun. We advise bringing sunscreen and even a sunhat if you’re particularly sensitive to the sun. The UV index is typically very high in the Australian tropics, and we don’t want our readers to get skin damage!

The trail to Fairy Falls, in contrast, is a backcountry trail through the rainforest, and proper footwear is highly recommended. The rainforest canopy largely covers this trail, though we’d still recommend applying some sunblock (and certainly insect repellent)!

There are stinging plants and poisonous insects to be aware of, so caution is advised when walking through the denser path toward the Fairy Falls.

Other than that, the trails are relatively short, and there’s plenty of water to swim in during the rainy summer season. So bring enough water to stay hydrated and have fun!

Our Experience Hiking To Crystal Cascades

On one of the many hot February days we spent in Cairns, Australia, we decided it would be a good idea to go for a swim.

Asking around, we came to find out that the rivers were likely the safest and coolest places to swim in the local area (other than that, there were many pools, of course).

The Crystal Cascades waterfall/swimming hole was a common suggestion among those we asked, so we decided to check it out.

After a short drive in our rental car, we arrived at a small car park and prepared for our short walk to the falls. Preparing, for us, meant applying sunscreen and insect repellent, a ritual we engaged in before any tropical walk/hike in the Australian rainforest.

The path to the Crystal Cascades swimming hole is very well-made and easy to walk. You can see the man-made path in the photos below:

There were plenty of offshoots from the path leading into the woods, though no trail to follow the water flow. It was still fun to get a bit of “off-roading” while walking along the path.

Small waterfall along the way to Crystal Cascade falls.

Before long, we reached the end of the path, and the swimming hole presented itself.

View of Crystal Cascade Falls with a waterfall and swimming hole.

We made sure to swim to cool ourselves down (and swim in something other than a pool). Our first experience swimming in the tropics was well worth the short drive and hike from our shared house in Cairns.

Though we stuck to the main swimming hole for an hour or so of relaxation, we were told by a local at the swimming hole that there are plenty of more spectacular waterfalls upstream. Just be careful of how slippery the rocks are if you decide to adventure up the Freshwater Creek.

We also met another traveller who had a waterproof GoPro. This inspired us to get ourselves a GoPro when we got back to the city.

We got to film another hike in Cairns with the GoPro. You can check that video out on our blog post, Hikers’ Guide To The Arrows (Cairns, Australia).

So our time at Crystal Cascades was relaxing and refreshing, but we wanted a more challenging hike on that day. It’s a good thing Fairy Falls was nearby.

Our Experience Hiking To Fairy Falls

After returning to the car park from Crystal Cascades, we entered the trail to Fairy Falls. The entrance has a large sign stating “Beware Stinging Tree” (pictured earlier in this article).

We were certainly cautious not to touch anything on our walk through the much more “hike-worthy” trail.

Fairy Falls hiking trail surrounded by forest.

This path was a bit more of what we were expecting from a hike through the rainforest. The terrain is rugged, and the trail is narrow, making avoiding the flora a bit of a challenge but certainly possible.

The trail is relatively well-defined but reaches a spot at Dowah Creek where it is unclear where to continue.

At this point, our new local friend caught up to us once again and let us know to follow him up the creek a short distance to the Fairy Falls waterfall. When in doubt, follow the creek! Just be careful about stepping on the slippery rocks and grabbing any trees for support.

It took no longer than 15 minutes to get to the falls, which were, in our opinion, the most picturesque part of our excursion that day.

We had seen this grove in photos before heading there ourselves and were happy to snap some of our own memories of the beautiful waterfall.

After enjoying a reasonable amount of time at the smaller swimming hole, it was time to head back to the city and continue exploring the beautiful country of Australia.

The next day, we drove north to hike through the Mossman Gorge.

The following is our recommended gear list for Crystal Cascades & Fairy Falls.

WATERFALL HIKES IN AUSTRALIA

Julia and Arthur are the owners, creators and writers of Hikers Movement, Homestead Fox and owners of Fox Media Tech Inc.. As seasoned hikers, Julia and Arthur don't just write about the great outdoors – they live it. Their firsthand experiences, shared through hiking adventures around the world, reflects their genuine commitment to inspiring a community of outdoor enthusiasts.

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