Cascades walking track

Where

New England National Park in North Coast, Country NSW

Distance

5.7km loop

Time suggested

2hrs 30min - 3hrs 30min

Grade

Grade 4

Trip Intention Form

It's a good idea to let someone know where you're going. Fill in a trip intention form to send important details about your trip to your emergency contact.

What to
bring

Drinking water, hat, sunscreen, suitable clothing

Please note

• The weather in this area can be extreme and unpredictable, so please ensure you’re well-prepared for your visit.
• Remember to take your binoculars if you want to bird watch

This gorgeous and tranquil 5.7km walk (return) takes viewers down along the beautiful valley below Wrights lookout walking track past cascades and waterfalls, alongside giant king ferns and mossy boulders. Five Day Creek, along Cascades walking track, is one of the most beautiful rainforest streams in New South Wales.

Visitors have described doing this walk as like being in another world, filled with vivid green moss, liverworts and lush ferns. It stands in stark contrast to the nearby dry, low heath covered, rocky outcrop of Wrights lookout. Wander slowly and find fascinating fungi along the way.

You may hear the deep calls of the brown pigeon or see flocks of white-headed or topknot pigeons searching for rainforest fruits. An enormous variety of invertebrate animals live in the park and may be encountered on this walk - the most famous of which is the living fossil velvet worm, or ‘peripatus’, as it’s commonly known. Rather like a velvety caterpillar, it can be found in moist places under fallen timber and in sphagnum moss. It has changed little from its ancestor - one of the first creatures that moved onto land 540 million years ago.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info