Strickland Falls Bushwalk, Strickland State Forest, NSW

Adjacent to the M1, Strickland State Forest is an ideal spot to have a picnic and stretch your legs while travelling between Sydney and Newcastle. 10 minutes from the freeway entrance, the forest is home to Strickland Falls.

Quick Info

Location: Strickland Forest Road, Somersby NSW, 2250

Walking Distance: 1.6km

Elevation: Some hills

Time: up to 1 hour

Difficulty: Easy/Moderate: stairs and overgrown path

Costs/Permit: No cost, no permit required

Opening Times: Day use only, from dawn to dusk

Facilities: Toilets, picnic tables, information boards

What to take: Water, camera, insect repellant, picnic

Map:

Strickland Falls is one of many bushwalks in Strickland State Forest. Starting from the Banksia carpark, the falls are about halfway along the 1.6km circuit. Even in the extreem dry of bushfire season the falls were flowing, albiet a mere trickle.

The circuit takes in many different types of vegetation. The ferny area is particularly lovely.

There are numerous stairs along the track. Some stairs use naturally formed rocks, while others are man made.

During December 2019 the path was quite overgrown in places. Considering much of the rest of NSW had been burnt in horrific bushfires, complaining about too much vegetation seems a tad petty.

Along the circuit there were many unusual formations to marvel at. The overhanging rock with the bizarely textured underside had us scratching our heads.

Boasting so much diversity, Strickland State Forest was a very interesting place. In the extreem dry of summer it was lovely; after a big rain it would be spectacular.