Arve Falls Tasmania | A Beautiful Waterfall In The Hartz Mountains
Tasmania’s unique landscape hides hundreds of waterfalls within its deep lush valleys and craggy mountain ranges. And while many of these waterfalls require a hearty trek into the wilderness to explore, the Arve Falls walk offers a simple and short wander through a thriving sub-alpine forest to reach the cascading waterfall.
Arve Falls lies within the Hartz Mountains National Park in Tasmania’s south, a place we fell deeply in love with on our recent visit. The landscape offers such vast contrast throughout all its walks, but none so easily accessible as the Arve Falls track.
Requiring less than 30 minutes of your time, Arve Falls is the perfect walk to tack onto a trip to the Hartz Mountains. In this post, we’ll explain all the details you’ll need and attempt to persuade you to include Arve Falls through beautiful imagery.
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Exploring Arve Falls In Hartz Mountains National Park, Tasmania
Distance
1.4 km return
Time
20 mins
Elevation Gain
40 m
Highest Elevation
787 m
Where Is Arve Falls
Beginning its journey from Lake Osborne, the Arve River weaves through the open plains and deep valleys of Hartz Mountains National Park on its way to the Huon River. Arve Falls can be found not even 2 km from the river’s headwater, hidden in a plunging gully and surrounded by snow gums and banksias.
The trailhead for Arve Falls begins at a small car park off Hartz Rd, 1.2 km north of the Hartz Mountains Day Visitor Shelter. The Arve Falls trailhead is located 90 minutes southwest of Hobart and 4 hrs southwest of Launceston.
How To Get To Arve Falls, Tasmania
Staying true to Tasmania’s rugged and remote ways, there are no public transport options to reach Arve Falls. And due to its simplicity and lack of fame compared to Mount Field, there are no tour options that include Arve Falls.
Therefore, the best (and only) way to experience this waterfall is by driving. If you don’t have access to your own vehicle, we suggest using Rental Cars to find the best deals on car hire.
Directions From Hobart To Arve Falls, Hartz Mountains National Park
From Hobart, it’s a picturesque drive to the Hartz Mountains that is well worth self-driving so you can stop at attractions along the way.
Begin by heading south out of Hobart on Huon Hwy (A6) for 60 km until you reach Geeveston. Just before you enter the town centre of Geeveston, turn right (northwest) onto Arve Rd (C632). After 13 km, take the left turn (south) onto Hartz Rd and follow the unsealed mountain road for the final 12 km.
Note: While Hartz Rd is suitable for all vehicles, it can become hazardous in winter when there is a high chance of ice and snow. Check the road conditions before driving past Geeveston as there is little reception afterwards. Tasmania Police Community Alerts is an excellent resource for finding information on road conditions.
Arve Falls Walking Notes
A swampy plain awaits at the car park but is quickly dismissed as you wander onto the Arve Falls trail. You’ll enter a colourful forest almost immediately, dominated by twisted snow gums and banksias.
A mix of boardwalks and a widely groomed gravel path escorts you through the sub-alpine scene, where you’ll notice a distinct contrast in the vegetation. The path borders a sub-alpine herbfield covered in coral fern and sedges on one side, then abruptly shifts to a thriving woodland on the other.
After an easy 500 m, you’ll arrive at a bridge that crosses the Arve River. Moss-spotted boulders emerge from the river, creating a mini set of rapids underneath the bridge. From this point, the trail adds a touch of excitement with additional boulders being incorporated into the path.
Reaching Arve Falls
In just 10 minutes, you’ll have made it to the stairs leading to a suspended viewing platform 5 metres below Arve Falls. A little goat track off to the left allows you to creep closer to the water’s edge – but of course, do this at your own risk.
From the Arve Falls viewing platform, you’re met with a cascading waterfall tumbling between disorderly brown and grey rocks, bordered by a stunning mix of snow gums and sub-alpine vegetation. Arve Falls offers the illusion of plummeting forever into the precipitous valley below. And for this reason, I can almost guarantee that the waterfall will look much bigger in person than it does in any photo you’ll find.
Returning To The Car Park
After soaking in the vast views of the southwest and exploring the banks of Arve Falls, retrace your steps to get back to your car. You’ll make it back to the trailhead within approximately 20 minutes of walking.
Arve Falls is an easy and enjoyable walk that often offers the only views when the peaks of the Hartz Mountains are wrapped in a cloak of mist. It’s certainly not the most exciting walk you’ll find in Tasmania, but if you have an extra 20 minutes to stretch your legs after or before summiting Hartz Peak, it’s worth it.
Best Time To Visit Arve Falls
Arve Falls can be visited year-round as long as Hartz Rd isn’t covered in ice. The best time to visit is after a good dose of rain or through winter when snow often dusts the tree tops. A time to avoid is weekends during summer as Hartz Mountains National Park is a popular day trip from Hobart.
To further aid in your decision on when to visit Arve Falls, we’ve included a short summary of the positives and negatives for each season.
- Summer: Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of all the natural lakes you can swim in at Hartz Mountains National Park, but with that comes large crowds
- Autumn: Tasmania often receives the calmest weather in Autumn, albeit a little cold
- Winter: Snow is common in the Hartz Mountains and witnessing Arve Falls covered in white is a special moment, but make sure you bring all your winter woollies and check the road conditions first
- Spring: The banksias bloom in spring, offering a wonderful show of bright red flowers, however, spring also brings the most volatile weather where lots of rain and high winds are common
Leave No Trace
Tasmania has a wealth of wild places and it’s each and every one of our responsibilities to keep it that way. Please follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when you’re exploring our precious nature and leave a place the same – or better – than you found it.
There aren’t any facilities at the Arve Falls car park, however, you’ll find toilets at the Waratah lookout 1 km south and at the Hartz Mountains Day Visitor Shetler 2 km north. There are no rubbish bins in the national park so please take your rubbish with you – including food scraps and tissues!
What To Bring
Arve Falls is a short walk along a well-groomed path, where runners are the footwear of choice – except in winter when the ground could be covered in snow. You won’t need to take much with you for this walk other than a water bottle and perhaps a rain jacket as Tasmania’s weather can’t be trusted.
If you’re planning to spend the night at Arve River Campground, 12 km north of the Arve Falls trailhead, you’ll need to purchase all your groceries in Geeveston before you leave as there are no shops past that point.
Here is our basic list of items that we recommend taking on the Arve Falls walk
- A good and grippy pair of trail runners
- A good rain jacket – Tasmania can be unpredictable and unfriendly
- A tough, reusable Water bottle
- Snacks
- Phone
Where To Stay Near Arve Falls, Tasmania
Due to its close proximity to Hobart, Arve Falls is an easy day trip to do from the city. However, if you’d rather immerse yourself in the beauty of the Huon Valley, there’s a vast range of accommodation options along the Huon River.
Our favourite place to stay is the Arve River Campground, 12 km north. Unfortunately, you’re not able to drive into the campground but their car park is located right beside the picnic tables and firepits for those restricted to sleeping in their car.
