A Local’s Guide To Halls Falls, Tasmania
Beyond the twisting Tasman Highway that meanders through verdant farmlands fed by the Groom River in Tasmania’s northeast, you’ll find the mesmerising flow of a lesser-known waterfall. Halls Falls is not known for its size but for its rich history, the giant fern trees that hem the banks, and its passive cascade over multiple tiers of smooth brown boulders.
We have visited Halls Falls many times, thinking fondly of it as our local go-to, and experienced the waterfall flowing at full force as well as offering no more than a trickle. But no matter the season, Halls Falls always provides unwavering beauty and excitement for our rock-hopping friends.
Being located off the Tasman Highway and taking less than an hour to complete, Halls Falls is an easy side trip on your way to St Helens, or the perfect add-on for a day visiting Pyengana and St Columba Falls. In this post, we’ll cover all the necessary information as well as inspire your trip with captivating images of Halls Falls.
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Table of Contents
ToggleExperiencing The Magic Of Halls Falls, Tasmania
Distance
2.4 km return
Time
40 – 60 minutes
Elevation Gain
102 m
Grade
Grade 2 – some steep and uneven sections to reach the base of the falls
Highest Elevation
226 m
Facilities
None
Entrance Fees
None
Where Is Halls Falls
Located in Pyengana, Halls Falls sits on the southern fringes of the Blue Tier Forest Reserve (made famous by the epic adventure mtb trail, the Blue Tier) where the Groom River begins its journey. The waterfall is tucked among the rolling hills flanking the Tasman Highway which runs from Launceston through forest and farmlands to St Helens on the northeast coast.
Halls Falls is 25 minutes west of St Helens, 45 minutes east of Derby, and 2 hrs 10 mins east of Launceston.
How To Get To Halls Falls Tasmania
Halls Falls is one of the most easily accessible waterfalls in northeast Tasmania, with the trailhead car park located just under a kilometre off the Tasman Highway.
To get to the Halls Falls trailhead from either St Helens or Launceston, simply follow the A3 until you reach the turnoff onto Anchor Rd which will guide you north. After 900 m, the car park will be on your right. Here you’ll find a wide enough space for up to eight or ten vehicles and an undercover area with information boards about Halls Falls and its history.
Anchor Rd is 2.2km east of the Pyengana Dairy turnoff (St Columba Falls Rd) and 23.4 km west of St Helens.
Note: When you type the directions into Google, make sure to choose ‘Halls Falls trailhead’. If you simply choose ‘Halls Falls’ you’ll be directed to a different road that doesn’t lead to the actual walking track. This road has a sign indicating that you’ve got a further 2 km to go before reaching the turnoff.
Halls Falls Trail Notes
Beginning under an old rustic shelter filled with historical facts, a simple path meanders through eucalypt and myrtle forests, overgrown with fallen trunks and ferns of all kinds. You’ll hear the very vocal wildlife living among the trees, chattering amongst themselves, as you wander deeper into the wet woodlands.
After approximately 500 m, you’ll find a fork in the path with a sign offering two options, to take a short 720 m trail back to the car park and thus complete a short loop, or to continue on for another 500 m to reach the Halls Falls lookout.
Assuming you’re eager to reach the waterfall, follow the track northeast as it begins its slow descent to the river’s edge. As you near the Groom River, the forest thickens, allowing moss and lichen to grow wildly, creating a film over the rocks and roots strewn across the path.
Reaching The Top Of Halls Falls
The trail’s gradient steepens slightly just before you reach the Halls Falls viewing platform, requiring a little more care as the slippery surface tries to trip you up.
From the viewing platform, you’re gifted with an uninterrupted view of the multiple-tiered waterfall before you. The water slowly courses through a series of boulders before dropping powerfully over the largest set into a fern-filled oasis below.
Once you’ve admired Halls Falls from the viewing platform, you have three other points of interest to explore – a smaller waterfall with rock pools surrounding, a historic 19th-century weir, and a path leading beneath the biggest drop of Halls Falls.
Wandering The Rock Pools Upriver
An uneven and overgrown traverse will lead you from the lookout to the first right turn, 140m upstream, where you’ll have the chance to wander down to the fern laden banks of the Groom River.
When the river isn’t flowing quite so rapidly, this is a wonderful spot for some rock hopping over the partially exposed boulders above the small waterfall. In summer, you’ll often find this section ankle deep and worthy of exploration for those that are comfortable walking over slippery rocks.
Halls Falls 19th Century Weir
Located another 100m walk upstream of the rock pools, you’ll find a 19th-century weir that still remains from a time when Chinese miners worked the region’s rich, mineral veins for tin. The tannin-stained water above is as still as night, providing a flawless mirror of the flanking ferns, before flowing like a rusted curtain over the weir.
To reach the weir, take the second right fork after the rock pools. You’ll see the weir from the path above before descending to the water’s edge.
While this section isn’t quite as exciting as Halls Falls itself, the short walk makes it worth a visit to gain perspective of what this area may have looked like over 100 years ago when it was still part of a working tin and timber mine.
Exploring The Base Of Halls Falls
After exploring the historic 19th-century weir, backtrack along the path towards the lookout before taking the final track down to the base of Halls Falls.
This section of the trail is the most difficult, requiring a good amount of balance to avoid slipping on the steep overgrown steps making up a majority of the path. But it’s all worthwhile once you enter the canopy of tree ferns lining the river.
From this vantage point, the waterfall seems larger as it flows over a mess of deep brown boulders. Small ferns and mini moss ecosystems paint the boulders in bright green shades, breaking up the dark tones of the river.
The rock formations create a distinctive split in the flow of water, essentially affording two waterfalls to fall beside one another before entering the same pool below.
You could spend a lengthy amount of time wandering along the spongy banks of the Groom River, earning new angles of the picturesque waterfall to feast your eyes upon. If you’re game, this section of Halls Falls is the perfect place for a quick refreshing dip!
Returning To The Trailhead
Once you’ve finished exploring the base of Halls Falls, make your way back to the viewing platform before turning southwest and returning to the car park on the same trail. On the way back, you do have the option to take the other trail I mentioned earlier that makes up the shorter forest loop – or just continue on the main track for the quickest route back to your car.
If you choose to return via the trail you’ve yet to walk, you’ll be greeted with a greater number of towering gum trees, giant boulders, and signs with quirky descriptions of certain natural features.
Best Time To Visit Halls Falls
Halls Falls is one of our favourite waterfalls because no matter when you visit, you’ll gain something from the experience.
When the water is flowing ferociously, you can admire the sheer force of nature as it smashes over the barely visible boulders. But when the water is flowing with a more languid attitude, you have the opportunity to explore further and hop along the exposed rocks to gain a closer look at the peaceful waterfall.
While this means you can visit any time of year, I will add a few tips for each season below so you can properly prepare for your experience.
- Summer: In summer, you’ll have the opportunity to swim below the last tier of Halls Falls as the water is usually at a lower level this time of year. However, be aware that this is snake season and they do love this area.
- Autumn: This season usually offers the calmest weather and while you may not be wanting to swim at this time, you’ll usually find the area almost deserted of other travellers.
- Winter: You have a bigger chance of experiencing the waterfall at full force during winter, however, be aware that this can also cause the trail to be extremely muddy in sections. Best to wear a good pair of hiking boots if you visit at this time.
- Spring: In spring, you can expect to find budding wildflowers and the waterfall at either full or medium force depending on the rainfall that year. This is my favourite time to visit as the weather is almost warm enough to swim but the likelihood of seeing another visitor is slim.
Leave No Trace
While it’s always important to leave no trace, no matter where you are, it’s even more imperative when you’re wandering through forests where native animals reside.
There are no facilities at Halls Falls so please pack out anything you take with you and leave as little of a trace as possible. If you’re unfamiliar with the 7 Leave No Trace Principles you can read about them here.
What To Bring
The walk to Halls Falls is fairly easy and usually completed within an hour. Therefore, it’s not necessary to take much with you other than your water bottle and perhaps a snack.
Due to the abundance of mud and leeches, we recommend wearing hiking boots or at the very least, thick long socks that will give you some protection from leeches, and snakes in the summertime.
Here is our basic list of items that we recommend taking on the Halls Falls Walk
- A sturdy and supportive pair of hiking shoes
- A good rain jacket – Tasmania can be unpredictable and unfriendly
- A tough, reusable Water bottle
- Snacks
- Phone
Where To Stay Near Halls Falls Tasmania
Halls Falls is located less than 30 minutes from St Helens and 35 minutes from Binalong Bay in the Bay of Fires. The famous mountain biking destination, Derby, is only 45 minutes west of the falls as well, allowing many options to base yourself near the waterfall.