Trek to Stoney Creek Falls in Cairns

24/01/2018Lisa Owen

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24/01/2018Lisa Owen

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If you’re looking for a quick and dirty hike near Cairns, then the trek to Stoney Creek Falls and its neighbouring swimming hole might be just the ticket.

Quick Overview

Stoney Creek Falls trail is a 2km, grade 3 hike located in the Barron Gorge National Park in Queensland. The hike should take around 45 minutes to complete.

Highlights

A super accessible microadventure from Cairns
Beautiful waterfall
Cooling off with a wild swim

A Quick Trip To Stoney Creek Falls

Recovering from a knee injury and needing to slip in a short hike before a family wedding, I discovered Stoney Creek Falls. This swimming hole and waterfall is at Kuranda, only a short drive from Cairns.

Stoney Creek Falls is nestled in the Barron Gorge National Park. It’s the first park in Queensland to have a native title determination, this was handed to the Djabugay speaking people in 2004 and means they are actively involved in managing the park.

In typical adventurer style, I first tried to get up to the falls by rockhopping up the creek to enjoy the raw beauty of the area, but heavy rain over the past few days meant creek levels were too high for a rockhop. I was forced back onto the actual trail with my cousins and friends and we made our way up to the falls and an old weir.

The track climbs up through Stoney Creek Gorge beside the creek and ends at a large boulder near the old weir. Even with a wobbly knee, the trail was easy to negotiate with just a few muddy sections to contend with.

It was only a short 20 minute walk up to the falls. We spent some time exploring the falls area and my cousin went for a dip. The rocks were slippery as though and I slipped once and sported a big purple bruise to prove it. Another of my hiking buddies also went down, slapping the water – so take care!