Somersby Falls picnic area
Brisbane Water National Park
Overview
A great place to picnic on the Central Coast, Somersby Falls picnic area is wheelchair accessible and offers barbecues and picnic tables in a lush rainforest setting, with waterfalls and a walking track.
- Type
- Picnic areas
- Accessibility
- Medium
- Entry fees
- Park entry fees apply
- Opening times
7am to 8pm daylight savings time, or 7am to 6pm at all other times
- What to
bring - Drinking water
- Please note
Please don’t feed the local animals.
Somersby Falls picnic area is the perfect place to escape from everyday life. Enjoy your meal amidst lush rainforest that feels a million miles away, but in reality is so close to home. It’s a great place to picnic, with free barbecues and picnic tables and plenty of space to set up your own rug and chairs. There are also accessible walking tracks nearby, and it’s a short walk to view 3 levels of the cascading waterfalls.
Whether you picnic under the shade of tall trees at the far end of the carpark, or next to Floods Creek before it descends over the cascades, you’re bound to see a bird or two. Make sure you look out for the industrious brush turkeys that might be keen on sharing your lunch. In the warmer months, you might also see water dragons, skinks and goannas around lunch time. If you’re there early in the morning, keep an eye out for lyrebirds.
When you’ve enjoyed a tasty barbecue and feel like stretching your legs, try Somersby Falls walking track. It’s an 800m return walk through rainforest that takes in views of the top and bottom waterfalls. The walk is steep and slippery in places, so keep an eye on the kids as they walk along the track.
The picnic area is great for families, school groups and visitors with limited mobility. The best time to visit is on weekdays and outside of peak school holiday periods. It’s quieter and less crowded then, and a great place to find some peace and admire the gymea lilies and rainforest plants of this area.
Also see:
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Somersby Falls walking track
Somersby Falls walking track in Brisbane Water National Park runs through rainforest to the bottom of Somersby Falls. It starts at Somersby Falls picnic area, a popular Central Coast rest stop near Gosford.
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General enquiries
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Park info
- in Brisbane Water National Park in the Sydney and surrounds region
Two picnic areas in this park – Girrakool picnic area and Somersby Falls picnic area – are closed in the evening. They are open 7am to 8pm during daylight savings and 7am to 6pm at other times.
Other areas of Brisbane Water National Park will be open at all times, however may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
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Park entry fees:
$8 per vehicle per day. The park has pay machines that accept both card and coins, or you can pay via the Park'nPay app.
Other fees:
You will need a permit to hold a wedding or undertake commercial photography within the park.
Buy annual pass
What's nearby:
Things to do (35)
- Aboriginal culture (6)
- Adventure sports (1)
- Birdwatching and wildlife encounters (13)
- Canoeing/paddling (1)
- Cycling (7)
- Historic heritage (4)
- Horse riding (4)
- Other experiences (1)
- Photography (2)
- Picnics and barbecues (6)
- Sightseeing (16)
- Walking (19)
- Waterfalls (5)
- Wildflowers (seasonal) (6)