The Litchfield National Park waterfalls are why this is one of the most popular Northern Territory national parks. Add it to your Australia travel plans now!
Of all the Northern Territory National Parks in Australia, Litchfield is one of the most popular due to its ease of access from Darwin.
The road from Darwin to Litchfield national park is sealed and accessible to 2WD vehicles and the drive takes just over an hour to get here.
Visiting the waterfalls is one of the most popular things to do in Litchfield National Park.
All of these natural swimming holes are set in stunning locations, with lush forest, jutting rocks, crystal clear water and spectacular cascading waterfalls.
You may also like to read: Things to do in Kakadu National Park.
Here we highlight some of the most beautiful waterfalls in Litchfield National Park.
We visited all of these in one day as part of our 5 day itinerary of the Darwin national parks, but you might want to take your time to relax more at each one and visit them over a couple of days.
All of these Litchfield National Park waterfalls are easily accessible and have sealed roads, meaning a 4WD vehicle is not necessary to get to them. If you don’t want to self-drive, you can book a Litchfield Day Tour from Darwin.
These Litchfield day tours usually include a few waterfalls and lunch and they will pick you up and drop you off at your Darwin accommodation.
Read here: Things to do in Darwin with Kids.
If you are planning on camping in Litchfield National Park, fees apply. You can read the latest fees here. Also note that you cannot reserve a spot in the Litchfield National Park campgrounds; it is on a first come-first served basis.
Remember if you are planning to do any of the walks around the waterfalls to ensure you bring sun hats, [easyazon_link identifier=”B01MQXX9US” locale=”US” tag=”mumonthemov-20″]sunscreen[/easyazon_link], [easyazon_link keywords=”water bottles” locale=”US” tag=”mumonthemov-20″]water bottles[/easyazon_link] and [easyazon_link identifier=”B010AFV0LM” locale=”US” tag=”mumonthemov-20″]mosquito repellent[/easyazon_link].
Table of Contents
Walker Creek Litchfield
Walker Creek was a great little find in Litchfield. It is located in the north part of the park, so if you are traveling from Darwin to Litchfield, it will be one of the first places you come to.
You can swim really close to the car park here and there are picnic facilities here. However, there are 8 much nicer swimming holes along the creek. To get to the first one is only a 600m walk from the car park. Number 8 is around a 2-kilometre walk.
According to local insider knowledge, camps 3, 4 and 6 are the prettiest of the campsites at Walker Creek. We only got as far Camp no.1 and it was gorgeous!
We had planned to go a little further but as we arrived at Campsite 1, there was nobody else there, so we decided to make the most of having a pretty little swimming hole all to ourselves.
We also had a few more waterfalls planned for the day so we decided to reserve the kids’ energy for later.
Walk-in camping is available along the creek. This means you will need to carry all your equipment with you from the car to the camping site of your choosing.
Note that there are only toilet facilities in the car park and near campsite 6. You can register and pay for camping in the car park before you set off.
Wangi Falls Litchfield
One of the largest swimming holes in Litchfield National Park, Wangi Falls is very popular thanks to its accessibility and great facilities.
There is a large picnic area, as well as a kiosk and toilet facilities all near the car park. It is just a short stroll to the swimming area.
Once you get to the swimming hole, there is a short walk to a lookout to admire the view, and a longer 3km walk which takes you up over the waterfall.
The swimming area is vast and it is quite a swim across to the waterfall. So if you are visiting with young kids, bring a [easyazon_link identifier=”B01GSDTUP8″ locale=”US” tag=”mumonthemov-20″]pool noodle[/easyazon_link] or [easyazon_link identifier=”B07BHSJP1Z” locale=”US” tag=”mumonthemov-20″]inflatable[/easyazon_link] to help them get across.
If you are up for some Litchfield National Park camping, the Wangi Falls campground is a good spot, with hot showers and BBQ facilities all on offer.
Buley Rockhole Litchfield
One of our favourite swimming holes near Darwin was the Buley Rockhole. This series of waterfalls and rockholes cascades down the creek, making for a stunning setting to sit back, relax and swim.
You can choose from shallow pools to wallow in, larger deeper pools where you can jump off the rocks, or find a spot where you can sit under a waterfall and get a nice natural shoulder massage!
The rockhole swimming area is just a 5-minute walk from the car park where there are showers, toilets and changing facilities, as well as a picnic area. Camping is also allowed here.
Buley Rockhole to Florence Falls Walk
We loved Buley Rockhole, but it was very busy when we visited, meaning there was no chance of getting a little rock hole to ourselves here.
What we did discover however was that there were more secluded swimming areas along the walk to Florence Falls.
This 1.5km walk is flat and easy to do with kids – and there is a choice of little swimming holes along the way, which are signposted from the walking track. We stopped at one and had it entirely to ourselves!
Florence Falls Litchfield
Florence Falls is a spectacular swimming hole with two high cascading waterfalls plunging into it. It is a popular spot and with reason – it really is beautiful, surrounding by lush forest. They’ve even built some sturdy steps to make getting into the water easy!
We saw lots of fish in the crystal clear water here, so bring a mask and snorkel for your kids. Also bring a pool noodle or inflatable for young kids, as it is a fair swim across the swimming hole.
You can go directly down the steps to get to the Litchfield National Park Florence Falls swimming hole, but it is a nicer route to go via the Shady Creek Walk. This loop walk takes you through the woodlands along a peaceful creek to the swimming hole.
Note there are a lot of steps to walk up to return to the car park if you continue this loop, so you might want to do it in reverse.
Florence Falls camping is available in the campground here, which has toilet and shower facilities. There is another 4WD campground just up the road.
Litchfield National Park Map
This map of Litchfield National Park shows where all these waterfalls near Darwin are located. The red pins are the waterfalls mentioned above, the blue pins are the accommodation options listed below.
Safety Tips for Litchfield National Park
Remember that you are in crocodile country here! Only swim where the signs tell you it is safe to swim. All of the above swimming holes are well regulated, and they will not be open to the public if there is any hint of danger.
Be careful if jumping from the rocks into the rock pools. There are a lot of submerged rocks within the rock pools, so make sure you double check your landing area. Also note these rocks get really slippery when wet.
Accommodation at Litchfield National Park
All of the above swimming holes have campgrounds. Beyond camping, Litchfield National Park accommodation is fairly limited.
If you have your own caravan, the only campsite permitted to use is Wangi Falls, and note that there are no powered sites here. There are a couple of tourist parks though, which provide powered sites and also cabin accommodation:
Litchfield Tourist Park
The closest accommodation near Litchfield National Park is Litchfield Tourist Park, which offers a range of accommodation options.
If you are camping or have your own caravan, this Litchfield accommodation offers both powered and non-powered sites.
It also offers other accommodation from basic bunkhouses to two bedroom cabins, which have air-conditioning, TVs, fully fitted kitchens and large verandahs with BBQs and ceiling fans.
Facilities within the tourist park include a café, swimming pool, laundry facilities and guest BBQ area.
Click here to check prices for the Litchfield Tourist Park.
Batchelor Holiday Park
10 minutes further down the road brings you to Batchelor Holiday Park. This Batchelor caravan park offers powered and non-powered sites for camping and caravans and also cabins and villas with private bathrooms.
The two-bedrooms villas are best for families, with fully fitted kitchens and dining/living areas, air-conditioning and TVs.
Within the holiday park there is a small swimming pool, mini golf, laundry facilities and BBQs.
Click here to check prices for the Batchelor Holiday Park.
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