Summary

Visit one of Victoria's highest waterfalls. Steavenson Falls opened to tourists in 1866. If you visit in the evening, the gravel path and falls are floodlit using electricity generated by the falls.

Description

A gentle walk along paved walking paths to the Steaveson Falls viewing platform, with options for walking to Marysville along the 3.5km Tree Fern Gully trail. A viewing platform sits below the 84-metre deep falls, with another lookout from the other side of the river.

Steavenson Falls provides the town's water supply, so no swimming is allowed. The falls are lit up from dusk until 11pm each night, powered by the electricity it generates in this cross flow turbine. You can look in at the turbine generator further down the pathway towards a staircase that will take you back to the upper path and along to the car park. Steavenson River is named after the Victorian Assistant Commissioner of Roads and Bridges, John Steavenson who arrived here in the early 1860s.

DIRECTIONS: This 700 metre walk starts at the Steavenson Falls car park, on Falls Road in Marysville. You can also access this walk via the Tree Fern Gully Trail.

AMENITIES: There are public toilets and an educational viewing platform across to the town of Marysville, located in the Steavenson Falls carpark, and bench seating located throughout.

Please check Parks Victoria for the latest track updates and alerts: www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/yarra-ranges-national-park

DOGS are not permitted at Steavenson Falls. They are only permitted in the car park area, but not along the trail to the falls. See this walk from the town to the falls as dogs are permitted on-lead for most of the Tree Fern Gully trail.

30139 Views

Points of Interest

1. Viewing platform

Before you walk down to Steavenson Falls, visit the look out for a stunning view of the valley below. The 84-metre-tall falls has a year-round flow due to its forested catchment.

2. Little falls (Photo: Lea Skye)

Check out the 'mini falls - visible from the car park. Thanks to Lea Skye for this photo.

3. Information

The falls begins its descent 350 metres higher up, on the crest of the Great Dividing Range. It drops 84 metres into a catchment of 16 square kilometres and supplies the town of Marysville with water.

4. A gentle path

Follow the gravel path down towards the falls for a spectacular view. The falls mark the most dramatic point in the journey of the Steavenson River as it flows north to the town of Buxton.

5. From a distance

Observe the falls from a distance for a sense of just how tall they really are. Keep watch for wildlife and you may see a platypus in the river pools nearby.

6. Turbine generation

Walk along the lower path to access the turbine generation. At the base of the falls is a small weir that collects water, sending it down a 300mm-diameter pipe to power this hydroelectric turbine.

7. Water power

This cross flow turbine is believed to be the only one of its kind in Australia. It was upgraded after the Black Saturday bushfires so that excess power could be sent to the national power grid.

Features

Picnic spot

Seating available

Public toilets

Nature trail

Lake, creek, river

Park / Garden