Often regarded as Tasmania’s favourite waterfall, Russell Falls Tasmania is also the most photographed and very easy to get to. Read the full blog post about visiting this incredible waterfall in Mount Field National Park, Tasmania.
If you’re searching for waterfalls in Tasmania, Russell Falls will often be the first image to pop up. That’s because this particular waterfall is truly a Tassie icon. Russell Falls’ popularity dates back to the late 1800s when it was first selected as one of eight images to be used on a set of pictorial postage stamps promoting Tasmania’s growing tourism industry.
While times may have changed since then, the waterfall hasn’t. Its original beauty of this picturesque, double-tiered cascade has been preserved in the Mount Field National Park, for everybody to enjoy. In this blog post, I aim to provide you with everything you need to before visiting Russell Falls Tasmania. I’ve also included several of my photographs from the waterfall that I hope will inspire you to visit.
Where is Russell Falls?
Russell Falls is located within the Mount Field National Park in Tasmania's Central Highlands. This National Park is approximately 70 kilometres northwest of Hobart.
- Google Maps Pin: "Russell Falls"
How to Get to Russell Falls
To get to Russell Falls Tasmania, visitors will need to make their way to Mount Field National Park Visitor Centre. The park is accessible by car following the Brooker and Lyell highways. Expect roughly a 1.5-hour drive from Hobart on well-maintained sealed roads the entire way.
Unfortunately, there are no direct public transport options to this park. However, if you're set on seeing this tassie icon, you can book a full-day organised tour from Hobart stopping at the falls and also includes a visit to Mount Wellington, Bonorong, and Richmond.
The Ultimate Tasmania Travel Resource
Looking for more Tasmania travel guides & adventure inspiration? Below are my most comprehensive blog posts that will serve as a great free resource for your trip.
Russell Falls Walk
Once you arrive at the Mount Field National Park visitor centre, you will need to follow a short, easy and sealed track to reach the waterfall. This departs at the back of the visitor centre, so you will need to walk through or around the building from the carpark to access the track.
The Russell Falls walk is only 20 minutes return to the waterfall but can be continued on to form the Three Falls & Tall Trees Circuit which also passes Horseshoe Falls and Lady Barron Falls. This is a longer option but still a relatively easy walk that is truly one of Tasmania's most scenic forest walking tracks.
Car Rentals in Tasmania
Unfortunately, the cost of bringing your own car on the Spirit of Tasmania has skyrocketed in recent years.
Now, it is usually cheaper to rent a car on arrival. I recommend using RentalCars.com in Tasmania to compare rates for different vehicles across dealerships.
(Rentals are limited in Tasmania so it's a good idea to book in advance).
Visiting Russell Falls Tasmania
The walking track to Russell Falls is very beautiful, passing dense, mossy fern forests and some of the world's tallest flowering trees.
After walking just a couple of hundred metres down the flat, paved track, the rainforest opens up to a wide boardwalk clearing. This is the viewpoint where you can get the best view of this impressive two-tiered cascade.
There are alternative vantage points both on the left of the platform and from above by following the steps further along the track. However, these views are interrupted by dense forest.
Below are some of the photos that I captured during my visit to Russell Falls Tasmania
#1 Water Bottle Filter
Enter the Grayl GeoPress Water Filter & Purifier Bottle! I take this bottle on every hike and use it as my go-to source for filtering water all over the world. I've even used it to drink tap water in India!
// Compare how the GeoPress stacks up against the best water bottle filters on the market.
Facts About Russell Falls Tasmania
Below I've included some facts that you might want to know about this iconic Tassie waterfall.
Waterfall height: 54 metres tall
Levels: 2 primary drops, only the bottom is accessible via the viewing platform
Altitude: 295 m AMSL
- This waterfall was once known as Browning Falls after the original discovery in 1856.
- It's Tasmania's most photographed waterfall
- The sealed track to the falls is very easy and accessible by wheelchair
- The tremendous amount of water is fed by Russell Falls Creek. This flows over horizontal marine Permian siltstone before dropping down vertical sandstone layers.
- You will require a Tasmanian National Parks Pass to enter Mount Field National Park
More Waterfalls and Things to do in Mount Field National Park Tasmania
I hope you enjoyed the information and my photography from Russell Falls Tasmania. If you're looking for more travel inspiration and great adventure content from Tassie, make sure to check out some of my other articles below.