Reynolds Falls - A big sidetrip... is it worth it?

[Fizzygood]

Hi all,

The subject heading says it all...

Anyone been in there overnight? What is the camping like?

Cheers, Erin

[whiskeylover]

Hi Fizzygood,
We'd like to know the answer to that question too. I have heard that people have walked in and camped, so there must be some flat pad areas when you get there. We tried to do it as a day trip after camping at the end of the 4WD track before the steep downhill washed out section. It is a very long day trip and quite steep up and down all day. It would be a hard slog with a pack on but it is a pleasant and pretty walk and nicely sheltered. We did it in summer on a stinking hot day but ran out of time and turned back before we got there. I reckon we were only about another half hour away, but that probably would have made our day two hours longer to get back as it was too hot and very steep up hill. Hope to do it again one day, but I think we'll still do it as a day trip, just give ourselves more time knowing it's further than you think. It would probably be nasty if it was wet too as there are a few creek crossings and the hills would be very slippery. I don't think many people go in there - the track is easy to follow but not very well padded.

On the way to Reynolds falls.JPG (42.07 KiB) Viewed 26961 times

[Taurë-rana]

From what I've heard, it's absolutely beautiful. It's somewhere I want to go, but being lazy and at the risk of heresy on this forum I think maybe 4 wheel driving to the start of the walking track might be a good option. I have driven past it before.

[crazyone]

Hi,
Camping is fairly limited on this trip, the only decent spots being within about 45 minutes of the falls themselves. It would make a very hard day trip even if you started at the 4wd track. The descent down (and back up again!) into the rainforest from the grove of pandanis is heartbreaking. However, the answer is a resounding yes, it certainly is worth it as it is truly astounding sight to witness first hand where the Vale river decides, what the hell, lets fall out here. Overnight really is the only option coz i reckon you'd hate to get there and think, ok, thats our 5minutes, lets go.

[tastrekker]

I think fizzygood is on their trip now but I'll respond anyway. It is an awesome waterfall. I went in summer and was ridiculed by people who saw the Vale River as merely a trickle where it flows under the Cradle Link Road. Despite the trickle up near its source, it had plenty of water to be really spectacular. In fact, the wilderness posters featuring Reynolds Falls look like it is quite similar to the flow we saw.
I've described my trip from Mount Cripps to Cradle Lodge via Reynolds Falls in this post: Mount Remus to Reynolds Falls.

[farefam]

It is a great walk. Usually you'll have the place to yourself. You can camp about 5 minutes up the track from the falls on a flat saddle. Great forest and a magnificent waterfall all year round.

[Luuk Veltkamp]

Hi all

I am new to this, but I just sore this post and have to say it is very much worth it. I did it in winter when the river was full and the forest wet and it was brilliant.

Luuk

The Falls taken from a slippery rock, Winter 2008

[Fitz]

Beautiful photo Luuk, I've seen some of you other stuff on Google earth. Nice work

[crazyone]

Yeah, great photo. Looks like winter is the time to see it!!!

[Crum]

Where abouts will I find the 4WD track which goes into the start of the track? Would it be possible to do it in a day walk this way?

[Niels]

Nice photo Luuk! Look forward to seeing some of your other photo's

Niels.

[alexwise]

Sorry to bump an old thread guys but was just wondering if anyone could direct me to some more info regarding this fall? What's the walk like, where does it start, etc? Would appreciate any help

[whiskeylover]

Have PM'd details rather than publishing, although it's not really an untracked area as such.

[tastrekker]

Sorry to bump an old thread guys but was just wondering if anyone could direct me to some more info regarding this fall? What's the walk like, where does it start, etc? Would appreciate any help

It's a great old thread to get bumped back up the list. Reynolds Falls is a terrific walk. I'm fairly certain John Chapman describes the walk as part of the Penguin to Cradle section of his new Overland Track guide book.

Last edited by tastrekker on Tue 07 Apr, 2009 6:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Crum]

Would you also be able to pm me the details please whiskeylover as I've wanted to do this walk for a while now

[Joel]

Rhino - The track is very easy to find. Come to Cradle Mt Lodge and start off on the King Billy track which leaves next to the fly fishing pond here at the lodge. It's all sign posted. The track crosses a 4WD track near the Speeler Plains as mentioned before. This 4WD track is used by Cradle Country Adventures for Quad Bike tours and Horse riding and I don't think Ray would be too impressed if anyone parked on that to start the walk. If you need more info about the start of the track you can ring Parks at Cradle or ask at Reception at Cradle Mt Lodge where the King Billy track is. I'm actually heading off tomorrow to the falls to have a fish.

Oh Man is that a nice photo Luuk!

Rhino - The track is very easy to find. Come to Cradle Mt Lodge and start off on the King Billy track which leaves next to the fly fishing pond here at the lodge. It's all sign posted. The track crosses a 4WD track near the Speeler Plains as mentioned before. This 4WD track is used by Cradle Country Adventures for Quad Bike tours and Horse riding and I don't think Ray would be too impressed if anyone parked on that to start the walk. If you need more info about the start of the track you can ring Parks at Cradle or ask at Reception at Cradle Mt Lodge where the King Billy track is. I'm actually heading off tomorrow to the falls to have a fish.

Joel- get some pictures- hey?

[Crum]

Going to have a crack at walking into the falls from the 4WD track over the weekend. Hopefully I can get some really great photos now I've got my camera sussed out. With any luck there might be a bit of water

[Crum]

Ended up on the Penguin - Cradle trail by mistake but have the start of the track sussed out now. Still found a pretty impressive set of falls on the Vale River near the fourways though. Weather was a tad average and it drizzled most of the time. I have seriously never seen so many leeches in my life before. We soon got sick of picking them off every 100m. Are they bad like this on the Reynolds Falls track also? Sort of makes me think twice about camping out there

[crazyone]

I reckon the only leech i got attached itself while i was walking back up to the car at the transit centre. I did it in January tho and it was pretty dry, not much coming down the Vale. More flies than anything else. Jan/Feb is probably the best in my opinion, i was able to get right under the falls for an unforgettable experience! Dont think i'd try that at the moment!

[Speculator]

Hi all,

This has been one I've been wondering about myself for ages. I knew it would be an extreme day-walk if I did it that way and given the 4WD track, always wondered if you'd be able to make any use of a mountain bike to get you part-way in quicker. Would that be possible, or isn't it that simple?

L8r.

[Joel]

Mountain Bike would be OK to get to the 4WD track crossing, but as I mentioned earlier the 4WD track is on private property and it's not a good idea to go that way without written permissin. I'm sure if you rang up Cradle Country Adventures you could work something out with the owner (Ray). I think he is putting up a locked gate soon, as people keep driving in and leaving vehicles on the track which makes it difficult to run his business.

[crazyone]

How much time does this 4wd track actually save? if its what im thinking, it probably only saves u 2 hrs tops from the trip if u do it from the cradle road. i reckon that the walk across the speeler plains is a nice part of it and probably the easiest part of the walk. the time issue is that is a hard up and down walk thru some reasonable terrain on a track that requires some attention to follow it. Totally worthwhile but unfortunately, there are no obvious shortcuts or timesavers

[Joel]

Time saved? I'm not too sure, as I have never bothered for the reasons you mention, but I think maybe might save you 2 hours, give or take.

[Speculator]

Time saved? I'm not too sure, as I have never bothered for the reasons you mention, but I think maybe might save you 2 hours, give or take.

I guess it depends on what fraction of the total walk that would be. Any guesses at the total walk duration?

L8r.

[crazyone]

At a guess on my behalf i would say it would have to be at least a 10 hour walk

[Speculator]

Hmmm... from the maps I've got, and Google Earth, it looks like the road I can see takes you to less than 7km from the falls, from what I can work out that's nearly halfway. I don't know if we're talking about the same 4WD track, but here's where it appears to end, and join another slightly less defined track:


View Larger Map

Which leads to the falls, which are about here:


View Larger Map

L8r.

[crazyone]

The less defined track is an old mining road, its pretty rough in any case, easy enough to follow but only on foot. That goes for probably 45 minutes and then the track is mainly forested marked with reflectors. As soon as that mining track finishes you cross a creek nearly straight away and then climb thru a pandani grove whereit opens up a bit at the top. From there it starts the track proper(the reflector marked one) as it descends thru rainforest. that point is probably at about 960m and given reynolds is probably under 400m, you can see what ur going to be up against. If u left at first light on the 21st of december u could probably do it in a day walk but there are 2 probs i see with that. 1. i would hate to get to the falls, spend 5 mins there and have to go again because u know times wasting and 2. who knows what the weather is going to do. Any heavy downpour is going to make a few of those creeks uncrossable not to mention the Vale itself. Whilst not dangerous if u wait for the river levls to subside, suddenly ur stuck in the middle of the rainforest for the night and possibly not equipped for it. Definetly an overnighter in my opinion and quite a nice place to spend a night. Sorry to go on so much, it truly is a magic place tho!

Dave

[Crum]

Once the 4WD track starts at the bush which you can see on those google earth images it is pretty rough. Definately doable in a decent 4WD but you are back to 1st and 2nd in low range so its nearly quicker to walk in my opinion. We drove in as far as the first creek crossing on the track so I'm not sure what its like after that. A mountain bike would definately be the best time cutting option but you would need to chain them up somewhere at the start of the walking track.

Some horse ranch dude gave us a pretty dirty look as we were driving back out just near the highway too