Best Waterfalls Near Kennett River

Kennett River’s central location along the Otway Coast, makes it a great starting point for anyone looking to explore one of the many spectacular waterfalls found throughout the Great Otway National Park.

Being a rainforest, there’s no shortage of dramatic waterfalls to visit throughout the national park, with there being an estimated 500 waterfalls found throughout the area, many of which are unmapped! However, we do recommend visiting the more accessible and popular waterfalls in the area for your safety and convenience.

Here is a list of our favourite waterfalls near Kennett River, all of which can be reached in under one hours drive from the park.

Carisbrook Falls (∼7km from the park)

Located just over 7km away from the park, Carisbrook Falls can be reached in just over 10 minutes by car, making it not only the most accessible waterfall on the list, but it’s also the only waterfall nearby which is actually located on the Great Ocean Road itself!

Alongside being located close to the park, Carisbrook Falls is only a short 300m walk from the road, making it an easy round trip for people of all ages!​

Sheoak Falls (∼17km from the park)

Located near to the popular seaside town of Lorne, Sheoak Falls can be reached in a leisurely 20 minute drive from the park. The falls themselves, which stand at 15 metres tall and cascade down the rock face into the pool below, can be accessed via only a short walk from the visitor car park. For those looking for a longer, more scenic hike to the falls, a 3.6km (one way) route can be started from the nearby Sheoak Picnic Area and should take around 4 hours for a return trip.

Henderson, Won Wondah & Phantom Falls (∼26km from the park)

All three of these scenic waterfalls can be accessed as part of the same walking route, which starts at the Sheoak Picnic Area. This starting point can be reached in just over 30 minutes drive from the park.

Phantom Falls is the furthest point on this walking route, and you can expect a round trip to take approximately 3 hours (8.6km both ways). And with both Won Wondah and Henderson Falls being located on the same route, you’ll have plenty of stunning scenery to take in along the way!

Kalimna Falls (∼26km from the park)

Located in the Lorne-Angahook State park, both the Lower and Upper Kalimna Falls can be reached from the same starting point at the Sheoak Picnic Area via a ∼4km walking path (which follows the route of the old timber tramway). You can expect to spend about 4 hours in total visiting both of the waterfalls.

The Lower Kalimna waterfall is considered as being the most scenic of the two and is a popular spot for picnics.

Erskine Falls (∼32km from the park)

Erskine Falls can be reached in just under an hour's drive from the park, and are located at the end of Erskine Falls Road, about 10km inland from Lorne. The car park is located only 5 minutes walk from the first platform which offers spectacular views of the waterfall cascading over a 30 metre drop. The second platform is located at the base of the waterfall and can be reached via a steep but rewarding climb down 230 steps.

If you are looking for a more adventurous trip, and have the time to spare, the Erskine Falls walk continues 7.5km downstream through the lush surroundings all the way back to Lorne.

These are just a few of the scenic waterfalls which can be found near Kennett River, but if you’re happy to drive further afield, the Great Otway National Park has so much more to offer, such as the stunning Triplet, Beauchamp & Hopetoun Falls which are all located between 50 - 60km away from the caravan park, deep in the heart of the lush rainforest.