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Phantom Falls, Marysville VIC
Waterfall Seasons - The Waterfall Guide


 
That climb up the side of hill must be worth it, right? As you lug your body up another dozen steps, the sound of rushing water comes nearer and nearer, until it is almost deafening. You feel so close, like you could touch the waterfall if you brushed aside a few green fronds, but alas, the phantom falls prove elusive as ever, hidden deep amongst the tree ferns and bracken. Phantom Falls in Marysville Above: The best glimpse of Phantom Falls (Order this image)

The highlights from this walk are the two bridge crossings, one across the Taggerty River and a second across Phantom Creek at the falls. After you cross this second bridge, the walk to the top is only a short distance.
Once at the top you can catch a snippet of the falls up close, flowing across a smooth rock face before they disappear again down into the understorey of the forest. The view is highly constrained, so why not try closing your eyes and listening to the falls instead, imagining its pathway bouncing from one exposed boulder to the next, down the side of the mountain. The falls did reveal themselves briefly after the 2009 bushfires, but the understorey quickly recovered in this area and the falls are hidden again.

Here is a quick video of the falls, taken mid-winter when the falls were very noisy and flowing well:

Your Seasonal Guide:
Best Time of Year to Visit:Best Time of Day to Visit:
This relatively small creek is likely to dry up in summer. For the best waterfall sounds, visit in winter/spring when there is likely to be more flow. The falls face away from the sun during the day and you can't see much of them anyway, so any time of the day is fine to visit here.
Other Information Before You Go:
Location: Yarra Ranges National Park, Lady Talbot Drive, Marysville, 110 km (approx. 2 hr drive) north east of the Melbourne CBD.
Latitude: -37.499057 Longitude: 145.825061
Getting there: From Melbourne take the Maroondah Hwy out past the eastern suburbs, through some incredibly tall Mountain Ash forests, up over the Black Spur. Turn off at Marysville Rd and head 10 km to Marysville. From Marysville, head through town and turn right after the bridge, towards Lake Mountain. Veer left down Lady Talbot Drive at the top of the first hill. The falls are a further 8 km along Lady Talbot Drive. From the car park it is an 800m steep walk to the falls.

Water source: Phantom Falls Creek
Approx. height: Approx. 20 m (guestimate only)
Approx. width: 1-2 m, depending on flow conditions
Approx. length: Approx. 40 m (guestimate only)
Swimming available at the falls: No.
Facilities: A couple of car spaces. No other facilities.
Entrance fee: None
Opening times: Always open
Sun shade: The track is mostly shaded.
Wheelchair access: None
Prohibitions including whether you can bring your dog: No pets, no bicycles, no horses, no motorbikes, no firearms
Managing authority: Parks Victoria
Nearby attractions: Keppel Falls, also on Lady Talbot Drive, or for a splash on a hot day with the kids visit Gallipoli Park in Marysville.
Before you head out, make sure to read the waterfall safety information and check with the managing authority for any current change of conditions.
Locality Map:
The marker indicates the location of the car park at the start of the walking track to the falls. If the map is not zoomed in locally, as can occur with some browsers, simply refresh this web page.
View Larger Map
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