Apollo Bay is a great base for exploring the Great Ocean Road and Otway National Park. A highlight of the forest around Apollo Bay are the beautiful waterfalls you can visit. We got to most of the waterfalls in one day so check out our guide for where the falls are, how hard they are to get to and what you will see when you get there.
The waterfalls around Apollo Bay flow year round but how much flow you’ll see depends on the time of year. Early spring is a great time to do a waterfall circuit and take in the beauty of the rainforest. If you are exploring the waterfalls in winter and spring, some of the walking tracks can get a bit muddy.
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Beauchamp Falls
🚙 Apollo Bay to Beachamp Falls – 40km, 60 minutes. Turn onto Beech Forest Road (Turton’s Track) from Forrest – Apollo Bay Road. Then turn left onto Binns Road and veer left onto Beachamp Falls Road.
🚶 2.5km moderate return walk. Includes 130 steps. Follow signs to the falls from the car park
🚽 Facilities – toilets, picnic tables, camping, lots of room to park
🐶 Dogs allowed on leash
We really enjoyed the walk to Beauchamp Falls through the forest. The lines of tree ferns and huge mountain ash trees are a great sight. Despite the 130m steps you do as you approach the falls, the walk to Beauchamp Falls is a fun family activity.
The waterfall is great too. You can get closer to the water at Beauchamp Falls than you can at most waterfalls near Apollo Bay. While how close you can get will depend on how much rainfall there has been, from the lower viewing area you can rock hop your way closer to the pool at the base of the 20m high falls.
The facilities and parking are excellent here too. If you are doing a day trip from Apollo Bay, Beauchamp Falls is a good spot to stop for a break.
Nearby Attractions – Hopetoun Falls and The Redwoods (20 minutes)
Hopetoun Falls
🚙 Apollo Bay to Hopetoun Falls – 41km, 55 minutes. Turn onto Beech Forest Road (Turton’s Track) from Forrest – Apollo Bay Road. Then turn left onto Binns Road and stay right following signs to the falls.
🚶 1km moderate return walk. Includes 200 steps
🚽 Facilities – no facilities, limited parking
🐶 Dogs not permitted
We stopped here after visiting Beauchamp Falls and while the Hopetoun Falls look great, it was not as relaxing an experience as we had at Beauchamp Falls.
To start with, if it is busy, parking can be a bit tight here. The 200 steps back up might make the walk tough if you have mobility issues or younger children.
All that said, it is only a short walk to the falls and there is more great forest to walk through. The one viewing platform is set back a bit from the water but you still get a great panoramic view of the 30m tall falls and Aire River.
Nearby Attractions –The Redwoods ( 3 minutes) and Beauchamp Falls (20 minutes)
Triplet Falls
🚙 Apollo Bay to Triplet Falls – 48km, 60 minutes. Turn onto Beech Forest Road (Turton’s Track) from Forrest – Apollo Bay Road. Go through Beech Forest. Turn left onto Phillips Track and follow the signs.
🚶 2km moderate loop walk
🚽 Facilities – Toilets, picnic tables, lots of parking
🐶 No dogs allowed
Triplet Falls is a nice rainforest walk, but there is only average waterfall viewing here. While there are three viewing areas to see the cascading Young River, we found the views a bit disappointing. We could hear lots of water and see glimpses of it, but you certainly don’t get the same satisfying single drop view that you do at either Beauchamp or Hopetoun Falls.
The walk is lovely and the few small slopes and sets of steps aren’t too difficult to negotiate – especially if you have just come from Beauchamp and Hopetoun Falls!
There are generous parking areas and there are picnic tables dotted around the parking area too. But for us, if you like a waterfall, it is worth going on the longer walk to Little Aire Falls which you can do from the same location – see below.
Nearby Attractions – Little Aire Falls (same car park), Otway Fly Tree Top Adventure (8 minutes)
Little Aire Falls
🚙 Apollo Bay to Little Aire Falls (Triplet Falls) – 48km, 60 minutes. Turn onto Beech Forest Road (Turton’s Track) from Forrest – Apollo Bay Road. Go through Beech Forest. Turn left onto Phillips Track.
🚶 4.5km moderate return walk that starts near the beginning of the Triplet Falls Loop
🚽 Facilities – Toilets, picnic tables, lots of parking
🐶 No dogs allowed
The Little Aire Falls Walk comes off the Triplet Falls Loop Walk. Don’t be put off by the signage in the car park that says this is a difficult walk. It does undulate and has a longish uphill section at the start, but we found it of moderate difficulty, and we are definitely only of average fitness!
This was one of our favourite forest walks around the Otway Ranges and it has the bonus of a stunning waterfall at the end of the trail.
The walk ends at an elevated platform from where you get views of the falls. It is a great sight. The water glides across a rocky ledge before dropping 15m to the river below. It is all framed by great views of the forest.
This trail does get muddy when it is wet, but if you don’t mind the extra length of this walk it is a great option. Once you have finished the walk, you can either return to the carpark the way you came or continue along the rest of the Triplet Falls walk.
Nearby Attractions – Triplet Falls Loop Walk (same car park), Otway Fly Tree Top Adventure (8 minutes)
Carisbrook Falls
🚙 Apollo Bay to Carisbrook Falls – 16km, 17 minutes. Follow the Great Ocean Road east for 16km. Take a sharp left onto a short dirt road to the car park.
🚶 800m moderate return walk from the car park
🚽 Facilities – no facilities, not much parking – but not many people stop here either!
🐶 Dogs allowed on leash
If there is one waterfall around Apollo Bay that is best viewed after some rain, this is it.
Carisbrook Falls has the advantage of being the closest waterfall to Apollo Bay and it is only a 5 minute walk from the car park to the falls. However, it is also the most distant view you will get of any waterfalls around Apollo Bay.
When we visited in November there was water coming down the rock face but a after a good rain, they would certainly look much more impressive.
For the effort to get there, they are still worth a look any time of year and a must see after some wet weather.
Nearby Attractions – Kennett River Koala Walk (10 minutes)
Stevensons Falls
🚙 Apollo Bay to Stevensons Falls 37km, 45 minutes. Follow the Forrest – Apollo Bay Road from Skenes Creek. Turn left onto Upper Gellibrand Road and follow the signs.
🚶 750m easy return walk
🚽 Facilities – toilets, picnic tables, camping nearby
🐶 Dogs allowed on leash
It has been a few years since we have visited Stevensons Falls and the falls and campground were closed for a significant upgrade when we lasted visited the area (late 2023).
These are one of the most popular waterfalls near Apollo Bay. The best thing about them is that the walk to the falls is easy and short. The path takes you across a small bridge over the Gellibrand River to a viewing platform at the base of the falls.
You are guaranteed to see water at Stevensons Fall and this is also the only waterfall around Apollo Bay where you can go for a swim, but you still need to take care getting over some slippery rocks.
As a bonus, at the start of the walk, you go past a few Californian Redwoods that were part of an experimental plantation. If you like the sight of them, make sure you check out the bigger Redwood plantation 3 minutes down the road from Hopetoun Falls.
Nearby Attractions – Town of Forrest and Lake Elizabeth (15 – 30 minutes)
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