Russell Falls in Mount Field National Park

Visit the Splendor of Russell Falls >>

Mount Field National Park is 70 km north-west of Hobart and is one of Tasmania’s oldest and most popular national parks. It has a wide variety of scenic walks, from 20 minutes to a full day, and is the home of Russell Falls which must be the most photographed waterfall in Tasmania.

Russell Falls are located on the eastern boundary of the park on a tributary of the Tyenna River and were first discovered around 1856. They became a popular tourist attraction and in 1885 and the Falls Reserve was established to protect them. In 1916 Mount Field National Park was declared. So scenic are the falls that in 1899 they were selected as one of eight images to be used on postage stamps to promote the colony.

There is a sealed track to the falls which is an easy ten minute walk and passes through magnificent forest with giant eucalypts and myrtles towering above. Some of the eucalypt trees in the park are over 400 years old, 90 metres high and 20 metres round the base. As you get near the falls the track is framed by spectacular tall tree ferns.

Russell Falls themselves are breathtakingly beautiful with three elegant tiers framed by lush vegetation. If you want to see more of the national park the beautiful Horseshoe Falls are only 300 metres beyond the top of Russell Falls. The track adjacent to the falls is steep, but beyond that the track is fairly easy and well constructed. From there you can go on further to Lady Barron Falls and there is a long looping walking track that takes between 2 to 3 hours depending on your pace.

The park contains a variety of different habitats and supports many species of wildlife, including the Tasmanian Devil.

You can visit Russell Falls on a self-drive basis or you can add an optional day tour to your package. The day tour takes you from Hobart skirting Mt Wellington and following the Derwent River and includes lunch and a wildlife park visit.

Don’t forget to take your camera as Russell Falls are so incredibly beautiful.