Compton Falls

LonnavaleGPS Coords: -42.9405, 146.7404
Land Tenure: Permanent Timber Production Zone Land

Updated on 21 Oct 2025

Compton Falls
© 2015 - 2025 Photography: Caedence Kuepper
image

Grade 5 Hike
Suitable for very experienced hikers only.

2.5km's1 Hour returnFormed track, some obstacles No directional signage

Formed earthen track, few obstacles. Generally a modified surface, sections may be hardened. Width: variable and less than 1200mm. Kept mostly clear.

Dogs on leash allowed
Unknown if drones are permissable
Unknown if accessible with a caravan
Unknown if accessible with a campervan or RV
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About Compton Falls

Flowing through the network of Forestry behind Lonnavale is the aptly-named Falls Rivulet, which features a number of unnamed waterfalls and cascades. The largest and most impressive of these is the recently-nomenclatured Compton Falls, which drop 12 metres over a very attractively-shaped twin waterfall. The rivulet drains a significant area with high yearly rainfall, and thus the falls flow year round with an impressively powerful volume of water during the wetter months. While there are no signs or mention of it on official channels, a rough but well-constructed trail leads to the falls, making them relatively straightforward to reach if you know where to look. 

To reach Compton Falls, take Lonnavale Road from Judbury, turning right to stay on this road just after the bridge across Russell River. Continue along this road until a y intersection is reached with Compton Road. Follow Compton Road, heading straight through the intersection with Russell Road and Link Road, until you come to an intersection at the edge of a relatively recently-cleared coupe. Park here, and look for a fairly obvious fire break on the road that leads around the edge of the coup. Follow this fire break as it leads around the edge of the coup for about 800 metres, heading downhill and seemingly away from the falls, until you spot some pink ribbons on the right marking the turnoff to the falls, just as the fire trail levels out and heads sharply to the left. The trail to the falls heads downhill, at times steeply, losing 80 metres of elevation until it comes to a large log crossing of Falls Rivulet. Once across the rivulet, the trail winds upstream through beautiful rainforest, before coming out at a rock ledge beside the waterfall. While the trail is far from a manicured tourist track, there is lots of great work that has gone into it, with footholds cut into numerous fallen logs and makeshift steps cut into the ground in steeper sections.

Once at Compton Falls there are numerous vantage points for photos, with the falls spreading across numerous segments depending on water level. In particular, a rocky outcrop right in the middle of the main twin plunges provides a spectacular viewpoint, allowing you peer into the wildly cascading creek below and across to the falls.

 

 

 

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