How do I get to Windin Falls in the Wooroonooran National Park?

Windin Falls in the Wooroonooran National Park is an 87km drive into the Atherton Tableland from Cairns. From there, the Windin Falls walk to the infinity pool at the top of the waterfall is about 10km return and relatively easy-going.

Windin Falls in the Wooroonooran National Park, near Mount Bartle Frere, is one of the most spectacular sights in the Atherton Tableland. A feasible day trip from Great Barrier Reef tourism hub Cairns, Windin Falls has become a big hit on Instagram.

Unlike many Australian waterfalls – such as Killen Falls near Ballina in New South Wales or Serpentine Falls in the Serpentine National Park near Perth – the key attraction of Windin Falls is not the pool at the bottom.

This Wooroonooran National Park waterfall’s distinctive gimmick is the pool at the top of the falls. The Windin Falls pool looks out over the green, rainforest-covered Mulgrave Valley in the Atherton Tableland. It’s essentially nature’s infinity pool.

Windin Falls in the Wooroonooran National Park, Atherton Tableland, far north Queensland. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland

How to get to Windin Falls in Wooroonooran National Park

Getting to Windin Falls takes a bit of effort, however. You’ll definitely need a car. Whether it’s a 4WD or conventional vehicle depends very much on weather conditions.

The Windin Falls Trailhead is around 87km south of Cairns. The drive to the start of the Windin Falls walk should take around an hour and 40 minutes. This starts by taking the winging Gillies Range Road into the Atherton Tableland. You’ll pass the turn off for the Danbulla National Park on the right, then the Crater Lakes National Park on the left.

Before reaching Yungaburra (home of the Yungaburra Markets) on the Gillies Range road, turn left down the Lake Barrine road. After 6.4km, turn left at the Topaz Road. Carry on for another 9.5km until you reach the Old Cairns Track. Veer left onto the Old Cairns Track and you’ll reach an unnamed track, which 5km later, will take you to the Windin Falls Trailhead.

The Windin Falls walk

The Windin Falls walk is not an especially difficult one by Australian standards. It can be muddy in the wet, but then again you shouldn’t really be attempting it in the wet. The Windin Falls walk is about 10km return, but fairly flat barring the final 400 metre downhill descent towards the falls. However, cassowaries and red-bellied black snakes have been sighted fairly regularly in this part of the Wooroonooran National Park, so keep your wits about you.

More easily-reached waterfalls in the region include Millaa Millaa Falls.

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