Litchfield National Park

A tropical national park southwest of Darwin, where Florence and Wangi falls drop into natural swimming holes and rows of magnetic termite mounds line the land, making it the Northern Territory's easiest one-day self-drive.

Litchfield National Park lies about 100 km southwest of Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory. It covers roughly 1,500 square km. Its core is a sandstone plateau (the Tabletop Range). Rainwater during the wet season pours over the plateau edges, forming multiple waterfalls and natural swimming pools, including Florence, Tolmer, and Wangi falls. The climate has two seasons. From May to October, the dry season is sunny and dry, with temperatures around 30°C, and most waterholes are open for swimming, making it the best time to visit. From November to April, the wet season brings the most spectacular waterfalls, but Wangi Falls and others are often closed to swimming due to crocodile risk or water levels, and the southern four-wheel-drive roads are closed. Touring can be divided into three sections. In the east, near the entrance, are the magnetic termite mounds, Buley Rockhole, and Florence Falls. The middle section includes Tolmer Falls, Tabletop Swamp, and Jaeta Bata Falls. At the western end are Wangi Falls and Walker Creek. The main road is fully sealed, so a two-wheel-drive car is enough. Lost City, Jayinela, and Surprise Creek falls require four-wheel drive. The park is free to enter (non-residents of the Northern Territory must buy a park pass). It is about 1.5 hours' drive from Darwin, and many day tours run. The gateway town of Batchelor has accommodation and supplies, and the park has several campgrounds. For a day trip, cover the main road sights. If you have a four-wheel drive or want to camp, plan two days. Protect yourself from the sun, stay hydrated, and swim only in waterholes officially marked as safe.

Top sights

• Florence Falls, Litchfield National Park – Twin waterfalls in Litchfield National Park that drop into a deep pool surrounded by monsoon rainforest. It is Darwin locals' favourite nat…
• Wangi Falls – Litchfield's most famous twin waterfalls. In the dry season you can swim in the large pool below, and a monsoon forest trail runs nearby.
• The Cascades, Litchfield – A less-visited group of creek waterfalls in western Litchfield, with rock pools for swimming upstream and walking loops through the gorge.
• The Lost City, Litchfield – Sandstone pillars on the Litchfield plateau, weathered into shapes like the ruins of an ancient city, reachable only by 4WD.
• Buley Rockhole – A chain of stepped natural rock pools in Litchfield, where creek water cascades down tier by tier, a favourite swimming spot among locals.
• Tolmer Falls – A tall waterfall on the edge of the Litchfield plateau, with viewing platforms overlooking the gorge. Swimming is banned to protect bat hab…
• Magnetic Termite Mounds – Near the eastern entrance to Litchfield, hundreds of flat termite mounds on a grassy plain all point north–south, like a field of tombstone…
• Tjaynera Falls (Sandy Creek) – A secluded waterfall reached only by 4WD, with a deep pool surrounded by rainforest, far quieter than the falls on the main road.
• Surprise Creek Falls – A remote group of waterfalls at the southernmost tip of the park, with rock pools above and below for swimming, a reward at the end of a 4W…
• Walker Creek – A string of secluded rock pools along the creek, each reserved for one group at a time, with campsites beside the water for overnight stays.
• Tjaetaba Falls (Greenant Creek) – A waterfall about 1.3 km into the rainforest along Green Ant Creek, with a viewing platform at its top. An easy short hike right off the ma…
• Bamboo Creek Tin Mine – A preserved early 20th-century tin mine in the park, with corrugated-iron sheds, mine shafts and machinery relics that tell of the Northern…
• Blyth Homestead – A 1920s pastoral homestead on the 4WD route, with corrugated-iron cottages that reflect early pioneer family life in the bush.
• Tabletop Swamp – A seasonal wetland on the Litchfield sandstone plateau, ringed by paperbark woodland. A short loop trail offers birdwatching, ideal for bir…
• Rum Jungle Lake – A former mine pit filled with water near the town of Batchelor, with green water for kayaking and swimming, a relaxing stop before or after…

Where to eat

• Lil' Ripper Cafe Bar Bistro – The highest-rated bar and bistro in Batchelor, the gateway town to Litchfield, known as “the best bar in the bush.”
• Batchelor Butterfly Farm Café – A tropical-style café inside the Batchelor Butterfly Farm, with terrace dining and popular buffalo curry and mango smoo…

Itineraries

• Top End: Kakadu, Katherine & Litchfield – Loop through three major national parks from Darwin to see rock art, wetlands, gorges, and plunge pools.
• Darwin to Broome Highway Crossing – Traverse the southern edge of the Kimberley from the Northern Territory along sealed highways, fly over the beehive dom…