Babinda Creek, including Babinda Slides and Babinda Falls

Babinda Creek is located in Far North Queensland. It is popular among tourists, largely because of the spectacular Babinda Boulders and the beautiful swimming holes along the way. Babinda may be arguably one of the best adventures in Queensland's Wet Tropics, as you can seemingly enjoy so much!

Babinda Creek, including Babinda Slides and Babinda Falls

Location - Wooroonooran National Park, Far North Queensland, Australia
Difficulty - grade 4, moderate to hard
Distance - 7.5 kilometres, return
Time - 3-5 hours, return, depending on fitness time spent at the pools and slides

Babinda Creek is located in Far North Queensland and is a popular place for tourists, not only because of the spectacular Babinda Boulders but also because there are a lot of beautiful swimming holes along the way. Babinda may be arguably one of the best adventures in the wet tropics part of North Queensland, too, as you can seemingly enjoy so much, from the many trails to hike and beautiful mountain summit views, to swimming holes and opportunities to abseil down waterfalls!

Babinda Falls is also known as Heaven's Gate. There has been a little confusion over the years and the true Babinda Falls are the falls visible from the township.

Babinda Slides

Babinda Slides is the name of a waterfall upstream of Babinda Creek. The whitewater of the waterfall cascades down a rock slab for about 200m into a pool, all of which is clearly visible from aerial imagery. This is a perfect place to swim, and one of the best things about this experience is that there is a walking track that leads right to it.

Babinda Slides

From the Bruce Highway, turn off for Babinda and make your way onto Munro Street, which eventually turns into The Boulders Road, and then Bartle Frere Goldfield Road. From the picnic facilities, find the Goldfield Trail to access the start of the bush track. Walk about 450m along the Goldfield Trail until you reach an opening to the creek; cross the creek to the other side. Then, you will encounter a dry creek bed that you follow during which time you will start seeing the first evidence of pink and orange trail marking tape.

The walk is easy to follow and generally flat but does have some steep sections. The track ends a couple hundred metres below the Babinda Slides. At this point, you can rock hop and scramble up left of the creek to the Slides.

Babinda Slides

There is a rope swing also just below Babinda Slides that can provide some added fun!

Babinda Slides swimming pool

But, the beauty doesn't stop here. If you walk left up beside the Babinda Slides, you will find a two-tiered waterfall system.

Babinda Falls
Heaven's Gate / Babinda Falls, a.k.a. Chasm

Also, along the way be on the lookout for the countless places to stop for a swim and/or replenish your water supply. Take some secateurs to cut the wait-a-while and help keep the track open (don't do this within National Park). Beware that gympie gympie (stinging trees) are present in this area. Don't let them ruin your adventure!

Babinda Creek Swimming Pool

Interactive Map

Here's an interactive map of the area:

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Video credit: @exploring_withem

Future upstream of this valley is a slot canyon, several other waterfalls, and the B25 Bomber wreckage.


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