How to Visit Montezuma Falls — And Where to Stay Nearby

Montezuma Falls is one of Tasmania's most spectacular and accessible wilderness experiences — a 104-metre waterfall plunging through ancient rainforest on the state's wild west coast. If you're heading there, this guide covers everything you need: directions, what to expect on the trail, what to bring, and where to stay so you can make the most of it.

About Montezuma Falls

At 104 metres, Montezuma Falls is Tasmania's highest permanent waterfall and one of the most dramatic in Australia. It sits deep in the west coast wilderness, fed by the extraordinary rainfall that makes this part of Tasmania among the wettest places on the continent — and one of the most lush and ancient landscapes on earth.

The falls are named after the Montezuma silver mine that once operated in the area. The walking track follows the corridor of the old Montezuma tramway, which carried ore during the mining era of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today it's a beautifully maintained trail and one of Tasmania's official 60 Great Short Walks.

Getting to the Trailhead

The trailhead is at Williamsford, reached via a gravel road that turns off the Murchison Highway 2km south of Rosebery. The full drive from the Rosebery township to the car park at Williamsford is around 10 minutes.

Driving Times from Major Centres

• From Devonport (Spirit of Tasmania ferry): 1 hr 50 min south on the Murchison Highway
• From Burnie: approximately 1 hr 20 min south
• From Queenstown: 45 min north on the Murchison Highway
• From Strahan: approximately 1 hour north
• From Hobart: 4 hr 30 min via the Lyell Highway through Queenstown

The Walk — What to Expect

The return walk is 7.6km and takes most walkers around 3 hours at a relaxed pace. The trail is graded easy — largely flat, following the old tramway corridor — and is suitable for most fitness levels including families with older children. The surface can be muddy after rain, so waterproof footwear is recommended.

The forest along the track is extraordinary — ancient cool temperate rainforest with massive myrtle beech, leatherwood, sassafras and Huon pine, enormous tree ferns overhead and an incredible variety of mosses and fungi at your feet. In wet conditions the whole forest drips and glows green. Keep an eye out for Bennett's wallabies, echidnas and west coast birdlife including the endangered swift parrot.

At the falls themselves a viewing platform and suspension bridge give you dramatic perspectives on the full 104-metre drop. In wet conditions the volume of water is staggering — a deep, thunderous roar you can hear well before you arrive.

Trail Tips

• Wear waterproof boots — the track can be very muddy especially in winter and spring
• Bring a rain jacket regardless of the forecast — west coast weather changes fast
• Carry your own water — no facilities on the trail
• Start early to get the best light on the falls and avoid afternoon weather
• The track is open to mountain bikes — a fantastic option for experienced riders
• Take a torch if finishing close to dusk — the forest canopy makes it dark quickly
• No entry fee, no booking required — the walk is free and open year-round

Other Things to Do While You're Here

Rosebery and the surrounding west coast offer far more than the falls. If you're staying the night — which we highly recommend — here's what's worth your time:

• Stitt Falls — a shorter, quieter waterfall walk accessible directly from Rosebery
• Sterling Valley Mountain Bike Track — a legendary technical descent off Mount Murchison, one of Tasmania's finest dirt trails
• Lake Pieman — excellent brown and rainbow trout fishing, with boat ramps and picnic areas
• Rosebery Heritage Centre — the history of west coast mining told through artefacts, photos and the famous Man Cars
• Wee Georgie Wood Steam Railway at Tullah — a charming heritage tourist train just north of Rosebery
• West Coast Wilderness Railway — the spectacular rack railway between Strahan and Queenstown, one of Australia's great train journeys
• Queenstown and Strahan — both easily reached as day trips from a Rosebery base

Where to Stay Near Montezuma Falls

Rosebery is the closest town to the Montezuma Falls trailhead — just 2km from the turn-off on the Murchison Highway. The Top Pub on Agnes Street is the town's main hotel and the most practical base for your visit.

We have ensuite motel rooms, standard pub rooms with shared facilities, and budget backpacker accommodation — all with a light breakfast included. The kitchen serves counter meals Monday to Saturday evenings, so you can come back from the falls and sit down to something properly satisfying: a chicken schnitzel, a steak, fresh seafood, or whatever's on the specials board that night.

Rosebery also makes an excellent central base for a longer west coast stay — within easy driving distance of Queenstown, Strahan, the West Coast Wilderness Railway, Zeehan and the Tarkine wilderness to the north.