Discover a popular waterfall walk in the Catlins Coastal Region to a rewarding, multi-leveled waterfall!
McLean Falls, Catlins New Zealand is a popular but quick stop worthy of any Catlin’s road trip itinerary. The waterfall is very easily accessible and is one of my personal favourite waterfalls in the area.
So if you have some spare time and are looking for an adventure put this location into your maps and you wont be disappointed!
How to Get to McLean Falls
The McLean Falls is located on the Tautuku River and is best reached by private car or campervan. The road conditions are sealed, however, the last stretch of about 3 km follows a gravel road before finishing at the large car park.
The best way to find it is to follow the directions to the map pin below.
Location: Mcleans Falls Parking Area
There are also plenty of signs on Chaslands Highway that will give you the warning to turn off. The road you'll need to follow to the waterfall car park is called Recastle Road.
The McLean Falls Walk
- Distance: 2.1 km return
- Difficulty: Easy
The walk to one of Catlin's most iconic waterfalls is a pleasant and easy one. The first section is boarded, before entering the native forest where you'll follow the Tautuku River up towards the waterfalls.
There are actually numerous great freshwater swimming spots along the walk, so keep an eye out near the start of the track.
After about 10-15 minutes of walking, you'll reach the lowest waterfall. However, you can't stick around here too long, since the DOC has designated it as a rock-fall area.
Keep going for another couple of minutes and you'll reach the clearing for the two main waterfalls.
Reaching McLean Falls Main Waterfall
At the end of the walk, we were surprised to find out that there wasn't direct track access to the larger, main McLean Falls waterfall.
However, that wasn't too much of a problem, since it's easy to scramble up the low rocks on the right side of the falls and then walk over to the main waterfall.
Still, this part isn't really necessary, since you can still admire the lower cascading waterfalls and get a glimpse of Mclean Falls from here too.
Get Clean Drinking Water on Your Hike
I take the Grayl GeoPress Purifier Bottle on every hike and use it as my go-to source for filtering water all over the world. I've even used it to drink tap water in India!
Compare how the GeoPress stacks up against the best water bottle filters on the market.
More Things to Do in the Catlins
After snapping some photos and potentially taking a dip down on the calmer flows of the river, you'll be ready to continue your Catlins road trip adventure!
You could also check out this full list of epic things to do in the Catlins or find more Catlins waterfalls here.
If you enjoyed this guide to McLean Falls, Catlins New Zealand, make sure to check out some of my other free travel guides and articles below.
- 36 Amazing Places to Visit in the South Island - my most comprehensive travel guide that is useful to help you find the best places to visit on your trip to the South Island
- Top Things to Do in Queenstown: Explore Queenstown's top hikes, epic adrenaline activities, and hidden gems.
- South Island's Best Hikes: I hiked over 50 trails in New Zealand. Here's my curated list of the most breathtaking hikes across New Zealand's South Island.
- Arthur's Pass Travel Guide: Dive into the heart of Arthur's Pass with my guide to the best places to visit.
- Best Mount Cook National Park Hikes: A hiking guide to the most scenic trails beneath Mount Cook.
- Best Views of Mount Cook: Discover the top spots to witness New Zealand's Aoraki peak in all its glory.
- Epic Things to do at Milford Sound: Explore 21 unique ideas get inspired to visit Milford Sound!
- Catlins' Hidden Gems: Uncover the Catlins' best-kept secrets, from waterfalls to wild coastlines.
- Accommodation Resources: Plan where to stay in Queenstown and discover the amazing Tekapo Lake Hotels.
