Ryde Falls tracks: Walking Guide, Time & Access

Route overview

Walk to the five-tier Ryde Falls.

This DOC directory entry covers Ryde Falls tracks in Canterbury, within Oxford Forest Conservation Area. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.

Distance, time and grade

• Distance: Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
• Walking time: 4–6 hr
• DOC grade: Easy

Access and alerts

Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.

Dog access

Dogs on a leash only. Other pets on conservation land rules.

Description

Coopers Creek car park to Ryde Falls (Ryde Falls Track)

Time: 3 hr one wayDistance: 7 km one way

This well-formed track initially crosses cleared private land with views of the plains and surrounding hills. It enters the beech forest and finally descends to Coopers Creek to view the five-tier Ryde Falls.

A panel by the, now closed, Ryde Tramway tells of the area’s rich saw milling history.

Getting there:

2 km south of Oxford, turn off SH72 (Inland Scenic Route) onto Woodside Road. Follow this for 7 km, then turn into Mountain Road and continue to Coopers Creek car park at the end.

View Hill car park to Ryde Falls

Time: 1–2 hr one wayDistance: 3 km one way

Leave the car park on Wharefedale Track. Turn off this track about 20 minutes into the forest and descend to Coopers Creek to view Ryde Falls.

Getting there:

4 km south of Oxford, turn off SH72 (Inland Scenic Route) onto Woodstock Road. Follow this for 10 km then turn into Ingrams Road, then into Limeworks Road, which becomes Perhams Road. An AA sign here indicates the turn-off to the start of the Wharfedale Track where the View Hill car park is located.

In times of heavy rain two fords on Perhams Road may become impassable and the road may be muddy. 4WD vehicles are advisable.

Link Track

Use this track to make a circuit walk to Ryde Falls from either View Hill or Cooper Creek car park.

You can also walk between View Hill and Cooper Creek car parks on this track (3 hr, 7 km).

Getting there

These tracks are accessed from SH72 (Inland Scenic Route), just south of Oxford.

Access to Coopers Creek car park to Ryde Falls (Ryde Falls Track)

2 km south of Oxford, turn off SH72 (Inland Scenic Route) onto Woodside Road. Follow this for 7 km, then turn into Mountain Road and continue to Coopers Creek car park at the end.

Access to View Hill car park to Ryde Falls

4 km south of Oxford, turn off SH72 (Inland Scenic Route) onto Woodstock Road. Follow this for 10 km then turn into Ingrams Road, then into Limeworks Road, which becomes Perhams Road. An AA sign here indicates the turn-off to the start of the Wharfedale Track where the View Hill car park is located.

In times of heavy rain two fords on Perhams Road may become impassable and the road may be muddy. 4WD vehicles are advisable.

Know before you go

• You will need to cross the creek to reach the waterfall viewpoint. This can be uncrossable during and after heavy rain.

• The track can be muddy after rain. It is also narrow and can be slippery near the waterfall viewpoint. Take care, especially with children.

Wasp warning

Wasp populations reach high numbers from January to April – wear light-coloured clothing and carry antihistamine cream/tablets as a precaution.

Sources and reuse

Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.

The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.