Kettlespout Top (from Stone Seat)
Grade: 🟡 Yellow · Distance: 3.7 km return · Time: ~1.5 hours
Climb: moderate — a steady service-road climb
Starts at: Kettlespout Parking (Stone Seat), Forest Drive
Wet weather: caution — the descent is slippery
The walk
This is the classic way to stand at the top of Kettlespout Falls. From the Stone
Seat parking area on Forest Drive, a forestry service road climbs steadily to the
lip of the falls — 3.7 km there and back, about an hour and a half.
Pick a blustery day if you can. Under the right conditions — good water flow with
the wind blowing strongly in the right direction — the water blows up to five metres
upwards before falling in a spray of mist. It’s a genuinely spectacular sight,
and the reason Kettlespout gets called the upside-down waterfall.
Sixty years ago this was the main “yellow route” of the village, walked all the way
from Oak Avenue; today most people drive Forest Drive and walk the final stretch,
exactly as the old guides also allowed.
What you’ll see
- The top of Kettlespout Falls — and on the right day, the famous upward spout
- Forest and valley views on the climb
- Onward option: continue down the Slippery Path to Hobbiton (a red-grade route —
see Hobbiton–Kettlespout)
Practical tips
- There is a sudden and great drop at the falls — keep children and pets well away
from the edge. - Boots and a walking stick essential; the descent is slippery when wet.
- Combine with the Holy Cypress Trees ten-minute stop
from the same parking area.
Starts at Kettlespout Parking (Stone Seat) · Back to the hiking hub.