DK Eyewitness New ZealandDK Eyewitness
Guidebook
DK Eyewitness New Zealand
DK Eyewitness · 2024
Illustrated maps and regional chapters, helpful for planning a road trip between Taupo, Waitomo and Fiordland.
New Zealand · Southland District
Helena Falls
Helena Falls is a waterfall in the Fiordland National Park in New Zealand that empties into Doubtful Sound. A walking track from the road end at Doubtful Sound goes to the base of the waterfall.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Helena Falls drops over a series of steps, inside Fiordland National Park. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Fiordland Community, New Zealand. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
As a cascade waterfall, water tumbles down a series of rock steps rather than falling free.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Helena Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Fiordland Community are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotographyWildlife & safari
When to go
Spring, September to December, pairs snowmelt or winter rain with lengthening days; autumn (April to May) is the quieter second season.
Getting there
- Base town Fiordland Community, New Zealand
- Country New Zealand
- Region Southland District, New Zealand, Oceania
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Helena Falls
New Zealand
Height—Width—
Most similar
Browne Falls
New Zealand
Height836 mWidth12 m
Also a cascade waterfall and in New Zealand too
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
108 m
330 m
836 m
979 m
Victoria FallsEiffel TowerBrowne FallsAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Browne Falls
12 m
We don't have a reliable crest width for Helena Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
Moon New ZealandJamie Christian Desplaces
Guidebook
Moon New Zealand
Jamie Christian Desplaces · 2024
Built around road trips and the Great Walks, a good fit if you're combining the Milford Track with North Island falls.
Guidebook
Lonely Planet New Zealand
Lonely Planet · 2023
The 21st edition covers Fiordland, Milford Sound, Taupo and the Waikato, so it handles every NZ fall on this site.
The Rough Guide to New ZealandRough Guides
Guidebook
The Rough Guide to New Zealand
Rough Guides · 2023
A current second opinion on routes and stays, with good coverage of the Waikato and the road into Milford Sound.
On the map
-45.4636, 167.167
Quick answers
Where is Helena Falls?
Helena Falls is in New Zealand (Southland District), inside Fiordland National Park. The nearest base is Fiordland Community, New Zealand. Its coordinates are -45.4636, 167.1670.
When is the best time to visit Helena Falls?
Peak flow is September to December. Spring, September to December, pairs snowmelt or winter rain with lengthening days; autumn (April to May) is the quieter second season.
What can you do at Helena Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking, photography and wildlife & safari. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Helena Falls?
The usual base is Fiordland Community, New Zealand. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to Helena Falls
Lady Alice Falls
New Zealand · 280 m · 2 km away
Lady Alice Falls is a tall waterfall in Fiordland, New Zealand. It drops either 656 or 919 feet .
Browne Falls
New Zealand · 836 m · 10 km away
Browne Falls is a waterfall above Doubtful Sound, which is located in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand.…
Full guide Sutherland Falls
New Zealand · 580 m · 90 km away
New Zealand's tallest waterfall
Helicopter flights
UNESCO Bowen Falls
New Zealand · 162 m · 110 km away
One of only two permanent waterfalls on Milford Sound