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 · Auckland Region
The Cascades
The Cascades is a waterfall in New Zealand.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
The Cascades drops over a series of steps, inside Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Waitākere Ranges, New Zealand. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
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 The Cascades itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Waitākere Ranges are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
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 Waitākere Ranges, New Zealand
- Country New Zealand
- Region Auckland Region, New Zealand, Oceania
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
The Cascades
New Zealand
Height—Width—
Most similar
Tarawera Falls
New Zealand
Height35 mWidth—
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
35 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
Tarawera FallsVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
We don't have a reliable crest width for The Cascades 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
-36.88978, 174.52202
Quick answers
Where is The Cascades?
The Cascades is in New Zealand (Auckland Region), inside Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. The nearest base is Waitākere Ranges, New Zealand. Its coordinates are -36.8898, 174.5220.
When is the best time to visit The Cascades?
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 The Cascades?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. 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 The Cascades?
The usual base is Waitākere Ranges, New Zealand. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to The Cascades
Waitākere Falls
New Zealand · 1 km away
Waitākere Falls is a waterfall in New Zealand.
Kelly Stream Waterfall
New Zealand · 1 km away
Kelly Stream Waterfall is a waterfall in New Zealand.
Waitupu Stream Falls
New Zealand · 2 km away
Waitupu Stream Falls is a waterfall in New Zealand.
Fairy Falls
New Zealand · 4 km away
The Fairy Falls is a waterfall in the eastern Waitākere Ranges of Auckland, New Zealand.