Karijini National Park

The first time I visited the Karijini National Park was in December 2017 while I was travelling Western Australia as part of my around the world trip. I fell in love with it right away and couldn’t stay away when I got back to Australia in 2019. In 2020 I visited three times, but I haven’t been back since, unfortunately.

On my first visit I didn’t have a 4WD and couldn’t explore one section of the National Park. I did literally everything else, hiked every path available and enjoyed them immensely. I will try to keep it short, feel free to contact me for more information on any of the hikes.

The Dales area in the East (Dales Campground a great spot to base yourself) and the Weano area in the West (base camp at Eco Retreat). Auski Village (Munjina), the roadhouse just before the National Park, is the closest alternative if all camps are full.

The best way to enjoy Karijini National Park is to base yourself a couple nights in each of the two areas. That way you can explore all the area has on offer without having to drive  to far. This also allows you to start comfortably early in the morning when it is cooler.

Let’s start with the Joffre Falls. It was thanks to a stunning picture of the pool in a brochure that made me do the detour inland the first time. In December 2017 I was there at the very end of the dry season and the pool didn’t look anything like in the brochure. The photo must have been taken after a good wet season. The climb down into the gorge is good fun and the gorge itself absolutely beautiful.

Further up the road is Knox Gorge. There is a short walk to the Knox Lookout and a longer one down into the gorge. It is a beautiful trail past lots of ponds and flowering algae.

Not far from there but along a different road you get to the car park to explore the Hancock and Weano gorges. It has information boards, toilets and shaded BBQ’s at the car park.

Hancock Gorge is amazing and a must if you ever visit Karijini. Its not a long hike (1.5km), but involves wading through water for a few metres at a time and climbing down steep ladders. The gorge walls start closing in – that’s where the ‘spider walk’ starts. You’ll need all four limbs to climb down this slippery narrow part. You’ll be rewarded with a small but gorgeous pool at the end of the hike.

There are more hikes in this area but won’t go into too much detail. The Handrail Pool at the end of the Lower Weano Gorge trail is a pretty big pool. The Oxer Lookout is great to see the junction of the Weano, Red, Hancock and Joffre Gorges.

The Kalamina Gorge lies a bit off the track along a dirt road. It sais 4WD only hence I didn’t do it on my earlier visits. The road was that smooth that I could easy have done it in 2017. The conditions of the dirt roads change constantly.

A beautiful permanent pool with lots of vegetation and a little waterfall greets you at the bottom of the gorge. From there you can walk about 1km into the gorge along rock pools and stunning rock walls. The trail ends at the nature window.

The Dales Gorge area on the East side of the National Park has no less on offer:

Fern Pool and Fortescue Falls Pool are very popular swimming spots and close to the Dales campground which makes them the perfect spot to relax in the hot afternoon. Both are permanent pools, fed by a spring.

The short walk through the bush to get to Fern Pool is beautiful, depending on the season you will encounter a lot of Flying Foxes (very big fruit eating bats) squabbling away in the trees.

From the same car park start a couple different hikes – with the Dales Gorge Loop Trail you can combine them all. From Fortescue Falls through Dales Gorge to Circular Pool, then up a steep slope with lots of steps to the top back to the car park along the Gorge Rim walk.

The Dales Gorge Rim Walk.

The Dales Gorge Walk

In 2020 when I got back to camp at the Dales overflow I found the tent toppled over in the bush with a big gash on the top. My neighbours tent was twisted around and all their gear that was on the table lay on the floor. It was most likely a WillieWillie (a mini tornado, they occur quite often in Australias bush).

In 2020 was the 1^st time I drove out to Hamersley Gorge. It lies in the north-west of Karijini, way out from the other gorges and walks. It’s the perfect spot to spend an afternoon with a picnic at one of the pools.

There are toilets, picnic tables, lookout platform and a sealed car park access.

Mt Bruce at the West Entrance is an amazing hike! The view is incredible, the hike challenging, all you could ask for. Exactly why I climbed it every time I was in the area.

There is a mental challenge to this track as well: due to Mt Bruce’s shape you always have a hill in front of you, but its not the actual peak. Every time you get to the top there is another one.

The first half of the walk is pretty easy with a steady incline and a relaxing rather flat part on the peaks. Halfway up the climbing starts and it involves squeezing past a rock ledge with a vertical drop next to you (there is a chain to hold on to though) and a climb up a gap in the rock with loose rocks.

If you are reasonably fit, adventurous and keen to see a vast area of the region from the top; then this hike is a must! (9km return)

If you are not so fit or scared of heights, then I’d recommend to do the Honey Hakea Trail – this one ends halfway up (4.5km return).

If you just want to have a look at the Marandoo mine and its kilometres long iron ore trains, then do the Marandoo walk which takes you to a lookout before the first peak. (500m, 30min return, class2).

Explored in Dec 2017, July 2019, May/June and August/September 2020, written June 2025