Ultimate Guide to Karijini National Park

Karijini National Park is in the northwest region of Western Australia and should be on anyone’s bucket list for a lap around Aus. It’s a nature lover’s paradise – full of beautiful gorges, swimming holes, hikes and wildlife. But it can seem a little overwhelming at first glance, so here’s a run down of the top spots to visit as well as some of the nitty gritty details of making the most of your time here.

First thing’s first, let’s get a lay of the land.

Karijini National Park is one of the most spread out parks in the country, covering 627,422 hectares!

Because of this, you’ll want to plan your trip out beforehand so you don’t waste time and money on fuel. The closest town to the park is Tom Price, which should be your ‘base’ for the time you spend out there. It’s recommended to pop into the Visitor’s Centre there to get a map of the National Park – we used our map religiously as there’s no cell signal in the park itself. There’s also a Coles in Tom Price, so stock up on plenty of drinking water and food before heading into the park. If you need it, there’s also a warm public shower at the Visitor’s Centre which is $4 in coins.

Now let’s get to the good stuff!

Things to do/see

There are a LOT of gorges, waterfalls and hikes to do in the park, so to make the most of it, it’s recommended that you spend at least 4-5 days here (for reference, we spent a week and a half here and felt that was a good amount of time to see the entire park and not feel too rushed).

So you can visualize the park, here’s a look at where all of the main attractions are located:

map courtesy of the WA National Parks website.

Dales Gorge

Farthest from Tom Price is the most easterly part of the park – Dales Gorge. Here is where you’ll find the beautiful Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool. The hike down is more of a stair walk – 800m from the carpark at the top and you’re at the falls. when you get to Fortescue Falls, turn right and walk another 300m to get to Fern Pool. Go for a swim and sit under the waterfall at the end, it’s a magical experience. Fern Pool is a sacred spot for the location indigenous people, so remember to appreciate it quietly and enter via the ladder (as opposed to jumping or diving in). It’s one of the most beautiful swimming holes in the park, so take your time and enjoy the beauty!

You can also explore the area via the Dales Gorge walk – a 2km venture from the ridge down into the gorge, ending at Fortescue Falls. It’s a pretty quick walk and well worth it for the serenity! This one is good to do in midday or afternoon, because you’re greeted with the falls at the end and can go for a quick dip if you get a little sweaty.

Joffre and Knox Gorges

The next group of gorges (just east of Dales Gorge) is a cluster you could easily do in a day. Start off at Knox Gorge, checking out the lookout first before making your way to the 2km hike. Scale your way down the rocky cliffside until you reach a beautiful stream that you follow until you’re greeted with a small swim spot. This was by far the coldest swim we had, as there’s far less sun that reaches this little sliver than at the other gorges. But it’s just as magical!

Just next to Knox Gorge is Joffre Falls, a natural amphitheatre of stunning red rocks and a big swimming hole. You’ll have to scale rocks to get to down to this one as well, although this hike has a few ladders to make the journey a little smoother. It’s also worth checking out the lookout before or after your hike down. The views from both the top and bottom are amazing!

Hancock and Weano Gorges

Hancock Gorge is a 400m hike to the famous Kermits Pool. This hike is unlike anything else in the park – you’ll be wading through water and spider crawling your way through the gorge until you’re greeted with a refreshing dip at Kermits Pool. Be sure to bring a dry bag or backpack of some sort to hold your camera/phone as you wade through the water! And again, go early to have this special spot all to yourself.

Handrail Pool is another hike in this area, however it was closed when we went due to multiple incidents. If it’s open, be sure to give it a go as well!

Hamersley Gorge

Hamersley Gorge is one of the most beautiful swimming holes in the park (in our opinion) but it’s also one of the most remote in terms of its proximity to anything else. It’s recommended that you stock up on fuel, water and food in Tom Price and head north to the gorge that way, but you can also take the dirt road (labelled ‘Hamersley Mt Bruce RD’ on the map above) to cut off a chunk of driving if desired. Either way, you’ll be driving on a long dirt road to get to this gorge so remember to drive according to the road’s condition and the capability of your vehicle.

Hamersley Gorge is notorious for its famous ‘Spa Pool’ that you’ve most likely seen all over Instagram. You can access the spot by turning right when you get to the bottom of the gorge. You’ll have to carefully scale a few slippery rock faces to get there so be careful! Going early in the morning will give you the best chance at having it to yourself, otherwise it’s known to have a line of people waiting to get a photo there (no thanks!).

The actual gorge itself is a beautiful spot to spend the day laying in the sun – or seeking shade under the trees if you’re there over summer – and going for a dip. The emerald green color of the water coupled with the insanely red rock formations is a magical sight!

Mount Bruce

After climbing in and out of all those gorges, switch things up by summiting Western Australia’s second largest peak, Mount Bruce! This 9km round trip hike up 1234m is not for the faint of heart. What starts out as a nice stroll through rolling hills quickly turns into climbing straight up the face of the mountain. It’s a great hike to do this first thing in the morning when the lighting is at its best (and the temperature isn’t too high).

Camping / Accomodation

Within the National Park, you have two paid camping options – Dales Campground and Karijini Eco Retreat. Dales Campground is your standard national park camping with drop toilets, located at the east end of the park near (you guessed it) Dales Gorge. The spots book out fast during peak season, but if you keep refreshing the booking site with your desired dates, you could snag a few nights from cancellations! We did this and were able to grab two consecutive nights there. During peak season, there’s also an overflow campground right next to this one that also requires online booking. The cost to camp at either campground is $11 per person per night.

Your other option is a bit more ‘glamping’ style at Karijini Eco Retreat, which is in great proximity to Joffre and Knox Gorges and a good option if you don’t have a camping set up of your own.

Other than paid options, there are multiple free camps scattered outside the national park, which you will likely see just by driving through. There’s plenty of space to find your own little nook – just remember to always pick up after yourself and leave no trace so that these free camping options can continue to exist.

And that’s everything! Enjoy your time at Karijini and remember to pay your respects to the traditional owners of this land – the Banyjima, Kurrama and Innawonga people.