Snapshot
| Where | North West Cape, Ningaloo Coast, Western Australia — about 1,200km north of Perth · Roughly 12–14 hours' driving · 36km from Exmouth, the gateway town · Learmonth Airport is about 35km south of Exmouth |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Sealed road from Exmouth down the western coast to Yardie Creek, fine for 2WD in dry weather; the Shothole Canyon road (12km) and the road to the top of Charles Knife are rough gravel for 4WD only; the Yardie Creek crossing on the southern approach is high-clearance 4WD and often impassable; roads and sites can close after rain and cyclones |
| Best time | April–September — DBCA's stated walking window, dry days, wildflowers from June to August and humpback whales passing the coast from May to October |
| Worst time | November–April — summer temperatures pass 45°C and it is cyclone season, when parks, roads and recreation sites can close without notice |
| Time needed | 2–3 days — the reef beaches, Yardie Creek at the southern end of the park road and the canyon roads on the eastern side are spread across more than an hour's driving |
| Cost | $17 per vehicle per day ($10 concession) or $8 per person in vehicles carrying more than 12 ($3.50 concession); motorcycles $10; trailers and camper trailers are free; camping is per person per night — adult $15 (concession $10), child $5 — paid by card when you book |
| Facilities | No drinking water anywhere in the park, so carry about 5 litres per person per day; pit toilets at the campgrounds, no-flush at Osprey Bay; no fuel in the park, fill up at Exmouth or Coral Bay; no reliable mobile signal beyond the Telstra hotspot at Milyering Discovery Centre |
| Best for | Snorkellers who want the reef off the beach · self-sufficient campers and 4WD touring · walkers after Class 4 gorge tracks and rock-wallabies |
| Difficulty |
3 of 5 — Challenging
The reef beaches and the Yardie Nature Walk are easy, but the park's signature walks — Yardie Gorge, Mandu Mandu and Badjirrajirra — are Class 4 with steep, rough rock, no shade and no water, and the canyon roads on the eastern side need a 4WD. |
Driving there? Car hire and what to check →
Cape Range National Park is the limestone spine of the North West Cape — a north–south anticline folded up from carbonate sediments about 15 million years ago, then cut by gorges that run from bare ridgeline to the sea. It sits inside the Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area, inscribed on 24 June 2011 across 6,045 km² of coast and reef, and it is the country of the Baiyungu, Thalanyji and Yinigurdira peoples, connected to this coast for more than 30,000 years and sharing in the park's management today.
The drawcard is how close the two halves sit. Ningaloo Reef lies within wading distance of several beaches, so you snorkel straight in from the sand, while inland the same limestone holds Yardie Creek Gorge, the Mandu Mandu walk and the canyons of the eastern side. Walks run from a 100m boardwalk to Class 4 gorge trails, camping is on a string of beach campgrounds booked through ParkStay WA, and the whole trip turns on the season: walk April to September, and carry your own water, fuel and shade.
Go if…
- You want world-class reef snorkelling you can wade into from the beach, with no boat or booking
- You're steady on Class 4 gorge walks — steep, rough rock, no shade, no water — and happy to be self-reliant
- You can travel between April and September and carry everything you need for the day
- You have a 4WD, or you're content with the sealed coast road and the reef beaches and will save the canyons for another trip
Skip it if…
- You want patrolled swimming beaches, shade, shops and kiosks — every beach here is unpatrolled and exposed
- Your dates fall between November and April, when temperatures pass 45°C and cyclones can close roads and campgrounds without notice
- You need reliable phone signal, fuel or drinking water inside the park
- You're travelling with a dog — pets are not allowed anywhere in the park
What to expect
Reviewed
You reach the park on sealed road. From Exmouth the coast road runs about 36km to the park boundary and on past Milyering Discovery Centre, the park office and the place to ask about track conditions. From there the sealed road continues down the western side of the North West Cape past the reef beaches and, 39km and 40 minutes further on, to the Yardie Creek car park at the southern end. The two canyon roads on the eastern side are a different proposition: the Shothole Canyon turn-off lies 17km south of Exmouth and is followed by 12km of rough gravel open to 4WD only, while Charles Knife Road is partly gravel and the last section to the lookout is not suitable for 2WD. There is no fuel anywhere in the park, so fill up in Exmouth or Coral Bay before you drive in.
The reef is the reason most people come, and it sits within reach of the sand. Turquoise Bay is the park's drift snorkel: you enter up-current, float along the coral and come ashore before the exit point, which makes it a swim for confident snorkellers rather than children or weak swimmers, and it is unpatrolled. Further south, Oyster Stacks has the densest coral of the beach entries but needs mid-to-high tide to clear the rock, and Lakeside is the calmer choice for beginners. All of them are entered straight from the beach — no boat, no booking, no guide — and the park's long dune-backed coast means you can usually find a stretch of sand to yourself outside the middle of a peak-season day. Watch the current, swim with a buddy, and remember there are no lifesavers, no shade and no shop at any of the beaches: you carry everything in and everything out.
Behind the beaches the ground rises fast into the Cape Range itself, a limestone anticline folded up from carbonate sediments about 15 million years ago. The rock is riddled with karst: 535 caves are recorded beneath the peninsula, some reaching 100m deep, and more than 80 species of subterranean fauna live in them, many pale and eyeless. Above ground the range holds more than 630 plant species, including the Yardie morning glory found nowhere else, and the animals most people see are the black-flanked rock-wallabies on the cliff faces at Yardie Creek and Mandu Mandu. Emus, red kangaroos and echidnas work the flats, ospreys and sea eagles patrol the coast, and humpback whales pass close inshore from May to October.
Walking here is short but rarely flat. The Yardie Nature Walk is a 1.2km-return, 40-minute Class 1 loop on a hardened surface that takes wheelchairs and prams, and it ends at the trailhead sign for the Yardie Gorge Trail — 750m return, one hour, Class 4, over rough ground with steep sections that DBCA grades as self-reliant walking. Together the two need about 2 hours. Mandu Mandu is 3km return and 2 hours of Class 4 walking over a rocky creek bed and along the gorge rim, with rock-wallabies most likely early in the day, and Badjirrajirra on top of the range is 6km return and 3 hours through rocky gullies with views over Shothole Canyon and Exmouth Gulf. Even the shortest walks have their sting: the Shothole Canyon lookout is only 100m away but reaches it up extremely steep, narrow stairs on gravel that turns slippery. Cliff edges are unfenced throughout, so treat every rim as a drop.
Heat and water govern the rest. Parks here reach over 45°C in summer, the low scrub gives almost no shade on the ranges or the beaches, and DBCA recommends attempting the walks only between April and September. Carry about 5 litres of water per person per day — none is supplied anywhere in the park. Camping is on beach campgrounds such as Osprey Bay and Kurrajong, both unpowered with pit toilets, no campfires and no dogs, both booked in advance on ParkStay WA. Western Shield 1080 baiting is carried out in the park, so stay on formed tracks and away from bait stations, and avoid driving the park roads after dark — emus, kangaroos and other animals are on them.
Where to stay
Most people base themselves in Exmouth, 36km from the park boundary, and drive the sealed coast road in and out; a string of beach campgrounds sits inside the park, and Sal Salis is the only lodge in it.
When bookings open: Ningaloo Coast campsite bookings open on the first Tuesday of every month at 10:00am AWST — a monthly release rather than the 180-day window used across the rest of WA — and the peak season from Easter to October books out fast. One campsite per booking, and a maximum of 14 nights if any night falls in WA public school holidays (28 nights otherwise). Official booking page. Checked 7 November 2026. Booking dates for every state.
| Stay | Guest rating | Best for | Distance | Style | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osprey Bay Campground (DBCA) | Not rated | Beachfront bush camping beside the Osprey Sanctuary Zone | Western side of the park on the coast road, south of Turquoise Bay | 46 unpowered compacted gravel sites in two areas · no-flush pit toilets, generators in the northern area only, no campfires, no dogs, no drinking water | Book now |
| Kurrajong Campground (DBCA) | Not rated | Sleeping within walking distance of the water | Western coast road, between the dunes with all sites within a 150m walk of the beach | 35 reverse-in gravel sites, unpowered · pit toilets, no generators, no campfires, no dogs | Book now |
| Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef | 9.0 / 10 (27 reviews, Booking.com) | A bed, meals and guided walks inside the park | In the dunes of the park's western coast, 70km from Exmouth — about an hour's drive | 15 wilderness tents with en-suite composting bathrooms, all-inclusive meals, and guided kayaking, snorkelling and gorge walks | Check rates |
| RAC Exmouth Cape Holiday Park | 8.2 / 10 (422 reviews, Booking.com) | Powered sites, a pool and a town base when the park campgrounds are full | Exmouth, within 1km of the town centre and about 22km from the park | 313 tent and RV sites with full hookups, camp kitchen, playground and an outdoor cinema in high season | Check rates |
| Exmouth Escape Resort | 8.6 / 10 (1,290 reviews, Booking.com) | Self-contained comfort and a pool after a week of camping | 375 Murat Road, Exmouth — a 10–15 minute walk to the town centre | Villas and apartments around a pool with the on-site Whalers Restaurant and limited free wi-fi | Check rates |
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What to do here
7 walks & sights
Yardie Creek Gorge — Nature Walk and Gorge Trail
The park's headline gorge, at the southern end of the sealed coast road. The Nature Walk is a hardened-surface loop suitable for wheelchairs and prams along the top of the gorge, and the Gorge Trail continues on rough, steep ground to a lookout over the creek and the coast beyond — DBCA allows 2 hours for both. Boat cruises run up the creek from the jetty near the car park for anyone who would rather see the cliffs from the water. Do not walk past the end of the trail: the southern side of the creek is a sanctuary area protecting bird nesting and rock-wallaby habitat.
Turquoise Bay drift snorkel
The park's best-known swim, where the reef comes close enough to the sand that you walk in and start snorkelling. The current drifts you along the coral, so enter up-current, ride the drift and come ashore before the exit point — that makes it a swim for confident snorkellers rather than children or weak swimmers. There are no lifesavers and no shade on the beach, and the current is the main hazard people underestimate.
Mandu Mandu Walk
The best of the range walks, starting at the car park 14km and 15 minutes south of Milyering Discovery Centre. It climbs over a rocky creek bed and along the gorge rim, with steep ascents and descents and rough, uneven surfaces, and the views run out to Ningaloo Reef. Black-flanked rock-wallabies are most likely on the cliffs early in the day. Carry water and do it before the rock heats up.
Shothole Canyon road and lookout
A 12km gravel drive along the floor of one of the park's most rugged canyons, from the turn-off 17km south of Exmouth on the Exmouth–Minilya Road. The 'shotholes' that name the canyon are the blast holes left by 1950s oil-exploration work. At the end, a short walk climbs to a lookout up stairs that DBCA describes as extremely steep and narrow, on gravel that can be very slippery — proceed with extreme caution. Picnic tables and a toilet are at the car park.
Charles Knife Canyon and the Badjirrajirra Trail
Charles Knife Road leaves the Exmouth–Minilya Road 22km and 20 minutes south of Exmouth and climbs to the Thomas Carter Lookout car park, 11km on with a final 1km to the car park. From there the Badjirrajirra Trail traverses the top of the range through rocky gullies and small gorges, with views over Shothole Canyon and Exmouth Gulf. It is steep, rough and unshaded, and the lookouts on the way have unfenced edges.
Mangrove Bay Bird Hide Walk
A boardwalk from the car park 8km and 10 minutes north of Milyering Discovery Centre to a bird hide over the mangroves — the easiest walk in the park and a good one for children. Waterbirds and shorebirds use the bay, and the viewing is from the hide rather than the water's edge. DBCA warns about mosquitoes here, so cover up with long, loose clothing and use repellent.
Oyster Stacks and Lakeside
Two more beach entries for the days when Turquoise Bay is busy or the wind has turned. Oyster Stacks has the densest coral of the park's beach snorkelling but the rock only clears at mid-to-high tide, so time it rather than arriving at random. Lakeside is calmer and better for less confident swimmers. Both are entered from the sand, and both are shallow coral — stand on sand, not on reef.
Cape Range National Park itineraries: 1, 2 or 3 days
3 plans
One day: Yardie Creek and a reef swim
- Morning. Drive from Exmouth to the Yardie Creek car park — about 90km, 1 hour on sealed road — and walk the Yardie Nature Walk (1.2km return, 40 minutes, Class 1) then the Yardie Gorge Trail (750m return, 1 hour, Class 4). DBCA allows 2 hours for both. Walk early for the rock-wallabies on the cliff faces.
- Midday. Drive back north along the coast road to Turquoise Bay — about 60km from Exmouth, 45 to 60 minutes — and drift snorkel the reef. It is unpatrolled and the current moves, so swim with a buddy and keep children out of the drift.
- Afternoon. Oyster Stacks if the tide is mid-to-high, or Lakeside if you want calmer water, then drive back to Exmouth in daylight — animals are on the park roads after dark.
No nights — this is a day trip from Exmouth. Vehicle entry is $17 per day ($10 concession), and there is no fuel or drinking water in the park, so fill up in Exmouth and carry about 5 litres of water per person. The sealed coast road gets you to Yardie Creek and the reef beaches; the canyon roads on the eastern side are not part of this plan.
Two days: camp on the coast and walk Mandu Mandu
- Day 1. The Yardie Creek morning from the one-day plan — Nature Walk and Gorge Trail, 2 hours for both — then camp at Kurrajong (35 sites, all within a 150m walk of the beach) or Osprey Bay (46 sites) on the coast road.
- Day 2, morning. Mandu Mandu Walk (3km return, 2 hours, Class 4) from the car park 14km and 15 minutes south of Milyering Discovery Centre, then the Mangrove Bay bird hide (100m return, 10 minutes) on the way back north.
- Day 2, afternoon. Turquoise Bay for the drift snorkel, or Oyster Stacks on a mid-to-high tide, then break camp and drive out to Exmouth in daylight.
One night, camping at Kurrajong or Osprey Bay at $15 per adult per night ($10 concession, $5 per child), booked on ParkStay WA with one campsite per booking. The campgrounds have pit toilets and no drinking water, so carry about 5 litres per person per day. Both campgrounds ban campfires and dogs, and DBCA recommends these walks only between April and September.
Three days: add the eastern canyons
- Day 1. Yardie Creek: the Nature Walk and the Gorge Trail, then camp at Kurrajong or Osprey Bay.
- Day 2. Mandu Mandu in the morning, Mangrove Bay bird hide, and an afternoon snorkel at Turquoise Bay or Oyster Stacks.
- Day 3. The eastern side: Shothole Canyon, a 12km gravel drive for 4WD only from the turn-off 17km south of Exmouth, with the 100m-return lookout walk at the end, then Charles Knife Road to the Thomas Carter Lookout car park and the Badjirrajirra Trail (6km return, 3 hours, Class 4) along the top of the range.
Two nights in the park at Kurrajong or Osprey Bay at $15 per adult per night ($10 concession, $5 per child), booked on ParkStay WA. Day 3 needs a 4WD for Shothole Canyon's 12km of gravel, and the road to Thomas Carter Lookout is not suitable for 2WD. Vehicle entry is $17 per day ($10 concession), there is no fuel or drinking water in the park, and the canyon roads can close after rain.
Experiences worth booking
Cape Range National Park Full-Day Trekking Adventure
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Ningaloo Reef Snorkel Adventure
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Two-Day Trekking Adventure-Sunset Reef & Range Overnight Loop
Check availability →Tours run by independent operators and booked on Viator. Booking links go to Viator, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices are "from" figures in AUD, checked 2026-11-09.
Suggested gear for Cape Range National Park
18 items
- Water bottles or a hydration bladder Carry at least 2 litres per person on the walks.
- Water treatment tablets or a filter Treat creek and camping-area water before drinking.
- Sun hat, sunscreen (SPF 50+) and sunglasses
- Sturdy, broken-in walking shoes or boots
- Day pack (20–30 L)
- First aid kit, including blister care
- Insect repellent
- Head torch with spare batteries
- Lightweight rain jacket
- Personal locator beacon Mobile coverage is unreliable in remote parks.
- Fins, mask and snorkel of your own Turquoise Bay is a drift snorkel that carries you along the reef, and fins are what let you hold your position and get back to the exit point.
- Water capacity for at least 5 litres per person, per day No drinking water is supplied anywhere in the park, and the range walks are unshaded Class 4 rock.
- A pop-up shade shelter DBCA notes the low scrub gives very little shade, and the beaches and gorge rims have none at all.
- A full-size spare tyre, tyre repair kit and recovery gear The canyon roads and beach access tracks are unsealed gravel or sand, wet sand can bog a conventional 2WD, and retrieval is expensive.
- A satellite messenger or satellite phone There is no reliable mobile signal in the park beyond the Telstra hotspot at Milyering Discovery Centre.
- A printed tide chart Oyster Stacks only clears the rock at mid-to-high tide, and the drift and entry points at the reef beaches change with the tide and wind.
- Long, loose clothing for the Mangrove Bay boardwalk DBCA warns about mosquitoes at the bird hide and advises covering up as well as using repellent.
- A 12V fridge or icebox and all your food There are no shops, kiosks or fuel in the park, and campfires are banned at Osprey Bay and Kurrajong.
How this compares
Cape Range National Park vs Karijini National Park
Karijini's banded-ironstone gorges in the Pilbara are the other half of the classic Western Australian road trip: slot canyons you descend on ladders and handrails, cold permanent pools and Class 5 scrambling, with bush camping at Dales. There is no coast at all, and the season is the dry winter. Choose Karijini for Class 5 gorge descents and cold pools; choose Cape Range for reef you can wade into from the sand and walks that stay dry.
- Difficulty
- 4 of 5 — Demanding
- Access
- Sealed roads to the main gorges and Dales Gorge; a rough gravel 4WD access road to Hamersley Gorge
- Best for
- Slot canyons · gorge swimming · Pilbara geology
Cape Range National Park vs Kalbarri National Park
Kalbarri pairs the Murchison River gorges inland with red sea cliffs and wildflower country on the Coral Coast, and it has a town with full services at the park's doorstep. It is a park of lookouts, river gorges and cliff-top walks rather than a reef you swim into. Choose Kalbarri for gorge lookouts, wildflowers and a town base; choose Cape Range for beach-entry snorkelling and camping on the sand.
- Difficulty
- 3 of 5 — Challenging
- Access
- Sealed roads to the gorge and coastal precincts, with a 2WD-friendly mix of short walks and lookouts
- Best for
- River gorges · coastal cliffs · wildflower season
Cape Range National Park vs Purnululu National Park
Purnululu, in the East Kimberley, is Western Australia's other ancient-rock park — banded beehive domes and narrow chasms reached by a long, rough 4WD track, with a shorter season and thinner facilities than Cape Range. The walking is hands-on and remote, and there is no reef at the end of it. Choose Purnululu for remote 4WD touring and the dome country; choose Cape Range for the coast, the reef and easier access.
- Difficulty
- 4 of 5 — Demanding
- Access
- Long, narrow, corrugated 4WD track from the Great Northern Highway; dry season travel only
- Best for
- Serious 4WD travel · remote bush camping · sandstone domes
Before you go
- Book campsites on ParkStay WA — the Ningaloo Coast releases bookings on the first Tuesday of each month at 10:00am AWST, one campsite per booking, and the season from Easter to October goes quickly
- Vehicle entry is $17 per day ($10 concession), motorcycles $10, and trailers and camper trailers are free; pay when you book, on arrival, or use a park pass
- There is no fuel in the park — fill up in Exmouth or Coral Bay before you drive in
- There is no drinking water in the park — carry about 5 litres per person per day, more in hot weather
- Don't count on mobile signal. The only reliable connection is the Telstra hotspot at Milyering Discovery Centre, so carry a satellite messenger or PLB and tell someone your plans
- No dogs anywhere in the park, no campfires at Osprey Bay or Kurrajong, and Western Shield 1080 baiting is carried out — stay on formed tracks and away from bait stations
- Walks are recommended only between April and September; check DBCA alerts before you leave town, because parks, roads and recreation sites can close without notice in the November–April cyclone season
- Shothole Canyon and the road to the top of Charles Knife are rough gravel for 4WD only, and the Yardie Creek crossing on the southern approach is high-clearance 4WD and often impassable
When to go
seasons & the hard months
April to September is the season DBCA itself puts on the walks, and it is when the park works: dry days, cool enough mornings for Class 4 rock, and the reef calm enough for beach-entry snorkelling. June to August brings the wildflowers — Tourism Western Australia counts around 630 varieties across the region, from purple mulla mulla to flame-red desert peas — and humpback whales pass this coast from May to October. The counterweight is that Easter to October is the peak visitor season, so campsites are hard won and Turquoise Bay fills by mid-morning. Book the first Tuesday release, walk at first light, and take your snorkel to Oyster Stacks or Lakeside when the popular bay is busy.
November to April is the hard part of the year. Parks here pass 45°C in summer, the scrub gives almost no shade, and it is cyclone season: DBCA warns that parks, roads and recreation sites can be closed at short notice, and the canyon roads on the eastern side close after rain. DBCA recommends attempting the walks only from April to September, and that advice exists for good reason — rough Class 4 rock and heat make a poor combination. If you are passing through in the hot months, swim early, keep to the sealed coast road, carry more water than you think you need, and treat the alerts page as part of your trip planning rather than an afterthought.
Questions
6 answers
Not for the main attractions. The sealed coast road reaches the reef beaches, Milyering Discovery Centre and Yardie Creek, and a 2WD handles it in dry weather. A 4WD is required for the 12km of gravel in Shothole Canyon and for the road to the top of Charles Knife and the Badjirrajirra Trail, and the Yardie Creek crossing on the southern approach is high-clearance 4WD and often impassable. There is no public transport, so a vehicle is essential.
Vehicle entry is $17 per day or $10 concession, with a per-person rate of $8 ($3.50 concession) for vehicles carrying more than 12 people, and motorcycles $10. Trailers and camper trailers are free. Camping is charged per person per night — adult $15, concession $10, child $5 — and paid by card when you book. Shothole Canyon carries no entry fee, which is the exception rather than the rule.
Yes, that is the whole point — the reef sits close to shore at Turquoise Bay, Oyster Stacks and Lakeside, so no boat is needed. Turquoise Bay is a drift snorkel that pushes you along the reef, which suits confident swimmers and is a poor choice for weak swimmers or children; the beaches are unpatrolled and the current is the main hazard. Oyster Stacks needs mid-to-high tide to clear the rock. Swim with a buddy and stand on sand, not on coral.
Neither. No drinking water is supplied anywhere in the park, so carry about 5 litres per person per day, and there is no fuel — fill up at Exmouth or Coral Bay before you drive in. The only facilities of their kind are the toilets at the campgrounds and day-use areas, and the Telstra hotspot and public phone at Milyering Discovery Centre.
All campsites must be booked before you arrive, online through ParkStay WA, one campsite per booking. The Ningaloo Coast is the exception to WA's usual 180-day window: bookings here open on the first Tuesday of each month at 10:00am AWST, and the peak season from Easter to October books out quickly. Maximum stay is 14 nights if any night falls in WA public school holidays, otherwise 28 nights. Osprey Bay and Kurrajong are the best-known beach campgrounds; both are unpowered and ban campfires and dogs.
Humpback whales pass this coast from May to October and can be seen from the shore and headlands, while Tourism Western Australia reports whale sharks in Ningaloo waters from around March to August. Both are normally seen on tours that depart from Exmouth or Coral Bay and go offshore — they run out of the towns, not from inside the park — so book those separately from your park days.
Nearby & next
Official information
Always check current alerts before you travel.