Mitchell River National Park (Mitchell Falls)

Mitchell River National Park covers 15,300 hectares of the Mitchell Plateau (Ngauwudu) in the far north Kimberley, and its centre is Punamii-unpuu — Mitchell Falls — where the Mitchell River steps down four tiers of King Leopold sandstone into a deep pool. The Wunambal Gaambera people are the Traditional Owners and manage the country with the park service: entry is by an Uunguu Visitor Pass bought from Wunambal Gaambera before you arrive, and the camping fees are set by the Traditional Owners. The falls are one of the main homes of the Wunggurr serpent in Wandjina Wunggurr law, and visitors are asked to approach quietly, stop and reflect, and not walk down below the falls. The park was gazetted in 2000, and the plateau it protects holds Livistona eastonii fan palms, the Monjon — Australia's smallest rock wallaby — and the near-threatened Black Grasswren. Access is 4WD only, over the Kalumburu Road and then 85km of rough Port Warrender track.

What you come for is the walk: 8.6km return past Little Mertens and Big Mertens Falls and Wandjina and Gwion rock art, to the four tiers themselves. Come self-sufficient — there is no fuel, no phone signal and no bookable campsite on the plateau.

What to expect

Reviewed 8 November 2026

You come in on the Kalumburu Road off the Gibb River Road, then turn west onto the Port Warrender track for the last 85km — narrow, winding, corrugated, cut by washouts and creek crossings, and slow enough that it takes close to 3 hours from the Kalumburu Road to the campground. Fill up at Drysdale River Station first: it sells diesel and unleaded, and it is the last fuel before the plateau. High-clearance 4WD is the standard here, and only off-road camper trailers get through; caravans don't. On the way in you cross the King Edward River at Munurru, where Wunambal Gaambera rangers run a campground and rock art galleries, and after that the track climbs onto the laterite cap of Ngauwudu through woollybutt and stringybark woodland and Livistona eastonii fan palms. There is no phone coverage on any carrier once you leave the Kalumburu Road, and none anywhere on the plateau. Plan on being out of contact for the whole stay.

Mitchell Falls Campground sits near Mertens Creek, and it is deliberately plain: a large site with separate generator and non-generator areas, toilets and taps at the toilet facilities, fire rings at most campsites, and no showers and no bins. Water from the taps must be boiled or treated before drinking, no soap goes within 10m of any watercourse, and there is a designated swimming area downstream of the start of the walk trail. Camping is first come, first served — the campground is non-bookable, and it can fill on weekends and public holidays, so come with a fallback. Fees are set by the Wunambal Gaambera people and paid using the envelopes left at the campground, and you collect your firewood before entering the park at signposted areas on the Port Warrender Road.

The Punamii-unpuu walk leaves from the campground and runs 8.6km return, with 4–6 hours the park's own allowance and 2.5 hours each way at a steady pace. It is graded Class 5, which in practice means minimal markings, uneven ground, water crossings, boulder scrambling, steep sections with vertical drops and slippery wet rock, and it asks for real fitness and agility rather than enthusiasm. Take 4L of water per person, sturdy footwear and a hat, walk with at least two other people, stay on the existing trail, and start early or late rather than in the middle of the day. Some walkers go in on foot and come back by helicopter from the top of the falls; the park also lists a 4.3km one-way scenic walk trail designed to pair with a flight.

The trail corridor delivers its first payoff early: Little Mertens Falls is 800m from the camping area, and its 1.6km return track (30 minutes, Class 3) takes you to the top of the falls for views across the plateau and to a pool below where you can swim. Beyond it the track keeps going toward Big Mertens Falls, 2.5km from the campground, which drops into a narrow chasm; the walk passes rainforest pockets and pandanus-lined watercourses, and the terrain turns rough — uneven ground, water crossings, scrambling over rocks, minimal markings, steep sections with vertical drops and slippery wet stone. Punamii-unpuu itself is the reward, four tiers of the Mitchell River stepping through King Leopold sandstone into a deep pool. The Wunambal ask you to approach quietly, stop and reflect, and not walk down below the falls; swimming below them is not permitted, because saltwater crocodiles may be present.

The helicopter option is not a consolation prize. HeliSpirit runs flights from the campground helipad, including an 18-minute trip over the lower Mitchell Falls and JCR Falls and a 48-minute flight over gorges, waterfalls, remote beaches and islands, and you can combine a one-way walk with a flight. The service runs April to October, is licensed to operate on Wunambal Gaambera Country, and is pre-booked rather than queued for. Fire restrictions and track closures change year to year, so check the park's alerts page before you leave and again at Drysdale River Station, where there is still phone signal.