Complete Guide to Karijini National Park - 4 Night Itinerary

Karijini National Park will always be a very special place for us and is one of our favourite parks in all of Australia. The towering ancient red rocks, lush greenery and sapphire blue water are completely one of a kind and need to be experienced in person.

As far as National Parks go, this one is MASSIVE with so many different hikes to do and things to see. We are all for experiencing everything a place has to offer without having to rush or tire ourselves out from hours of driving. You don’t want to be returning home from a holiday feeling more tired than when you left, so we have put together a four night itinerary to get the absolute most out of Karijini, while still leaving the park feeling relaxed.

We have arranged this itinerary to minimise driving within the park as much as possible, and it is structured for those who are either coming up the guts from Perth, or from Port Headland. If you are coming from Tom Price/Karratha, just reverse it!

What you need to know.

The best time of year to visit Karijini is between April and October, visiting during December and January is not recommended due to heavy rains and flash flooding in the gorges.

It does get very hot during the day but remember to pack warm clothes for overnight, as it is a desert climate.

The only mobile phone coverage throughout the park is with Optus.

A 4WD vehicle is not necessary, but is recommended for the unsealed roads to the gorges.

(4WD is required for the heavily corrugated road between Dales Gorge and the Eco Retreat however it is easy enough to go back out onto the main road and around. In fact we would recommend doing this even if you do have a 4WD- because it doesn’t add too much time to your journey and is a much more enjoyable drive 😅)

Campsites need to be booked prior to arrival, Dales Campground through the WA DPAW website and Eco Retreat through karijiniecoretreat.com.au

Before getting to Karijini

So we're going to start this itinerary off with a bonus free campsite!

On the eastern side of the park just off Great Northern Highway you will find Albert Tognolini Rest Area, which has to be one of our favourite free camps in WA!

There were pretty much 360° views from our campsite and the sunset and sunrise we experienced were just insane, so we’d definitely recommend adding this one to your list!

If you’re driving from Perth (2x 7.5 hour drives) or Port Headland (3 hour drive) you’re going to be pretty knackered so we usually like to find free camps like this, then wake up fresh the next morning ready for a day of adventuring in the National Park.

That way you’re not paying for an extra night when you might not even get to see any of the park on that day!

Day One.

Okay so you have woken up fresh at Albert Tognolini Rest Area, taken in the amazing views and are ready for a day of exploring!

First up we are going to head to Dales Gorge.

From the rest area the Dales Gorge campground is a 70km drive.

You will drive past the pay station on your way into the park - the entry fee is $15 per vehicle or we would strongly suggest purchasing an annual parks pass if you are planning on spending a decent amount of time in WA.

(You can also save 50% off an annual parks pass if you are an RAC member, so your pass has basically paid for itself in 4 park visits).

So first up at Dales Gorge head over to the lookout for your first look at the amazing Karijini.

Take in the scenery by walking the gorge rim walk (2km return)- which comes to another epic lookout over Circular Pool (this pool unfortunately has been closed for swimming).

Grab your lunch and maybe a book out of your car and make your way down the steps to the beautiful Fortescue Falls.

(We say grab your lunch now because we’re going to be spending the day down there, and those stairs can be brutal to get back up).

Cool off from your walk by taking a dip in the falls and then wander over to Fern Pool (only 300m from Fortescue Falls).

Fern Pool is our personal favourite swimming hole in all of Australia.

From there you can decide where you want to spend the day & eat lunch.

Fern Pool is more shaded however there is a lot more picnic space at Fortescue Falls.

After spending the day relaxing, head over to Dales Campground to spend the night!

Day Two.

So if yesterday you fell as madly in love with Fern Pool as we are, go for a little walk down there again this morning, as early as you can.

We promise seeing it in complete silence is a whole different experience to seeing it with noodle wielding families floating around- you could not ask for a more peaceful start to your day!

After that, get fuelled up for a day of hiking- nothing too crazy, we are going to ease ourselves into it today.

First up is Kalamina Gorge- this is the next closest hike to Dales Campground.

The walk is 3km return through the gorge, along the stream. It is not too difficult, however there are some rocky steps and ledges.

Following that, head over to Joffre Gorge.

We’d suggest eating lunch before venturing down into this one, it is a 2km return hike.

The signs within the park note this hike as a class 5 and extremely difficult, however they have recently installed stairs/ladders the entire way down the gorge so it is a lot more accessible now.

We’d suggest taking a pool noodle so you can swim to the end of the gorge to cool down, plus there is an abundance of beautiful bird life at the end of the pool.

A little further down the road is Knox Lookout and once you’re all gorged out for the day, head over to the Karijini Eco Retreat to spend the night!

Day Three.

First up today is the famous Hancock Gorge!

So that means your hiking clothes are going to get wet and if you are wanting to take your camera gear/phone over to Kermits Pool, you will need a wet pack.

The hike, although not very long (about 1.5kms return), is ranked as a class 5 due to steep rocky steps and wading through chest deep water to arrive at the end pool.

The hike itself is super fun but Kermits Pool is a stunning end destination!

Dependant on closures, take the Lower Weano Gorge walk over to Handrail Pool following this (1.3kms return).

If Handrail Pool is closed (it was when we last visited), check out the lookout areas and head over to Knox Gorge for another fun and challenging hike (2kms return).

Head back to the Karijini Eco Retreat for a second night, enjoy a nice warm shower and grab a burger from their Burger Bar! (honestly they were DELICIOUS)

Get to bed fairly early because tomorrow is an early wake up call!

Day Four.

Sunrise mission time! Yep it’s dark and it’s cold now but in a few hours you will be watching a spectacular sunrise from the top of Mount Bruce!

Or watching it from halfway up, before bailing on the hike like we did- but either way it’s a great way to start the day!

So it’s about 4.5kms up to the summit and we’d suggest going for sunrise, not only for the pretty view but because after about 9am it starts to get REAL hot up there.

After you’ve refuelled from that monster of a hike, it’s time to head over to Hamersley Gorge.

It is a 62km drive from Mount Bruce and can get quite corrugated in areas.

Hamersley Gorge is another hike that is not very long (about 1.2kms return), but is made challenging by uneven and sometimes slippery rocky ground.

But once you arrive at ‘the grotto’ you will see exactly why this waterfall is so famous!

Nearby to Hamersley Gorge there is another neat little free camp, search Buddhas Overnighter on Wikicamps for the location!

Day Five.

So this is just a little bonus day on our itinerary for those people who hate crowds as much as we do.

First thing this morning we are going to head back to Hamersley Gorge to experience it all to ourselves and watch the sun peek out from behind the rocks.

The crowds start to arrive around 9-10am so get out before then!

So that wraps up our Karijini guide! We really hope it makes navigating the park easier and you are able to get the best experience from this incredible part of the world. If you are keen to watch what we got up to on our most recent visit to Karijini, you can click here for part one and click here for part two!