Karijini National Park
Iron-Red Gorges of the Pilbara
schedule 1 min read / Updated Apr 2026
A network of deep, narrow gorges sliced into 2.5 billion year old iron-banded rock in the heart of the Pilbara. Swimming holes, waterfalls, and burnt orange cliff walls at every turn. Some of the oldest accessible scenery on the planet.
Karijini National Park is a 6,274 square kilometre park in the Hamersley Range of the Pilbara, in north-western Western Australia. It contains some of the deepest and narrowest gorges in the country, carved by seasonal rivers into iron-banded sedimentary rock laid down 2.5 billion years ago. The rock layers are some of the oldest accessible scenery on the planet.
The main gorge systems are Dales Gorge, Weano Gorge, Hancock Gorge, Knox Gorge and Joffre Gorge, all reached from the Karijini Visitor Centre. Trails range from easy boardwalks at the rim to scrambling, swimming and rope-assisted descents into the slot canyons below. Fortescue Falls in Dales Gorge is the only year-round waterfall in the park. Fern Pool, just downstream, is a sacred Banyjima site and the most accessible swimming hole.
Karijini sits on Banyjima, Yinhawangka and Eastern Guruma country, and is jointly managed with the Traditional Owners. The park is roughly 1,400 kilometres north of Perth or 300 kilometres inland from Karratha.
From the journal
Read more about Karijini National Park.
Scenic views
Lookouts near Karijini National Park.
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Attribution
Sources & credits
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- Geophaps plumifera ssp. ferruginea in Karijini National Park... · thibaudaronson · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Karijini National Park, Pilbara Region, Western Australia, D... · Gypsy Denise · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Karijini National Park, Pilbara Region, Western Australia, K... · Gypsy Denise · CC BY-SA 4.0
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