Waterfalls in Western Australia

Planning a waterfall trip in Western Australia

Around Perth, the hills along the Darling Scarp have the easiest falls to reach. Lesmurdie Falls is a short walk from the car park and looks back over the city. Serpentine Falls in Serpentine National Park ends in a granite pool, and John Forrest National Park has Hovea Falls and National Park Falls on the same walk trail.

Further south, the forests around Pemberton and Margaret River have smaller falls on tannin-stained creeks, including Beedelup Falls and Meekadarabee Falls near Ellensbrook. They are worth a stop between June and October, when the winter rain is coming through.

The north is a much bigger trip. Mitchell Falls (Punamii-unpuu) in the Kimberley is reached by a long 4WD track off the Kalumburu Road, or by scenic flight. You need an Uunguu Visitor Pass from the Wunambal Gaambera people as well as a park pass. Bell Gorge is a popular swimming stop on the Gibb River Road. In the Pilbara, Karijini National Park has Fortescue Falls and Fern Pool, which usually hold water for much of the year.

Timing is everything up north. The Gibb River Road and Kalumburu Road usually open in May and can close again once the wet arrives in late spring. The falls are strongest early in the dry season and can shrink to a trickle by September. In the south, most falls are dry from December to April.

Parks and Wildlife Service charges an entry fee at many WA national parks, including Serpentine, John Forrest and Karijini. Day passes are sold at the gate or online, and holiday and annual passes cover multiple parks. Where a fee applies, the Getting there section on the waterfall page notes it.

We don’t yet have a live park-alerts feed for WA, so the access badge reads Check park alerts. Check the Parks and Wildlife Service alerts page and road reports before driving north, and carry extra water and fuel.