# Best Gorges in the Kimberley WA | Bell, Emma, Windjana & More Canonical: https://bookfromowner.com.au/guides/wa/north-west/the-kimberley/best-gorges/ Type: AttractionGuide Location: The Kimberley, Australia's North West, Western Australia Last updated: 2026-06-01 > The best gorges in the Kimberley, WA -- Bell Gorge, Emma Gorge, Windjana, Manning, Galvans, Adcock, Tunnel Creek and Lennard Gorge. Which to swim, which to walk, where the crocs are, and how to make the most of each. Dry season only. ## Quick Answer - Best for: 4WD travellers, gorge swimmers, walkers and photographers - Price range: Free to low (national park fees and station entry fees apply at some) - Vibe: Remote, ancient, spectacular - Distance: Scattered across the Gibb River Road corridor and Kununurra region ## Featured Properties - The Kimberley Grande Resort: 4/5 (399 reviews) Book direct: https://kimberleygrande.com.au/ The Kimberley Grande Resort — The Kimberley - Best Western Cambridge Hotel Kununurra: 4.4/5 (40 reviews) Book direct: https://www.bestwesternkununurra.com.au/ Best Western Cambridge Hotel Kununurra — The Kimberley - Hotel Kununurra: 3.9/5 (561 reviews) Book direct: http://www.hotelkununurra.com.au/ Hotel Kununurra — The Kimberley ## FAQ Q: Which is the best gorge in the Kimberley for swimming? A: Bell Gorge is the most often cited best swimming gorge on the Gibb River Road -- a tiered waterfall into a deep, clear plunge pool signed safe for swimming through most of the Dry season. Emma Gorge at El Questro is the best swimming gorge near Kununurra and the most accessible for all fitness levels (thermal spring-fed, easy 2km walk). Galvans Gorge is the best quick swim stop on the Gibb. Always check current croc safety signage at any gorge before entering the water. Q: Are there crocodiles in the Kimberley gorges? A: Yes, in various forms. Saltwater (estuarine) crocodiles are present in most Kimberley waterways and are genuinely dangerous. Only swim at gorges with current signage confirming the area is safe. Freshwater crocodiles -- smaller, slimmer, much less aggressive -- are common in inland gorges including Windjana and Tunnel Creek. They are visible on the banks and in the pools but are generally not dangerous to swimmers who maintain distance and do not corner or approach them. Treat any unsigned pool as a no-swim site. Q: What is the easiest gorge to visit in the Kimberley? A: Galvans Gorge has the easiest access -- a 10-minute flat walk from the road reaches a swimming hole and Wandjina rock art site. Emma Gorge at El Questro is also easy (2km return) and is warm and spring-fed. Windjana Gorge is a flat, easy 3.5km return through spectacular limestone walls with freshwater crocs. All three suit most fitness levels and are manageable for families with older children. Q: Do I need a 4WD to visit the gorges? A: Most Kimberley gorges require a high-clearance 4WD -- they are accessed via side roads off the Gibb River Road (itself 4WD only) or via rough station roads. Emma Gorge at El Questro is accessible via a rough but manageable road for well-equipped 4WDs (El Questro entry fee applies). Windjana Gorge has a better-maintained access road than most but is still best with a 4WD. Check specific road conditions with Main Roads WA and directly with the relevant station or park authority before departing. Q: When are the Kimberley gorges open? A: The Dry season (roughly May to October) is the only practical time to visit. The Wet season (November to April) floods the access roads, gorge approaches and river crossings, making them inaccessible and often dangerous. Some gorges and roads open as early as May depending on how quickly the previous Wet drains; always check current conditions with Main Roads WA and the relevant park authority before departing, as opening dates vary each year. Q: Is it worth doing multiple gorges, or just the best ones? A: If you're driving the Gibb River Road, doing multiple gorges is how the trip works -- the stops are spaced along the route and the combinations (Windjana + Tunnel Creek; Bell + Galvans + Manning) are natural day groupings. If you're based in Kununurra, El Questro's gorges (Emma, plus Chamberlain by boat) are the accessible options without driving the full Gibb. Each gorge is genuinely different; the travellers who rush through three in a day see less than those who take two days over two. Slow down. ## At a Glance - Best swimming gorge: Bell Gorge -- tiered falls into a deep, clear pool (signed safe in the Dry) - Best for atmosphere: Cathedral Gorge (Bungle Bungles) or Tunnel Creek -- extraordinary enclosed environments - Freshwater crocs: Present in Windjana Gorge, Tunnel Creek, and most inland Gibb waterways -- wild but much less dangerous than saltwater - Saltwater crocs: Inhabit most coastal and estuarine waterways; never swim in unsigned pools near the coast or tidal rivers - Vehicle needed: High-clearance 4WD for most -- some on sealed roads; many on rough side roads off the Gibb - Season: Dry (May-Oct) only -- the Wet floods access roads and gorge approaches - Footwear: Closed-toe, grippy shoes for rocky gorge floors -- sandals are inadequate for most walks ## Featured - 1. Bell Gorge — Best swim on the Gibb - tiered falls - the Kimberley postcard - Why people love it: After days of corrugations and heat, that first jump into Bell Gorge's cold, clear pool beneath a flowing waterfall is one of the best single moments of any Kimberley trip. - Don't miss: The tiered plunge pools at dawn before any tour group arrives -- cold, clear, and in the best morning light on the Gibb. - Good to know: The rocky walk is not appropriate for less-mobile visitors or very young children; always check the current croc safety signage at the pool before swimming; do not swim near the falls after rain. - 2. Windjana Gorge — Freshwater crocs - ancient reef walls - easy walk - Why people love it: Thirty freshwater crocodiles on the banks beneath 90-metre limestone walls at first light is one of the Kimberley's most singular quiet scenes. - Don't miss: An early-morning walk through the gorge when the crocs are out on the banks and the limestone is catching the low eastern light. - Good to know: Do not enter the water -- freshwater crocs are present and the pool system is not signed safe for swimming. Maintain distance from crocs at all times. - 3. Manning Gorge — Two-tier - full-day walk - the upper falls reward the effort - Why people love it: The upper Manning Falls, wide and powerful in a pool that most people never reach, earned by a hard walk across bleached sandstone plateau. - Don't miss: The upper Manning Falls and plunge pool -- a wide, multi-drop waterfall in a gorge system that the majority of Gibb travellers don't see. - Good to know: The upper gorge walk is hard, hot and remote -- not for the unfit or anyone without sufficient water and an early start. The lower swim is accessible but check croc signage. - 4. Emma Gorge (El Questro) — Thermal spring - beautiful pool - best gorge near Kununurra - Why people love it: A warm spring-fed pool beneath a 65-metre waterfall at the end of an easy 2km walk -- Emma Gorge is the Kimberley gorge most people can actually enjoy. - Don't miss: The thermal spring pool at the base of the falls on a cool Dry-season morning -- warm water, cold air, orange walls. - Good to know: El Questro has an entry fee and the gorge campsite books out in peak season -- plan and book ahead. Follow saltwater croc signage across the station (the Emma pool is safe but the wider station waterways are not). - 5. Galvans Gorge — Short - good swim - Wandjina rock art - best effort-to-reward ratio - Why people love it: The best 20-minute gorge stop on the Gibb -- a proper cold swim and Wandjina rock art that gives the whole site an entirely different weight. - Don't miss: The Wandjina painted overhang above the pool -- look at it carefully and let the scale and age of it register. - Good to know: Swim in the main pool body, not the croc-occupied rocky margins. Never touch the Wandjina art. The gorge is close to the road and can be busy mid-morning in peak season -- arrive early. - 6. Adcock Gorge — Quieter - underrated - good swimming hole without the crowds - Why people love it: The quietest good swimming hole on the central Gibb -- the same clear water as the famous gorges, with none of the tour-group presence. - Don't miss: An afternoon swim alone in the pool with the warm sandstone walls and near-total silence. - Good to know: Check croc safety signage on arrival; the side road is easy to miss -- check your map before the turn-off. Not as spectacular as Bell but significantly less crowded. - 7. Tunnel Creek — No swimming - wade in the dark - bats and crocs - unique on any continent - Why people love it: The shaft of blue daylight falling through the collapsed ceiling into a dark, knee-deep tunnel is one of the most singular and beautiful moments the Kimberley produces. - Don't miss: The collapsed mid-section, where a shaft of sky falls into the dark tunnel and the contrast between the two lights is extraordinary. - Good to know: Not for claustrophobics or young children who can't manage dark, knee-deep water. Two torches per person is non-negotiable -- losing your only torch in a dark tunnel is a genuine emergency. - 8. Lennard Gorge — Remote - dramatic plunge - the most spectacular gorge most people skip - Why people love it: The scale and force of the Lennard plunge -- a powerful waterfall dropping into a canyon you can't see the bottom of -- is unlike any other single viewpoint on the Gibb. - Don't miss: Standing at the canyon rim and looking down at the full force of the Lennard River plunging into the gorge below -- spectacular in any season. - Good to know: The 40km round-trip side road is among the roughest on the Gibb and costs a full afternoon. Swimming is not possible -- it's a viewing experience. Skip if time is tight and prioritise Bell or Manning. ## What travellers say - [positive] What a recent visitor said: - [positive] What a recent visitor said: - [positive] What a recent visitor said: