Camp just near the entrance to Windjana Gorge
Deep into the Kimberley, about an hour and a half or two from Fitzroy Crossing, between the Great Northern Highway and Gibb River Road is the impressive Windjana Gorge, & there’s a campground just near the start of the walking trail.
The campground is spread out with plenty of space for caravans or RVs of any size, most of which don’t require reversing. There are two different areas, the main one being the “quiet campground” and the other is for those with generators.
Views of the exterior side of the gorge can be seen from the campground, creating a nice back drop behind the orange-red dirt surface.
Shade can be found under one of the many trees throughout both camping areas, then there are man made shelters to escape the sun or get out of the rain during the wet season.
From the camp ground, it’s just a short walk to get inside Windjana Gorge. Without walking far at all, you’ll be able to get views of the large rock walls and for those that want to go a bit further, a hiking trail continues on through the gorge.
Windjana Campground Facilities
The facilities are great at Windjana Gorge Campground. Unlike most bush camp grounds, you’ll find hot showers and flushing toilets, there’s also several of them. On the off chance that all of the toilets are taken, head on a short walk to the day use area and you’ll find another couple of free standing toilets that provide some decent privacy.
There isn’t any drinking water available, so you’ll need to bring your own. The closest places to get them are Derby in the west or Fitzroy Crossing to the east via the Great Northern Highway.
Getting to Windjana Gorge Campground from Fitzroy Crossing or Derby
It takes about 1,5 to 2 hours to get to Windjana Gorge and the campground from Fitzroy Crossing. Depending on what vehicle you have and how fast you can drive down corrugated roads will determine how much time it takes.
From Fitzroy Crossing, head west towards Derby/Broome on the Great Northern Highway for about 40 minutes, you’ll then need to turn right at Leopold Downs Road.
Leoplod Downs Road is a corrugated dirt road. The first part is quite smooth with stunning fine red dust, it then becomes pretty rough but easily passable.
Not too far into the dirt road is a small creek crossing. If there hasn’t been much rain before you visit, most cars with decent clearance will easily get through it due to there being a short version where you’ll only need to drive through shallow water for a couple of metres, then veer off to the right. If there has been any rain, you’ll need a 4WD and snorkel to get through, sometimes it’s completely impassable.
If you’re coming from Derby, head east along the Derby-Gibb River Road and eventually you’ll need to turn right down Fairfield-leapold Downs Road, just before the Lennard River. Continue on for about 20-30 minutes and you’ll see the Windjana Gorge signs on your left. Only head this way if you’re aware of the conditions and have a suitable vehicle.
The Windjana Gorge Campground is just near the day use area and the start of the hiking trail, it can’t be missed, there’s plenty of signs.
