Cape Le Grand National Park Park

Website: https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/cape-le-grand

Hours: Open year-round

Admission: Free to visit; camping fees apply for park campgrounds

Cape Le Grand National Park is a coastal national park on the south coast of Western Australia known for white sand beaches, granite headlands and dune systems. It contains compact coastal bays and rocky points that form a highly scenic shoreline.

Sheltered beaches with clear water and nearshore reefs, granite domes and short walking tracks that provide coastal viewpoints. The park is used for day visits, camping and short coastal hikes.

The area was set aside for conservation of coastal habitats and public recreation; park infrastructure includes designated campsites and day-use areas while management focuses on protecting dunes and native vegetation. Over time it has become popular for beach-based nature viewing and photography.

Geographically the park lies on the southern coast of Western Australia east of the town of Esperance, occupying a stretch of coastal heath, dunes and granite outcrops that project into the Southern Ocean.

• Wildlife: Wildlife viewing - small kangaroo populations are often seen on dunes and beaches, particularly at Lucky Bay where animals sometimes rest on the sand.

What to See#

• Lucky Bay: A white-sand beach backed by dunes where kangaroos are frequently seen resting on the sand; clear shallow waters and nearshore reefs make it popular for swimming.
• Frenchman Peak: A granite monolith rising above the park used as a short but steep walking objective and a conspicuous landmark for navigation across the coastal plain.

Cape Le Grand National Park lies east of Esperance on Western Australia’s south coast. Drive from Esperance along the South Coast Highway (National Route 1) and turn onto Cape Le Grand Road to reach the park entrance; the drive is roughly 50-60 km east of Esperance.

Once inside the park there are short walks from the car parks to beaches such as Lucky Bay and tracks up Frenchman Peak.

• Arrive at Cape Le Grand early in the morning to catch Lucky Bay with few people and to see the famous beach kangaroos at their most active before the heat builds.
• Use the park's signed car parks (Lucky Bay, Hellfire Bay, and Thistle Cove) as your base for short walks-these give direct access to the main beaches and trails without long on-road searches for parking.
• If you plan to climb Frenchman Peak, start the ascent early and allow time to return in daylight; the scramble rewards wide views that many day-trippers miss by limiting themselves to the beaches.