Nambung National Park Park

Address: Nambung National Park, Pinnacles Desert Drive, Cervantes WA 6511, Australia

Website: https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/nambung

Hours: Park open 24/7; Discovery Centre seasonal hours (typically 9:00am-4:00pm)

Admission: Park access free; Discovery Centre parking fee may apply (~AUD 10-15)

Nambung National Park in Western Australia is best known for the Pinnacles Desert - a stretch of exposed limestone pillars rising from coastal sandplain. The park also includes coastal dunes, beaches and native scrubland typical of the region.

The Pinnacles feature thousands of limestone spires, many up to about 3.5 metres high, clustered across a series of low dunes and flats; the area is traversed by a short driving circuit and walking paths. A small discovery centre near the main access provides interpretation and visitor facilities.

The limestone formations result from long-term coastal and calcareous processes that exposed and shaped the pillars; surrounding habitats support native plants and coastal wildlife. The park is managed for day visitation with marked tracks to protect sensitive areas.

The park sits on the mid-west coast of Western Australia, about 200 kilometres north of Perth and close to the fishing town of Cervantes along the Indian Ocean coastline.

• Access from Perth: Located about 200 kilometres north of Perth, the Pinnacles are easiest reached from the coastal town of Cervantes and are commonly visited on day trips from Perth.
• Best time to visit: Best light for photographing the limestone pillars is around sunrise and sunset when shadows and colour contrast are strongest; facilities are busiest in summer months.

What to See#

• Pinnacles Desert: A compact area of exposed limestone pillars and formations located in the interior of the park; pillars commonly reach up to about 3.5 metres in height and occur in groups described as ‘the Pinnacles’.
• Discovery Centre and Pinnacles Drive: A staffed visitor centre and short driving circuit beside the main Pinnacles area that provides interpretation, parking and picnic facilities for day visitors.

Nambung National Park is about 2.5 hours north of Perth by car, off Indian Ocean Drive (State Route 60). The Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre is signposted from Cervantes.

• Visit the Pinnacles at dawn or dusk for the best light and far fewer people-midday flattens the stone into hard contrasts.
• Start at the Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre (approx. 17 km south of Cervantes) for background and the best viewing platform routes.
• Combine a Pinnacles visit with a short beach stop at nearby Thirsty Point or recreation at Lake Thetis to see stromatolites.