Karijini is the kind of place that recalibrates what you think Australian landscapes are capable of. The gorges here — dozens of them cutting through ancient Pilbara ironstone — drop abruptly from flat red plain into narrow, deep chasms with waterfalls, swimming holes, and pools of startlingly clear water. Dales Gorge campground puts you close to several of the best.
Circular Pool and Fortescue Falls are both walkable from the campground via Dales Gorge — a short track that descends through layers of rock 2.7 billion years old, arriving at a permanent waterhole that stays cool even in the height of summer. The falls are modest in the dry season but the pool is deep and inviting; swimming here on a hot Pilbara afternoon is one of the better things you can do in this country.
For the more adventurous, Hancock Gorge’s spider walk is the signature experience — a narrow slot canyon where the walls close in to shoulder width and you wade and brace your way through knee-deep water along the rock. Bring shoes you don’t mind getting completely wet. It’s physically engaging without being dangerous if you take your time.
Weano and Knox Gorges (accessed from a separate area of the park, still 2WD) offer similar deep-slot experiences; Knox involves swimming across cold permanent pools in the dark of the gorge. The depth and darkness are part of it.
The campground is well-designed and eco-certified — flush toilets, cold showers. No fires or generators. Temperatures in June and July can drop to single figures overnight; bring a proper sleeping bag. Summer (November–March) is extreme heat — the park is not really a summer destination.
Tom Price is 90km away for Woolworths and fuel. Book through DBCA well ahead for June–August; this is peak season and the campground is popular.