Ross Graham Lookout

Ross Graham Lookout is a roadside viewpoint above the Murchison River in Kalbarri National Park’s inland gorge country. The upper lookout is a 20 m walk from the car park and is wheelchair accessible. The separate river trail is about 700 m return, with uneven steps and a steep climb back up; stay at the top if that descent is not for you.

A shade shelter, picnic table and toilets are at the stop. The park roads are sealed and suitable for 2WD vehicles. Bring drinking water and a picnic if you plan to linger, and leave dogs at home because they are not permitted in the park.

From above, the Murchison winds through a green river corridor beneath red and pale banded walls. The trail drops to shady banks and pools, where swimming and kayaking are possible. It is one of the park’s easiest ways to reach the river, but the rocky descent and uphill return take more effort than the short lookout approach.

For a photo that shows the scale, frame the river with both the red rock and pale bands, keeping some of the green riverbank in view. A closer water-level view means taking the descent.

The lookout is named for Kalbarri’s first schoolteacher, Ross Graham, a conservationist who helped explore the Murchison River and advocated protecting the region’s natural beauty. His memorial records that he died on 26 March 1967, aged 30.

The Murchison River carved Kalbarri’s red-and-white-banded gorges over roughly 400 million years. The gorge system extends about 80 km toward the coast, so the walls here are part of a much longer river landscape.

Late July is a peak time for wildflowers, including the Kalbarri spider orchid and Kalbarri catspaw. Grey kangaroos and emus may also be seen around the park.